Age of Wonders 4

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 77 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 57 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 77
  3. Negative: 7 out of 77

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  1. Sev07
    May 6, 2023
    6
    It's alright but a downgrade on the gameplay side compared to previous games ,also most of the customization was copied from Age of wonders 3 and I can't play technological empire as far as I have seen whit technologies and magic been one thing .

    Also it doesn't keep my attention like the other age of wonders and for some reason the UI feels really weird . on the good side I like    It's alright but a downgrade on the gameplay side compared to previous games ,also most of the customization was copied from Age of wonders 3 and I can't play technological empire as far as I have seen whit technologies and magic been one thing .

    Also it doesn't keep my attention like the other age of wonders and for some reason the UI feels really weird .

    on the good side I like that the race changes whit upgrades
    I would wait for updates .    … Expand
  2. matreaus
    May 15, 2023
    2
    First 4 hours are great. You learn the mechanics and it seems decent.
    But then:
    1. AI is absolutely stupid - it leaves towns undefended. Does not attack when it has advantage. 2. Game gets unplayable when your allies have many troops to move - sometimes your turn takes 15s and then you wait a minute for your allies troops to move and cannot skip this... 3. It just gets so boring so    First 4 hours are great. You learn the mechanics and it seems decent.
    But then:
    1. AI is absolutely stupid - it leaves towns undefended. Does not attack when it has advantage.
    2. Game gets unplayable when your allies have many troops to move - sometimes your turn takes 15s and then you wait a minute for your allies troops to move and cannot skip this...
    3. It just gets so boring so fast.

    Definitely overhyped, not worth the money.    … Expand
  3. OwlInvesting
    Jul 20, 2023
    8
    Excellent game that combines RPG creative aspects with a simpler Civilization-like style of strategy. You can expect to get about 30-40 hours worth of replayability. Not that difficult to get a grasp on - arguably the easiest to learn game paradox has released. This game will excel with expansion packs and further development. To criticize the game - I think there needs to be severalExcellent game that combines RPG creative aspects with a simpler Civilization-like style of strategy. You can expect to get about 30-40 hours worth of replayability. Not that difficult to get a grasp on - arguably the easiest to learn game paradox has released. This game will excel with expansion packs and further development. To criticize the game - I think there needs to be several layers more depth, its a bit too simple for my personal taste. Hopefully Paradox can deliver on future content for this game - it definitely has potential to go higher.… Expand
  4. indieinsights
    May 7, 2023
    8
    It is better than Age of Wonders 3, obviously. It had a rocky start in the first hours, where the Steam reviews dropped for a few hours to 40 %, because of crashes, but it is now rightfully much higher.

    The visuals suffer a little from typical small team issues: everything is too dark, even during the day for light factions, as if the devs had little experience in computer graphics. The    It is better than Age of Wonders 3, obviously. It had a rocky start in the first hours, where the Steam reviews dropped for a few hours to 40 %, because of crashes, but it is now rightfully much higher.

    The visuals suffer a little from typical small team issues: everything is too dark, even during the day for light factions, as if the devs had little experience in computer graphics. The shadows on the NPCs and beneath trees show the problem. The female in particular are badly lit. Small studio problems. Maybe they will fix it.

    But the game's pace, gameplay, are really alright. Best 4X game since Civ6.

    The only complaints I can think of (after 45+ h) are

    - The faction creator causes generic, boring races with no soul. If any race can be anything, any time, it feels... dull? Random? I read that some journalists complained about that one too, so maybe it is worth mentioning. There are no real Orcs, Elves, Skavens, or Demons in this game, if you need some.

    - City sieges are not fun, and make little sense. You siege an outpost for 2-3 turns, but also a big city for 5 turns? And when you beat a large army defending that city of 20 units? Nah, doesn't matter. Still waiting 3 turns.

    - The bad/evil standing looks nice but you notice soon that it doesn't matter. Bad and evil factions ally all the time, even after a war. Once allied, their opinion ratings increase which makes them move closer. It is a bit like the generic faction designer: it only leads to a big brown soup of randomness, unlike in other games.I also noticed how diplomacy in this game flips around like a flag in the wind.

