I love the fantasy setting of Age of Wonders III. I have to say that as far as 4X style turn-based strategy games go, this is one of the best I have played in quite some time. It keeps much of what we liked about Shadow Magic, but has a few twists and tricks up its sleeves to make even the most diehard fan say wow!
How to Download Age of Wonders III
You can get the game from Steam or using GOG Galaxy. Click on the button below the review. You should also check out our review of the newer installment of the series: Age of Wonders: Planetfall.
The Game Review
The campaign that is on offer here has more substance than I thought it would. You have two different factions to play as, and each one has their own campaign. Without giving too much away, it is basically down to humans vs elves with a few other folks weighing in as well. The campaigns do have different paths you can take, so there is a fair bit of replay value here.
I love the overall presentation of the game and think that Age of Wonders III is the best looking game in the series to date. Granted we have all seen this kind of fantasy setting before. However, the creature designs, the different maps, and the whole world, in general, has a really “epic” feel about them. Even the voice acting (which you can turn off if you want) is very impressive.
There is quite a bit of depth in the game, and it can take a while to get your head around all that you can do. There are six leader classes to chose from. Warlord, Theocrat, Sorcerer, Archdruid, Rouge, and Dreadnought. Each one of these has their own abilities and progression tree that you can work through and level up. For me, Warlord is the way to go!
You have many different races of beings in this game and exploring each and every area is a massive part of the game. You will need to construct settlements, deal with other people, sometimes making deals other times using brute force to get what you want. Learn new skills so that your warriors can destroy all who stand before them! There is always something for you to be doing in this game.
The way that you go about a battle in Age of Wonders III will probably be different from how I do. That is part of what makes this such a fun game. Getting the right people to join you, equipping them with the right skills and using the right tactics is easier said than done! What I like is that even when I would lose, I would learn a little something. Usually not to do a certain thing!
As well as the single-player campaign, you do have other modes that you can enjoy. There is a robust multiplayer mode, and the community from what I have experienced so far is pretty great. They even give you tools to create your own awesome maps! This is not something I am skilled at, but for the right person, I am sure hours and hours could be spent here.
While this is a game that is very in-depth in terms of its gameplay and what it asks of you. I feel that the fun factor of this game is so high that even if you are not usually a turn-based strategy kind of gamer, you will have fun with this. Age of Wonders III is a fantastic entry to the series and great no matter if you are new to the series or a long-time veteran.
