Age of Wonders III

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 627 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 444 out of 627
  2. Mixed: 116 out of 627
  3. Negative: 67 out of 627

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  1. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 23, 2023
    7
    Exceptional as a 4x fantasy strategy game, but not as good as others 4x strategy games
  2. apokalipto
    Aug 19, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  3. Babutto
    Jun 21, 2023
    7
    It's a cool game. But the time when I enjoyed it had passed.

    Pros.: - They finally let you play orcs, goblins, etc. during campaign without drawing them as forces of evil (as before). - Cool graphics. - Good old mechanics. - Many units and development. - Choices. - The story is decent. Cons.: - Even though the game tries to be as old I didn't feel the vibe. It was hard for me    It's a cool game. But the time when I enjoyed it had passed.

    Pros.:
    - They finally let you play orcs, goblins, etc. during campaign without drawing them as forces of evil (as before).
    - Cool graphics.
    - Good old mechanics.
    - Many units and development.
    - Choices.
    - The story is decent.

    Cons.:
    - Even though the game tries to be as old I didn't feel the vibe. It was hard for me to feel the vibe of the game before with all its complexity. But now its even harder because the game is more variable.

    I recommend it of course. Maybe, when I grow old, I will play again. But not now for sure.    … Expand
  4. Tomle1202
    Dec 19, 2022
    7
    Age of Wonders III never really took off, instead just awkwardly hung around being serviceable at best.
  5. Wrathzo
    Mar 24, 2022
    6
    Age of Wonders III is a 4X turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Dutch developer Triumph Studios. It is the fourth game in the Age of Wonders series. The game is set in a high fantasy fictional setting, where players take the role of a leader to explore the world, interacting with other races and kingdoms, both diplomatically and through warfare while progressivelyAge of Wonders III is a 4X turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Dutch developer Triumph Studios. It is the fourth game in the Age of Wonders series. The game is set in a high fantasy fictional setting, where players take the role of a leader to explore the world, interacting with other races and kingdoms, both diplomatically and through warfare while progressively expanding and managing their empire. It features a new graphics engine for the series, in addition to an updated soundtrack. The gameplay has also been updated, featuring a new role-playing style leader class based system and interchangeable choices of strategy and appearances for each playable race. It also supports online and local multiple player modes and a level editor along with a new story driven single player campaign mode.… Expand
  6. TEG_17
    Jan 31, 2022
    7
    Довольно хорошо. Интересный геймплей. Не хватило желания пройти
  7. tebaden
    Nov 20, 2021
    10
    That is a nice game. I played around 3 consecutive days and for that price, its a good game
  8. NIDXOG
    Dec 14, 2020
    10
    This game's 4x combat-focused style mixed with its RPG elements make it a truly unique and exhilarating experience. My personal recommendation is playing on a smaller map and turning the water down by 25% ;) (but seriously though).
  9. kajt
    Sep 4, 2020
    5
    Well, it is trying to be Heroes but you know best heroes is heroes 3. So i would rather play old clasics. I played AOW3 for a day but its not for me i guess.
  10. havrillal
    Aug 18, 2020
    8
    Tisztességes munka a maga műfajában, de nagyon egy Tescos CIV és Total War. Ami elsősorban nem probléma, mivel kiválló hangulata van
  11. OrkishSteel
    Aug 12, 2020
    10
    A Game like Heroes of Might and Magic but really much better. You can now buy the Complete Edition including all expansions for little money (like 'Gold Edition').
  12. themediocritic
    Feb 25, 2020
    7
    A 2020 Review for Age of Wonders III

    Score: 7/10 Mediocrity Score - Not Mediocre. It's hard to get me to like most strategy games, and I really enjoyed this one. Had to knock it down a whole point due to the lack of available servers & players online. Quick take: Six years after its original release, Age of Wonders III still stands as a remarkably competent and fun 4x turn-based    A 2020 Review for Age of Wonders III

    Score: 7/10
    Mediocrity Score - Not Mediocre.

    It's hard to get me to like most strategy games, and I really enjoyed this one. Had to knock it down a whole point due to the lack of available servers & players online.

    Quick take: Six years after its original release, Age of Wonders III still stands as a remarkably competent and fun 4x turn-based strategy and tactical combat game. Triumph Studios two-games-in-one approach sets Age of Wonders III in a rare cross-genre we only see come out of the Total War franchise. It's immensely exciting and fun at the onset, but it does begin to drag on and show it's repetitiveness after 20-40 hours. If you're already a fan of this style game, you could very easily double or triple that number. Unfortunately, multiplayer is almost entirely dead. Single player or LAN games would be your only viable options. If you've not played this wonder of a game - I'd recommend you give this one a shot. It has a lot to offer, particularly in it's tactical combat battles. Plus - I've seen this title go on sale for as low as $7.50. That's a bargain for a game that you will easily put 30+ hours into playing.