    - Tactical combat at first is fun, but soon you 4-5x 6-unit-stack-armies vs another 4x 6-unit-stack-armies. Not only is map movement annoying. If they attack your tiny outpost, all you do is hoping that the siege takes 3-4 turns, so that you can move your 6-unit-stack-armies there quickly.

    - The world map is difficult to read. You actually want to know where your armies are, where the enemy's armies are, to plan better, but I guess the devs did not play the game themselves. The map becomes useless, unless you want to see where the borders are?

    - Research is confusing. After almost 50 h, I still do not understand the book choices and differences much. I could read some wiki on it. True. But come on, research should be more obvious and transparent, since picking the wrong books has a huge impact on your game.

    - I played multiple campaigns so far. I noticed that I do not connect or care for my factions, race, whatever. I do not read the stories. I think that it has to do with the faction designer that causes to not care about it, since any race can be anything, any time. This is contrary to Warhammer where you do care.

    - Another thing I noticed is the weak AI. Eventually, you have to play on super hard mode because the AI's building order and expansion are not as good as yours. But maybe that will improve soon too.    … Expand
  5. 4verse
    May 5, 2023
    10
    my goty!

    i absolutely love it! if you like 4x and fantasy this is the game of your dreams imho. there are some things i dont like as much (eg rather passive vassals in my experience, realm options not as granular as i would like, some victory conditions too similar), but since it is paradox and triumph i have very little worries that thos shortcomings will be sorted out in the    my goty!

    i absolutely love it! if you like 4x and fantasy this is the game of your dreams imho.

    there are some things i dont like as much (eg rather passive vassals in my experience, realm options not as granular as i would like, some victory conditions too similar), but since it is paradox and triumph i have very little worries that thos shortcomings will be sorted out in the future!

    i really do hope that there will be many more than just 4 dlc. contrary to popular belief i like dlc (like in stellaris) b/c they make a very good game even better.

    i wish paradox and triumph that aow4 will become at least as successful as stellaris!

    10/10. in 1-2 years probably 12/10 :-)    … Expand
  6. rednosewine
    May 5, 2023
    10
    i am not good in english, so only short review: very good game. i like very much. already played like 20 hours. buy!
  7. tomhaider1234
    May 5, 2023
    10
    alter! was für eine perle eines spiels! wenn man auf herr der ringe, d&d, pathfinder steht und rundenstrategie mag, wird man aow lieben! besser als aow3, das schon sehr gut war.

    leute, weniger lesen, kaufen und spielen!

    geiles spiel!
  8. BOJIOTOBA
    May 4, 2023
    10
    the game is like a masterpiece. very simple but at the same time deep mechanics.
  9. TheRishka
    May 3, 2023
    10
    It's just in general improved AoW3, which was already decent. Works totally fine on steam deck
  10. NoradZero
    May 12, 2023
    9
    The game is excellent. It have a return to the source plus a tons of interesting features including the possibility to design you own race. The tomes are really cool too.
  11. Virageous
    May 8, 2023
    4
    Looks cool. Ideas is very good. But gameplay part is pretty bad for the game of that level.
  12. Hert
    May 10, 2023
    9
    I think this game will go into the books as one of the all time great fantasy 4x classics. There is sooooo much content here, it's incredible what they all managed to cram it into a 50 euro game. AoW 3 was just an ok game imo, but they improved it in all the right ways.

    What I like most: - insane number of different units, and via the rally of lieges mechanic you get to tailor make    I think this game will go into the books as one of the all time great fantasy 4x classics. There is sooooo much content here, it's incredible what they all managed to cram it into a 50 euro game. AoW 3 was just an ok game imo, but they improved it in all the right ways.

    What I like most:
    - insane number of different units, and via the rally of lieges mechanic you get to tailor make specific armies for beating a specific opponent
    - the imperium mechanic limits the number of cities you can control directly, in the old games once you took over 2 cities of an opponent you were just snowballing for the next 60 turns to inevitable victory. The city limit puts a real break on that, you still get rewarded for conquering (you'll gain vassals) though. This also cures the "let's spam new cities everywhere" strategy which was the optimal way to play in previous games.
    - the way cities grow and annex new territory is really satisfying
    - diplomacy is pretty well done, especially the grievances and AI personalities
    - I like the tome system a lot, the late game spells rightly feel extremely powerful and are a lot of fun to cast
    - the battle AI is not amazing but has improved a lot compared to the previous game, they keep their ranged back, try to flank and generally don't just charge headlong into your line.
    - the game world looks gorgeous
    - I cackled with joy when my evil wizard killed an opposing hero on the battlefield, then got to take his remains home and reanimate him to led my undead armies against his previous comrades. The game is full with these small flavorful touches.
    - since it's a paradox game, you might think you'll need the dlc's to make it enjoyable as they tend to release bare bones games, but IMO the game is already fantastic and complete as it is right now. I only saw some small animation glitches, no crashes so far.

