Generally speaking, pre-ordering video games is a bad idea and I don’t usually do it. However, Age of Wonders 4 seemed to tick so many boxes that I made an exception and I don’t regret it, having played the game for about a week.
This is a preliminary sort of review so I can’t draw a full conclusion. I’ve completed multiple story missions (on easy, admittedly) and have just won a non-story, normal difficulty game.
Age of Wonders 4 is a 4X strategy game with a fantasy setting. Players have a relatively small number of cities (3 is standard but this can be modified by faction creation choices and in-game perks) and can achieve victory by either conquering other throne cities (capitals), expanding substantially, achieving magical dominance, or winning a score victory. The expansion and magical victories both require the construction of specific structures which must be defended.
Faction and ruler creation is an undoubted high point. By allowing for a multitude of small differences these stack up to an astonishing array of variety. Better yet, the system has been well thought through so there are very few, perhaps no, wrong choices and the dilemma between roleplay and gameplay choices is not really present.
There are around 10 fantasy races from which to pick, from fantasy staples of human, dwarf, elf, and halfling to feline, toad, and mole forms (others being goblin, orc, and rat). The forms do have default physical/mental attributes but none are fixed in stone, which is flexible but does reduce the lore flavour a little.
Players also pick culture, society traits, the starting magical tome, and their ruler. The ruler can be either a champion of the same race or a wizard king (think arcane dictator).
Other rulers will get along better with you if you have similar affinities, which are determined by culture, society traits, and tomes. Likewise, opposing affinities lead to a more antagonistic predisposition.
Affinities add to empire progression each turn. This works in two ways, with a specific affinity working along a specific branch, and all affinities combined adding up to a general branch. Perks are accessible with sufficient cumulative affinity, and unlocked using imperium, which is also used for major decisions like absorbing a conquered city into your empire.
Advancement also occurs by researching magical tomes. A good bet, especially early on, is sticking with the same general type (nature, for example) and deviating either rarely or never. One of the biggest advantages of research is minor and major race transformations. These upgrade your race in various ways and usually have a physical representation, though this can vary from practically unnoticeable to enormous.
Battles play out on a hex-grid in a somewhat XCOM style. The auto-combat option actually works very well most of the time and is a viable option if you aren’t inclined to manually run a fight. Occasionally it’s weaker than one might hope but sometimes it can turn in fantastic results too.
I’ve played with a few builds at this stage, having just won my first normal difficulty sandbox game and a few easy story mode games. There are a lot of valid strategies, and my last build was a straightforward but fun ranged focus which worked nicely. City development is critical, as is getting the right provinces (an early mix of farm, forester, and quarry plus taking advantage of special features like pastures that improve yields is advisable).
There’s also an underground on the map, although I’ve delved relatively little into this as yet. I do have plans for a molekin underground empire in the future. This adds another layer of flexibility as you can travel underground and emerge on the surface via tunnels (or vice versa). As many maps are broken up with rivers/seas, or lava, this is one more thing to consider.
Way too early for a definitive perspective but right now I’m liking Age of Wonders 4 a lot.
Thaddeus