    Pros:
    - Sprawling tactical battles spice up the long game by providing a variety challenges one must strategize on in order to succeed.
    - Beautiful, lush graphics that keep up with 2020 standards for strategy games.T
    - Heroes provide an RPG-esque feel by finding loot which can be equipped along with leveling-up which provides ability points - both of which are used to further buff your hero.
    - High level of replayability.
    - "Just one more turn!"

    Cons:
    - Multiplayer is dead. Local LAN or private games are your only hope for such competition.
    - Campaign story is tired and uninspired.
    - Simultaneous turns results in some confusing and frustrating delays. Some clicks take upwards of 20 seconds to register, worrying the player that their game may have crashed.

    Concept:
    It's rare we get the genres of a tactical combat game blended with a 4x strategy game. They've really pulled it off on this one and that alone makes it worth checking out. The challenge keeps the game fun and interesting, while also feeling very achievable.

    Graphics:
    Beautiful game. Still looks very fresh and lush having been 6 years since it was released. Combat scenes are impressively detailed and varied for something most developers would have done less with. That sort of attention to detail is not common enough.

    Sound:
    Music is fine, but for a game that spans such a long amount of time - I found myself muting it within the first 8 hours of game play. Voice acting, however, is great - even if only included in the two campaigns.

    Playability:
    Tutorial does a poor job, mostly relying on an in-game encyclopedia appropriately called the Tome of Wonders. Game itself is easy enough to get the hang of, but learning effective strategies for the many different scenarios is a challenge but one that brings you back for more. Some campaign goals could be better communicated.

    Entertainment:
    I wish the city-building component was more fulfilling, but as a whole the game really does an awesome job of creating an atmosphere that sucks you in wanting "just one more turn". Combat is where the game shines the most providing a large array of options to destroy your enemies and competition.

    Replay:
    High. You can create your own heroes, your own scenarios, partake in online play (which is very limited in 2020), and make good use of the modding community. This all breathes more life into a game that already is very replayable.

    Cheats?: Yes! An adequate amount of cheats are available using the in-game console. No trainers or file modifications needed. To enable, withing game launcher's check the checkbox for "Run in Debug Mode" before starting the game. Once in a campaign or match - use CTRL+ALT+C to bring up the console. Recommended cheats are as follows:

    - +100,000 gold | BOSCH
    - Explore map (does not disable Fog Of War) | TASMAN
    - Free movement | CRUIJFF
    - Instant production of current queue in every city | PHILIPS
    - Kill the selected target (in battle) | GETOUT
    - Auto-win a battle (in battle) | WINNOW    … Expand
  13. Tomicsavo
    Feb 17, 2020
    1
    Bad tutorial, did not like it.---------------------------------------------
  14. Indyninja
    Aug 10, 2019
    4
    Everything that made AoWII: Shadow Magic so exemplary for it's time seems cast off here. Races have almost no unique units like they used to - what matters more is the type of wizard you choose to be. I found it bizarre, and the single player campaign ended up being a slog-fest, with enemies throwing full armies of top-tier troops at you over and over that you need to swim upstreamEverything that made AoWII: Shadow Magic so exemplary for it's time seems cast off here. Races have almost no unique units like they used to - what matters more is the type of wizard you choose to be. I found it bizarre, and the single player campaign ended up being a slog-fest, with enemies throwing full armies of top-tier troops at you over and over that you need to swim upstream against, with no possible alternative strategy than to just hack through them over and over and over and over...

    I really do wonder why there's so much love for this game. It's nowhere near what the earlier entries were. I had high hopes, but this whole mix-and-match system makes for dull, repetitive experiences with little to offer from trying new races.    … Expand
  15. Neravarine
    Jul 31, 2017
    7
    The game itself is pretty solid, with a few bugs time to time, It has really nice graphics with pretty models.
    Storyline is good in both campaigns even if I personally liked elven one more.
    Now AI is the worst problem in the game, I do not know which person in a sane mind would allow that AI for a STRATEGY game. They could not make AI any good, so to even the odds they have allowed AI    The game itself is pretty solid, with a few bugs time to time, It has really nice graphics with pretty models.
    Storyline is good in both campaigns even if I personally liked elven one more.