    What I dislike most:
    - in a battle there can be so many effects in play it is hard to keep track of everything, if you want to min max everything you are going to be in the tank for a looong time
    - vassal ai armies should be blobbing in their city when faced with an overpowering foe, but happily march out to their doom instead
    - AI often doesn't clear its provinces of neutral mobs camping on province improvements
    - even though a lot of stuff is very well explained, it is not always obvious were a certain effect is coming from.
    - sea battles: when all those varied units turn into just ships ramming each other, that's a let down.    … Expand
  13. Frankie321
    Jun 15, 2023
    10
    A superior 4X fantasy game with tactical combat. I happen to have loved Age of Wonders 3, and this game continues but improves that approach. The developers are committed to patches and DLC, so the game will just continue to get better and better.
  14. Auryt
    May 29, 2023
    10
    Highly recommend to buy, my GOTY easily. Will write a review after the next turn.
  15. Wjdbhh
    May 7, 2023
    10
    The best strategy in recent years, I recommend everyone, but there are not some users problems with optimization, I hope they fix it.
  16. Veronnese
    May 10, 2023
    10
    Age of Wonders 4 is a fantastic game that offers players a captivating and immersive strategy gaming experience. The game takes players on an exciting journey through a vast and mystical world filled with magical creatures, powerful artifacts, and epic battles.

    One of the most impressive aspects of Age of Wonders 4 is its deep and engaging gameplay. The game provides players with a wide    Age of Wonders 4 is a fantastic game that offers players a captivating and immersive strategy gaming experience. The game takes players on an exciting journey through a vast and mystical world filled with magical creatures, powerful artifacts, and epic battles.

    One of the most impressive aspects of Age of Wonders 4 is its deep and engaging gameplay. The game provides players with a wide range of strategic options, from building powerful armies and conquering enemy territories to researching new technologies and mastering powerful spells.    … Expand
  17. Jazzaband
    May 6, 2023
    9
    This game is gorgeos. i've been yearning for the game like this for ages. thank you developers ))
  18. Spped14
    May 10, 2023
    10
    Excelente! Fiel a la saga en su historia, en su jugabilidad, en su estética, su música, etc. La velocidad de la.partida es notoriamente superior a entregas anteriores, lo cual le da más dinamismo al juego. Por otra parte, la personalización es tanta que se puede crear cuquiwr estilo de juego según gusto y paladar.
    La curva de aprendizaje para nuevos jugadores es bastante buena, lo cual    Excelente! Fiel a la saga en su historia, en su jugabilidad, en su estética, su música, etc. La velocidad de la.partida es notoriamente superior a entregas anteriores, lo cual le da más dinamismo al juego. Por otra parte, la personalización es tanta que se puede crear cuquiwr estilo de juego según gusto y paladar.
    La curva de aprendizaje para nuevos jugadores es bastante buena, lo cual permite que gente recién ingresada en el género pueda divertirse sin problemas.
    Uno de los puntos más fuertes que tienen estos juegos es el workshop, pudiéndose incorporar miles y miles de nuevas mecánicas y modificaciones.
    Si bien he leído de que pudiera estar desbalanceado, no se está teniendo en cuenta que para llegar a las cosas "desbalanceadas", pasan varios turnos y hay muchas formas de hacer contra a eso. Lo siento más como una excusa por parte de malos jugadores.
    Por parte de issues de UI, estabilidad, y demás he encontrado muy pocos, prácticamente nada comparado con otros juegos AAA actuales.
    En conclusión, un excelente juego al cual ya le he dedicado horas y horas, y aún a por más!    … Expand
  19. Grobog
    May 8, 2023
    10
    Excellent mix, very addictive!
    Like the artistic direction, the realisation and the sound design are beautyfull!
  20. okamimiyazaki
    Jul 2, 2023
    9
    Much easier to get into and understand than AOW III. Less convoluted, more customization, and overall more enjoyable.

