Recent reviews by Greyclouds

This game is a masterpiece that has shaped the fields of SRPGs, Tactical RPGs, and JRPGs in general, and this version is all but the definitive version. The voice acting, UI improvements, and minor balancing changes make this a worthwhile purchase, and I find it superior to the original version (which I played in the late 90's) in every way.

If you enjoy RPGs at all, do yourself a favor and purchase this game. The story, gameplay, setting, and progression systems are all fantastic.

Age of Wonders 4 is a game that has steadily improved over time and revealed the promise behind its premise. With the latest DLC, the game has now reached a state where I consider it equal in fun with the series' previous iteration, Age of Wonders Planetfall.

If you're on the fence, but love 4X games and/or Heroes of Might and Magic, I would highly recommend this game.

If you love civilization but always felt that the combat and battles were the low-point of the game, I would highly recommend this one.

Product was received for free from Paradox Interactive. I have not received any other compensation from any other entity for this review.

In a way that CK2 never really got me addicted to the series, CK3 comes through in a big way. Most of the complex mechanics are hidden and revealed to the player in a very smart way, and the interface is so much easier to navigate than before!

I would recommend this game to anyone who is even remotely interested in video games. The experience is just so unique and interesting that it is bound to appeal to a wide range of players! Highly recommended!

I just wanted to update my review as I recently returned to the game after a self-imposed hiatus to start working on my backlog. Again, I feel the urge to keep playing one more turn, and I think that I can distill it down to a simple concept:

Just like Master of Magic, AOW: Planetfall gives you a great tactical turn-based combat sandbox experience. MoM allowed a creative player to devise outlandish combat unit combinations such as flying galleons, and AOW: Planetfall enables some of that same magic through the mod system.

Do you want to turn a tier one infantry unit into a suicidal beast that explodes in a shower of poison amidst a group of enemies but then resurrects to half health after you win the battle? How about a squad of tier two support units that all create their own independent mind control drones that can wipe out an army twice their size? Or a glass cannon sniper that can hit three enemies in one shot, stun them all and deal electrical damage over time?

If you aren't playing this game for the asymmetric tactical combat, I can see why you might not enjoy it. I enjoy thinking up these new unit combinations and imagining ways to maximize their potential on the battlefield.

Previous review: I am a huge fan of the franchise, and I purchased the ultimate edition as a pre-order as soon as it was available. I definitely do not regret that decision!

If you like 4X strategy games but crave tactical combat, this game will scratch that itch. The amount of content is incredible, and despite a couple of rough edges, the experience is very enjoyable. My only wish is for even more expansion of the diplomacy mechanics and for more content in future expansions. Thankfully, the most recent expansion has added much more content to chew on. I see this game as being a recurrent staple in my gaming library in the foreseeable future.

"You have found a skull. What do you want to do?"
A. EAT IT!!

"You get more calcium in your diet"
10/10. Would eat a skull again.

It's a game that was released 5 years ago (yes! 5 years ago!) but it's still receiving tons of support from the devs through paid DLC. It takes a week to understand the game and to acknowledge that the only goals are to have your dynasty survive, but the time invested in the game pays off. It truly is a game that you can play forever.

I did not enjoy this game because of the reduction of RPG components and the simple, bland story. After an hour and a half, I could see the writing on the wall: the game was designed for Bethesda game fans who don't mind skipping the story to just roam the world. If you enjoy roaming the world, free-form, without any aim, this is a game you should consider.

If you have ever played and enjoyed the Witcher 3, then you're in for allot of dissappointment.

: A boardgame with solid mechanics; however, not recommended if playing as a single-player game due to current lack of content.

Oh Armello, you have good mechanics that could lend themselves to a solid game experience, but your "board" limits your content. To all those thinking about purchasing this game, I would recommend that you consider if you will be playing multiplayer with friends. If not, then it might not be worth it for you -- unless it is on sale. Here's why:

Armello gives you several solid character mechanics, a questing system, multiple victory objectives and a good, quick combat system. The problem is that the board and the rules regarding the king often do not vary enough to make individual games feel "unique" when playing against the somewhat passive AI. When playing the game in single player, you will feel as if you have seen just about all content near the 5-6 hour mark, with only token attempts by the AI to kill you. If you are aiming for a strategy to win the game within 6 or 7 turns, the AI will be entirely helpless and you will win the game easily.

In order to vary up the game, I think that a different board design, with some additional rules that are unique to board-types would go a long way.

For $20 you get:

- Improvements to the original campaigns
- New Strategic map treasure sites
- A huge improvement to the racial system with race command
- A new class! (and new heroes that are very customizable for all other classes to hire)
- A new campaign with multiple endings
- Two new races with interesting interplay!
- A really interesting unit buff (ghoul) that can impact all non-machine, non-undead, non-summon units

This is more of an expansion than a "once and done" DLC packet!

I am a huge fan of turn-based strategy games and turn-based RPGs. If you like any games that fit that mold, I'd highly recommend Age of Wonders 3.

Update: Eternal Lords is an must-have expansion to this game. It adds far more features and greatly improves the core game regardless of the faction/leader/race that you choose. Highly recommended still!

One of the critical mistakes that professional reviewers have piled on this game is that they compared this to Civilization 5. I would really disagree with that approach, and I'd recommend that they compare this to Heroes of Might and Magic and/or King's Bounty the Legend. I feel that Age of Wonders 3 gives FAR more replay value and is incredibly well thought out, especially when compared to the sixth entry of the Heroes series. Diplomacy is second-hand, as the majority of the game is built around the excellent tactical combat. Your goal in this game is to win through total-war and that purity of focus does not get old because of the sheer variety of magic, units and scenarios.

I have played all of the previous Age of Wonders games, and after having been spoiled by this game (and the Golden Realms expansion), I don't think that I can return to them (despite them being incredible games in their own right!).

UPDATE: Mods have increased the replayability of this game dramatically! Still highly recommended.