Age of Wonders III Reviews
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We have rounded up some more reviews for Age of Wonders III, Triumph Studios' fantasy turn-based strategy threequel.
Eurogamer, 7/10.
Overall, Age of Wonders 3 is a solid, enjoyable and rewarding addition to its genre. It takes a risk by predicating its victory conditions on combat alone and its scope can occasionally feel limited as a result but Triumph has crafted a well-balanced and rewarding tactical battle system bolstered by a wealth of units, classes, races and abilities. Despite some familiar trappings and a shortage of genuine wonders, Age of Wonders 3 delivers a more tightly focused experience than Firaxis' behemoth Civilization series, to which it initially appears to owe so much. In doing so, it proves that even after a decade away the Age of Wonders series can still stand proud beside its modern-day contemporaries.
Joystiq, 4.5/5.
After losing most of the last two weeks to Age of Wonders 3, I'm no less enchanted by the game than I was in my first few hours exploring its rich fantasy world. This is a deep experience backed by intricate mechanics and a concerted polish that makes gameplay immediately intuitive and rewarding. Age of Wonders 3 will keep you up until the wee hours of the morning, constantly muttering that you'll crawl into bed after just one more turn. A few areas could benefit from being fleshed out by inevitable DLC, but Age of Wonders 3 is as glorious a resurrection as the series could have hoped for.
Hooked Gamers, 8.9/10.
We have waited for well over a decade for Age of Wonders to return. I doubt its fans were looking for anything more than an updated game engine and on the surface, that is exactly what they got. Once you have maybe 10 hours of gameplay under your belt, you will start to appreciate the subtle changes that the upgradable heroes and combat mechanics bring, and thus the equally subtle innovations that Triumph Studios has made throughout the game. <br<
I can feel it in my bones that Age of Wonders III is the start of a new era for the franchise and its creators. The level of polish and the depth of its gameplay puts the game on par with releases from top tier game publishers, its rich heritage and unique take on the 4X genre puts it in a league of its own.
Quarter to Three, 3/5.
But the more you play, the more you try different game types, the more you experiment with different races and paths along the skill tree, the more you develop favorite combos and hated opponents, the more crushingly disappointing it is that it doesn't know how to end. A game this good deserves a good finale. It deserves anything other than the long tedious slog to finish a game that was over a hundred turns ago.
Strategy Informer, 8.5/10.
Since I never played the earlier games, I can't make the call as to whether or not this game was worth waiting 11 years for. Saying that, I've been waiting since I saw the game at GamesCom last year to get my hands on it, and it was definitely worth it. Like Warlock 2, this is a game that's trying to be more creative with the fairly rigid '˜Civ' template, and combined with the tactical battles and challenge of a hostile world, this is definitely one of the better strategy games to come out over the last year or so. We hope long-term fans of the series are as impressed as we are with this game, and for anyone new to the franchise, we recommend jumping in as soon as you like.
PC Gamer, 83/100.
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic in particular has long been a cult classic, and Age of Wonders III certainly doesn't let it down. It could use a couple patches to adjust balance and minor things such as occasional lag on the strategy view, but the core game is an immediately engaging mix of strategy and tactics.
IGN, 7.1/10.
The quest for the ultimate fantasy strategy game will continue for a while longer, as Age of Wonders III only partially fits the bill. Still, it's a fairly successful return for a game series and style that seemed undeservedly buried. I have no doubt that the strength of the tactical combat will help find a strong niche, but for me, that just makes the relative weakness of the strategic side of gameplay all the more disappointing.