    Just needs more content which will be released in DLC I'm sure.
  21. Manawydan
    May 31, 2023
    9
    Definite upgrade from AoW3. Nice graphics, solid tactical play, and a satisfyingly broad range of customization options that make the different races/factions feel very unique.
  22. wpredw
    May 16, 2023
    9
    This one somehow tickles the exact same places as Civ VI did for me. The just one more round. I haven't played any of the previous iterations of the game. This one to me seems very solid and the concepts are easy to grasp. Many features are modeled similar to other games of this kind - which frees up mind space to allow for learning core concepts. To me .. if you are into fantasy and 4X -This one somehow tickles the exact same places as Civ VI did for me. The just one more round. I haven't played any of the previous iterations of the game. This one to me seems very solid and the concepts are easy to grasp. Many features are modeled similar to other games of this kind - which frees up mind space to allow for learning core concepts. To me .. if you are into fantasy and 4X - it's a must have.… Expand
  23. wolfaust
    Aug 23, 2023
    8
    While playing Master of Magic (MoM), the mechanics of using magic on both the campaign map and the battle map were very innovative and fun. However, the game didn't seem to have any depth or immersion. While MoM was a fantastic game, something was missing. Age of Wonders 4 (AoW4) takes the gameplay in Master of Magic even further and creates a uniquely recreated world with additions fromWhile playing Master of Magic (MoM), the mechanics of using magic on both the campaign map and the battle map were very innovative and fun. However, the game didn't seem to have any depth or immersion. While MoM was a fantastic game, something was missing. Age of Wonders 4 (AoW4) takes the gameplay in Master of Magic even further and creates a uniquely recreated world with additions from both previous AoW games, Civilization, and Heroes of Might & Magic 3.

    Frankly, AoW4 was an unexpected surprise for me. Although I enjoyed playing the first two games, the fact that the society and character customizations have many options and this made me stuck at the start of the game for a while. This is not a negative opinion, but rather a positive; I have learned that a game with such a rich content and remarkable game mechanics will not left us with a few customizations. Especially many Tomes and the spells they offer will be your best friend in the game. Be sure to check them all out!

    The in-game features and innovative gameplay mechanics, as well as the atmosphere, music and art design, have provided us with a rich content, thanks to beloved Triumph Studios' team. It is not unusual to be able to control the perspective of the society with every aspects, you are creating in a game. This game offers it; Society Traits. Because here, instead of a simple mechanic, mechanics that affect other societies in many ways are discussed. Of course, I won't list all of them here, but I can say this: Make sure the community you're vassalizing gets on well with you.

    Personally, I found both the freedom on the campaign map and the balance on the battlefield to be sufficient. Even in siege wars, it is possible to determine a more and more siege weapons (it is called siege projectiles in the game) and change the course of the siege.

    Another feature that surprised me and made me love the game is that I saw the narrative events and the characters act according to their personal interests, and there were moments that I was surprised. Like one of them want me to find his lost brother. AoW4 is full of surprises!

    I am sure that the already rich content of the game will positively overflow with the expansions to be released in the future and will give us much deeper, immersive and new experiences.    … Expand
  24. Robobob
    May 24, 2023
    6
    Age of Wonders 3 is one of my most favorite 4x games of all time. AoW4 seems almost like a graphics update of the old game with a couple tweaks. Paradox's weird territory system is used again. There are some new races and some new resources but it feels like the exact same game from almost 10 years ago. The thing that I miss most are the campaigns which I bet Paradox will releaseAge of Wonders 3 is one of my most favorite 4x games of all time. AoW4 seems almost like a graphics update of the old game with a couple tweaks. Paradox's weird territory system is used again. There are some new races and some new resources but it feels like the exact same game from almost 10 years ago. The thing that I miss most are the campaigns which I bet Paradox will release separately for more $$$$ as they do. I'm just not as into it as I thought I'd be.… Expand
  25. Renaigse
    Jun 22, 2023
    6
    Пародия на циву, которая очень приедается после одной с половиной партии.
  26. FredDie86
    May 15, 2023
    7
    It is very good in many aspects, but unfortunatelly AI is awful making it lot less enjoyable than it could be.
  27. Ghostm33
    Jun 11, 2023
    9
    Quite enjoyed my time with the game. For a 4X strategy game, it's easy to access, challenging to master but greatly fun.

