Age of Wonders

DO NOT BUY ON STEAM. It is completely broken on modern machines. Use GoG instead, it works perfectly. Anyway, the gameplay still holds up extremely well. So many races and units and abilities and building up your leader is incredibly fun. If you're into strategy or fantasy games, definitely give this one a shot

Age of Wonders, двоюродный брат героев, но со своими особенностями. Первое отличие, что бросается в глаза - количество расс. Хотя все города и улучшают свой уровень по одной и той же схеме, но существа у всех расс свои. И надо сказать разнообразие тут большое. Это количество сильно портит баланс (привет от существ последних уровней у нежити с их иммунитетом к физическому урону). Второе отличие - возможность изменять глобальную карту, прямо в игре. Мешает пройти гора? Используйте заклинания, чтобы сделать равнину! Нет корабля, чтобы проплыть реку? Заморозьте её и спокойно пройдите по льду! И таких момент - множество, что сильно вносит разнообразие в тактику. Изучение заклинаний, кстати происходит не в городах, а постоянно, но требует за это ресурс энергию (в игре всего два ресурса: золото и энергия). Ещё одно сильное отличие - автономность армии и героя. Можно хоть каждым юнитом бродить по всей карте (на последних уровнях прокачки герой-одиночка способен выносить целые армии). Любые захватываемых строения на карте можно уничтожить, включая города. Последние можно ассимилировать и после нескольких ходов в нем будет обитать ваша родная раса. Есть дипломатия, благодаря которой можно заключать союзы. Но надо помнить, что есть определенная схема изначальных отношений, что вносит коррективы в переговорах, например лесные эльфы менее охотнее захотят вступить в союз с нежитью, нежели с гномами или людьми. Как альтернатива героям - очень достойная игра, жаль, что в дальнейшем серия стала умирать.

This game desperatly needs an update to make it run on modern systems. As is it is now it will be a miracle if you can even get the game to start.

does not function buy from gog, not steam

In awe at the magic of Proton. This game, which first released in the previous millenium, runs perfectly in compatibility mode with Proton 4.11-13. Playable on Steam Deck but some of the UI elements are a little awkward and you have to summon the on-screen keyboard occasionally for save games or unit renaming. This remains the Age of Wonders game I love the most. They went all in with the classic fantasy setting for this turn-based strategy game. Every unit for every civ has a personalised description that builds out the rich lore and the history of the world. There's a fun campaign that will play out differently depending on if you pick the good guys or the bad guys. Lots of scenarios. A Map Editor. Later games in the series change and improve on the formula. The games become more mechanically complex. Their UIs looks better on modern resolutions. But something about the particular fantasy setting here, the simpler (if jaggier) gameplay, always brings me back.

broken. wont load map error. dont buy this.

[quote][i][b]SHORT REVIEW :[/b][/i] as the first chapter, Age of Wonders was an interesting video game, and it's still worth playing for a couple of hours. The concept is simple; the challenge is quite good. It has many issues/bugs, but if you like the old 2D games, you should play it at least once. Better with a good discount.[/quote] ❖[i][b] Gameplay ( 7.2 / 10 ) :[/b][/i] we start with a simple hero and a few units, and we have to explore, capture cities, recruit units, defeat enemies and conquer the whole map. We use [i][b]Gold[/b][/i] to create and upkeep soldiers; [i][b]Mana[/b][/i] to research and cast spells. This is a [i][b]turn-based strategy[/b][/i], where we move each unit like pawns on a chessboard and use physical or ranged attacks. Our hero can also use spells, but they are expensive in mana. Each battlefield requires a [i][b]different strategies[/b][/i] (terrain, buildings and unit types can change every time). After each battle, we [i][b]gain experience[/b][/i]. Our hero unlocks abilities and increases stats; units get more powerful and resistant. There are [i][b]many different units[/b][/i], each one with its stats, bonuses and maluses. Not all are well-balanced; a few types are more powerful and will make most of the other units useless. The [i][b]campaign mode[/b][/i] offers many challenging scenarios, different goals and a good variety in the map design. However, a bit boring after some time as it's always "conquer all the map". 🕮[i][b] Narrative ( 6.4 / 10 ) :[/b][/i] classic fantasy plot, with elves, dwarves, orcs... and the eternal fight between good and evil. Two main campaigns let us play the same story from each faction’s perspective. Not a very original narrative, but the game can give some interest in playing all those maps to the end. However, it is a bit too repetitive and after some hours can bore every kind of player. ⌬[i][b] Aesthetic ( 6.7 / 10 ) :[/b][/i] the old 2D aesthetic is able to fascinate many players out there and is still quite pleasant today. The overall quality is appreciable, even if sometimes it lacks clarity and has a few issues with textures and terrains. [i][b]A big negative point for the interface[/b][/i], not scaling well with screen resolution, resulting in not so good user experience, also a bit confusing, clumsy and laggy when searching for specific items. ♬[i][b] Sound ( 6.2 / 10 ) :[/b][/i] AoW makes an appreciable effort with music and sound effects. However, for a game that can require dozens of hours to complete, the music is too monotonous, and the general audio lacks quality and variety. Due to its old age and programming not being very sharp, you will catch up a lot of bugs, crashes and general issues that, even if they don’t ruin our experience, they can be quite annoying sometimes. ⚔︎[i][b] Challenge ( 6.3 / 10 ) :[/b][/i] easy to learn, with a simple concept that offers a good challenge overall. As you get on with the campaign, things become quite hard, and at the highest difficulty settings, you will have a lot of trouble. However, if you have a bit of skill with these kinds of games, you won’t find much of a threat, as the AI is not very smart and does almost the same things. The [i][b]deserters mechanic[/b][/i] is one of the most annoying things: there is a chance every turn that a group of units or a city become “rebels” and turns against you. This happens even at “easy”, and it seems to affect our troops randomly, without logic. This feature makes the whole experience less enjoyable as you have to face random losses that make you waste a lot of time. There are a few [i][b]interesting mods[/b][/i] to spice up the adventure, like the Evolved mod that brings a lot of changes and enhancements, which can be appreciated more after having completed the game once. ✦[b][i][u] Overall Rating ( 6.3 / 10 ) [/u][/i][/b] ✦

Classic game that I've been playing since 1999. Fun versus bots and pvp with friends. Games can be quick 1v1s or a long 5-12 person/bot game that might require scheduling. Custom maps make it easy to come back either by finding a new map or wanting to make another of your own. A few mods change rulesets for more replayability.

It's a sad fact that the game does not work well on Windows 11. I remember reading a rumour about the devs losing the source code to fix or hope for any sort of remake to a game that marked my childhood fantasies.

One of my favourite games ever, to me it is a masterpiece just for its single player mode, and with the right person it can be just as fun in multiplayer. The universe is actually very interesting not only with the storyline but also with the clever description of the numerous units, which gives each game a very immersive feeling. Moreover, the way you lead your campains, with a variety of strategic and tactic options rarely found elsewhere, makes you think deeply about your own personnality and morality as a leader. Going through Age of Wonders is more than juste playing a fun game, it is a deep introspection in a fantasy world that holds a very special place in my heart. Thanks a lot to all those that contributed to create this game, with a special mention for the soundtrack that is amazing and that I still listen to nowadays !