Preview of Age of Wonders 4: The Magical Age

Age of Wonders 4 Triumph Studios' 4X strategy game with a fantastical flare isn't due until May 2, but it already looks really interesting. I was excited to give it a try since I had played Age of Wonders: Planetfall quite a bit, including managing AnyBet365's enormous guides hub.

We had a chance to preview the product and had a brief Q&A with the developers. With the exception of multiplayer choices, this specific version already had the majority of the game unlocked, which freed up my time to spend hours learning both new and old ideas.

I need a hero.

Age of Wonders 4 preview

The Age of Wonder franchise's emphasis on heroes is one of the main things that sets it apart from other franchises in the genre. Assuming that Civilization is essentially about making the most of your civilization or faction, and Humankind requires you to combine various cultures, then Age of Wonders examines the little and large picture, including your preferred hero, racial advantages and characteristics, and future directions for improving your faction.

This is clear in the next series, which returns to its fantasy origins after Planetfall's brief foray into sci-fi. You would choose your leader and their race right away. There are all of the typical cliches, including humans, orcs, dwarves, elves, and halflings, along with some unexpected characters like big toads, man-sized rats that make me think of Skaven, and cat people (yay for cats!). The perks you may choose from include higher HP, enhanced resistances, mobility limitation based on the terrain, critical hits while flanking, and more.

Dive into cultures

The many civilizations that also happen to have an affinity for each resource are then decided upon. For instance, the Feudal option grants heroes the ability to become Feudal Lords and results in constructions that provide additional food benefits. Meanwhile, the Industrious culture increases output, and units undergo the effect of Bolstering, which hardens them as they withstand more blows in combat. There are also entities associated with the Dark that provide you access to further information and study, structures that enhance this resource, and a prod toward affiliation with Evil. Subsequently, you choose more characteristics as well as physical attributes for your leader and their followers.

Yes, you will certainly come up with a lot of combos straight away. Some unlock absurd situations, while others are there if you want more role-playing-friendly backstory. I got an intriguing response when I questioned the devs about their opinions on striking a balance between individuals who want to role play and those who want to min-max synergy. When it comes to diversity, Age of Wonders 4 offers a greater selection than min-maxing, which is mostly seen in multiplayer games. However, the group believes that although it's "exciting if you find a good synergy once," gamers shouldn't be forced to select certain options all the time.

The 4X genre's cornerstones

You will now be able to play on the maps of Age of Wonders 4 after creating your own faction or selecting one of the presets. The four cornerstones of the 4X strategy genre—explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate—come into play here. Your initial army will traverse the map from your capital city, which has two distinct production queues for structures and soldiers, and lay down outposts that may ultimately be upgraded into additional cities. As each city expands, you may take over nearby areas to incorporate them into your own and add upgrades like mines, farms, and monuments.

You may deploy up to six troops in each army during fights. The most you can have, if your troops are positioned next to one another, is three armies, or eighteen units. When you engage an enemy army, the overworld map changes to a smaller battleground. Each unit moves on a hex, depending on whether it is using ranged DPS from a distance or melee skills up close. Additionally, you have access to a variety of magic spells.

Picture courtesy of Paradox Interactive and Triumph Studios

Age of Wonders 4

The Tomes system is used in Age of Wonders 4. From the animal summoning of the Tome of Beasts and the heavenly inspiration of the Tome of Zeal to the defensive-focused Tome of Warding and the immolating flames of the Tome of Pyromancy, each side is limited to having just one of these at first. New spells that may strengthen your soldiers or bring in more forces for the battlefield will become available to you as you go. You may also acquire more Tomes at a later time. During the Q&A, I was informed that one very inventive configuration makes the most of ranged troops' potential. Zephyr Archers, along with other boosts and spells like Amplified Arrows and Seeker Arrows, are used to accomplish this.

In addition, the Empire Tree also affects your faction's affinity. The Empire Tree is a compilation of your country's development, as opposed to a tech tree, which is mostly dependent on research points and knowledge. You would get more boons and passive benefits if you started with your original goal (food, production, etc.).

Picture courtesy of Paradox Interactive and Triumph Studios

To unlock Pantheons, panting

I did have some reservations about using the Age of Wonders 4 preview, despite all of these alternatives. First of all, launching a game resulted in an equally disorganized and perplexing barrage of tooltips and alerts. Even though I'm used to strategy games, I had to shake my head at all the information that was shown on the screen. Even with my knowledge, I can imagine that the many mechanics beginners would have to learn would quickly turn them off. I did note, at the very least, the nested tooltips, which work much like the method in Crusader Kings 3, where you could mouse over a key phrase to bring up a box with further information.

In addition, I had concerns about the behavior of some free cities and peoples (i.e., smaller AI factions). They sometimes detested X, or Good or Evil alignments, along with a few other things. I couldn't seem to get them to agree with me; it would have taken a lot of money and effort, so my only option was to completely destroy them.

Triumph Studios and Paradox Interactive provided the image.

Ascending the hierarchy

Not to be overlooked is the Pantheon system, which functions as your total growth level and awards you with attributes, benefits, and cosmetic designs. You must gain XP in order to move up the Pantheon and unlock additional treasures. Sadly, experience points are only obtained via game completion. Remember that this is a 4X game rather than a real-time strategy (RTS) or turn-based tactical game.

The "one more turn" mentality may result in many hours being spent just finishing a single match, as the majority of 4X players are aware. During your journey, you will do a number of tasks that provide Pantheon XP (such as strengthening your loyalty to free cities, opening up a new Tome of Magic, and more). However, since the match must be completed, it sometimes seems tedious.

After a few lengthier play sessions, I finally decided to only use short maps and eliminate my AI opponent in about a dozen turns. I gained some XP, but finishing few matches was more achievable than completing lengthy, hour-long sessions. It remains to be seen whether any of these will be enhanced when the May 2 launch date of Age of Wonders 4 approaches. Whether they are searching for the next unlock or are simply drawn to the environment, I do believe strategy aficionados will spend a significant amount of time playing this.