    Lots of different pathways to take which leads and incentivises different game play styles.
  28. Artconnoisseur
    May 6, 2023
    8
    What is cool:
    1) Editor of your ruler and race
    2) Pantheon (for playing you get points, for points you get extra things for new playthroughs) 3) Music, art style and visuals are really pleasant and lovely 4) Siege mechanics, tome mechanics and city building are top notch (better than ever in the series) 5) The realams creation is wonderful and should get even more options (especially    What is cool:
    1) Editor of your ruler and race
    2) Pantheon (for playing you get points, for points you get extra things for new playthroughs)
    3) Music, art style and visuals are really pleasant and lovely
    4) Siege mechanics, tome mechanics and city building are top notch (better than ever in the series)
    5) The realams creation is wonderful and should get even more options (especially scenarios like three challengers to the throne)
    6) Autobattles (with good AI), replays and the undon button are something any strategy would envy
    7) I also like allied victories and the fact that you can play multiple games simultaneously
    8) I like that in story campaign the maps are always diffrent when you start the same map once again

    What isn't cool:
    1) Very poor optimization, the game is not very stable, the servers can't handle it
    2) Achievements are unavailable in multiplayer
    3) Arbitrary victory conditions kills roleplay aspects
    4) One city option disables most forms of victory by default
    5) The translation into Polish is worse than a bot would translate it
    6) There is poor balance (especially NPCs black armies, which scale too fast too soon at least in multiplayer)

    Overall: 8/10 now, if balance is introduced, optimization done, and more new scenarios added then 10/10    … Expand
  29. Rankill
    May 14, 2023
    9
    My first experience with an Age of Wonders video game and i love it ! The customisation is incredible.
  30. mdk567
    Jun 10, 2023
    5
    지도자 커스터마이징 시스템은 매우 훌륭하지만
    다른 대부분의 요소들은 3의 반복처럼 느껴진다. 멍청하지만 경제만 부스트 받은 ai와의 똑같은 전투를 수십번 반복하다보면 금방 질리게 되는듯
  31. aragun
    Jun 17, 2023
    9
    Simple but very good game. After playing Diablo 4, I've started appreciating this game even more.
  32. JackFrostyG
    Sep 6, 2023
    9
    Pros:

    The character creation is something i've always wanted in a turn based RPG and there're plenty of options. The artstyle is unique and it feels cozy. There are plenty of scenarios and settings for custom maps / AI Mod support is always a positive. Cons: I am not a fan of the underground. It takes too long to navigate as you have to find the correct tunnel to get to    Pros:

    The character creation is something i've always wanted in a turn based RPG and there're plenty of options.

    The artstyle is unique and it feels cozy.

    There are plenty of scenarios and settings for custom maps / AI

    Mod support is always a positive.

    Cons:

    I am not a fan of the underground. It takes too long to navigate as you have to find the correct tunnel to get to different parts only to be cut off by lava / walls.    … Expand
  33. Nemesis95
    Aug 21, 2023
    8
    Schlicht und ergreifend ein sehr gutes Strategiespiel welches viele Möglichkeiten bietet.
  34. walkerz2
    Aug 14, 2023
    8
    É muito bom poder misturar diversos tipos de tomos para formar civilizações, um otimo 4x!

Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Best PC Game of 2023
37
#37 Most Discussed PC Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 23, 2024
    100
    You are not bound by fantasy stereotypes or archetypes, and can thus create often very bizarre combinations of races and their elements. It's a brilliantly done system, and one on which the authors will be able to build all their major or minor DLC for a few more years if sales are good. In an age of games as services, one couldn't ask for more from a solid strategy game. [Issue#327]
  2. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Aug 29, 2023
    75
    This installment is a lot closer to modern Civilization games than to classic Age of Wonders. The differences between factions are so few and far between, everyone might as well be humans under various banners. [Issue#262, p.72]
  3. Meristation
    Jul 7, 2023
    80
    Age of Wonders 4 offers a profound gameplay when we talk about pure strategy, despite the battles are not at the same level. There is no doubt that it's a great entry to the genre and the Paradox portfolio.
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