I had high hopes for this one and it does have some quality to it, but after less than a week, I uninstalled it from my computer. It’s quite pretty and does exactly what you expect in updating the Age of Wonders series. I found it similar to Kings Bounty if comparing to new games. Certainly it’s worth checking out when it’s on sale, but for full price do not buy it. I was going to post some screen shots, but I uninstalled the game so fast I didn’t even take any.
I have one major issue and that’s all artillery/siege weapons. Stuff that throws rocks, tanks, cannons, etc. Given that these units have specialized functions in the real world, you assume that since they are not magical at all, they might just have the same specializations and weaknesses of their real-world counterparts. You’d be wrong. Flame Tanks can take massive amounts of punishment and dish out fire over a wide area even after moving. From what I’ve seen they are the best units in the game and can be spammed and spammed (unless you are against stuff that is immune to fire). However, It was the catapults that caused my quitting of the game. Catapults ALSO can take massive amounts of close combat and ranged damage, and can also move and fire their weapons at a hex NEXT to it (thus being in close combat). There is no reason in the world to not have all catapults and siege engines for your entire army. You don’t even need heroes.
While I appreciate the update graphically, like nearly all the fantasy strategy games outside of the Dominions series, Age of Wonders missed the mark.