And, of course, if a battle is too much of a mismatch, it can be skipped to save time. For instance, each race has a cheap ranged unit, but where the Elven longbowmen are more expensive and deadly, the Goblins may have “swarm darts” who are weaker but have poisoned missiles that do much more damage to unarmored, living enemies.īattles are surprisingly fast to play, especially given that they're turn-based, and they stay interesting whether it's a confrontation between a hero and a powerful demon, or a massive siege with multiple armies in the mix, wizards throwing fireballs and trebuchets destroying walls. While there are a few troop types like pikemen copied between races, even simple units can have major differences.

One of the chief joys of the tactical battles is that each unit can feel quite different. Developer Triumph Studios has also done a marvelous job of making its turn-based clashes between little Goblins and giant Dragons play fast and smart. And the music, much of it remixed from previous games in the series, remains a highlight. Warg-riding Goblins and Elvish Crusaders all look and play differently, adding personality and depth. Like previous games in the series, Age of Wonders embraces the very best of its familiar fantasy setting, crafting its units and its world with affection and detail. Hero customization is especially strong the ability to set character posture has great effects on the personality they exude.

AoW3’s form is conventional: pick a hero from a fantasy race like Dwarves, Orcs, or the lizard-like Draconians, expand across a Civilization-like map, explore dungeons, and conquer rival heroes.

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