    Now AI is the worst problem in the game, I do not know which person in a sane mind would allow that AI for a STRATEGY game. They could not make AI any good, so to even the odds they have allowed AI to chat... ye gr8, dont get me wrong, game is easy to beat, but knowing that AI does not have fog of war and it knows where your fow is, so it will send flying units to capture your undefended cities and they will be unseen coz AI is going to use your fow as a cover.... rly smart... bravo.... that ruined the whole game for me, I like strong AI in strategy games, but I can not stand cheating AI, its rly sending the right message to the crowd.    … Expand
  16. Thazari
    Dec 27, 2016
    7
    Clear and intuitive gameplay and UI, nice pacing and loving the concept of monster lairs allover the land to give your heroes and armies something to do in the early game. Turn based battles play smoothly and are fun. I like how heroes can lead your armies and have various classes with a huge amount of skills to unlock. Graphics are appealing and the game has a nice atmosphere.

    The    Clear and intuitive gameplay and UI, nice pacing and loving the concept of monster lairs allover the land to give your heroes and armies something to do in the early game. Turn based battles play smoothly and are fun. I like how heroes can lead your armies and have various classes with a huge amount of skills to unlock. Graphics are appealing and the game has a nice atmosphere.

    The downsides are that there isn't that much to build in cities so your cities max out relatively soon and don't have any variety (although the tiles around the city make your city better in certain aspects over others). And there aren't that many different races to play, unlike Age of Wonders 2.    … Expand
  17. Dethstar
    Sep 25, 2016
    3
    Another Heroes type game. More of the same but for me as a mature player it lacks depth and feels very juvenile in terms of the script and the general design. I just couldn't take it seriously and found it impossible to immerse myself in it.

    It seems like a fairly straight forward rip off of the games it is trying to copy.
  18. TerrenceB
    Jun 21, 2016
    10
    I bought this 6 months ago on sale.. just now picked it up and started playing it..

    I'm absolutely hooked. Fantastic variability in race/class.. interesting tactical combat with tons of choices and tactics and strategies.. lots of build planning like a normal 4x.. nice graphics.. random map generation with lots of different win/lose options.. the replayability here borders on the    I bought this 6 months ago on sale.. just now picked it up and started playing it..

    I'm absolutely hooked. Fantastic variability in race/class.. interesting tactical combat with tons of choices and tactics and strategies.. lots of build planning like a normal 4x.. nice graphics.. random map generation with lots of different win/lose options.. the replayability here borders on the extreme.. I'm 80+ hours into the game and literally just scratching the surface.

    If turn based strategy is your thing.. especially tactical battles.. you would be doing yourself a HUGE disservice to miss this..    … Expand
  19. ibisshagrat
    May 20, 2016
    8
    As a fan of the former AoW games, I was anxious to play it, but it disappointed me at first. But after playing again, I was able to enjoy it more, and with all the expansions, it is a deeper game.

    The only thing I believe that need to be improved is manual combat, I prefered fast combat, unless is a critical battle.

    I absolutly recommend the game to 4x fantasy strategy game lovers.
  20. Brentonico83
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    best 4x game I have ever played. The only annoying stuff is the tutorial where you HAVE TO be a female, but apart from that, amazing game, deep and rewarding strategy
  21. Robobob
    Oct 29, 2015
    8
    Ok. At first I found this game very frustrating. That must have been because I was playing scenarios at normal difficulty level. Apparently the campaigns and scenarios are much more difficult than the random generated maps. Initially, I gave this game a 6, but after a few more play throughs, I've learned a few more things (good and bad).
    The good: There are a ton of units for each    Ok. At first I found this game very frustrating. That must have been because I was playing scenarios at normal difficulty level. Apparently the campaigns and scenarios are much more difficult than the random generated maps. Initially, I gave this game a 6, but after a few more play throughs, I've learned a few more things (good and bad).
    The good: There are a ton of units for each race, class and even alignment. The higher the tier, the more powerful the unit, but the costs and build times can really tie up your resources so it make sense to fill your armies with a variety of tier/levels and types. An army of all archers could get massacred by infantry if they get in too close and are undefended. So variety is good.
    There are many cool unique locations that you can build your cities around that give your city a new type of building that allows new units to be built or give huge bonuses to newly built units. That's pretty cool and can make a major difference in your army strengths.
    Every class has unique world spells that give bonuses to cities, production, armies, etc. Use these as much as possible, but be careful as they cost mana each turn to operate and that will leave you with less mana to use to cast spells in combat.
    In the random map mode you can build your own loot for your army leaders and heroes. This is awesome. I built them gear that amplified their strengths. The best gear is found in random locations throughout the world map, though, and it's best to build strong enough armies early in the game to start raiding these for the rare powerful loot.

    The bad: There can almost be TOO MANY options in combat. I've found that the strategic battle (where you control all of your units) is difficult and very very time consuming. To make matters worse there is no save/load option during these battles. If you make a wrong move, or (god forbid) fail a dominate save and lose a powerful unit or 2 to the enemy, you have no option but surrender and return to the main map and reload. A massive waste of time. The reason too many options can be difficult? You may have a powerful unit selected and plan to target a certain enemy.. oops, they have resistance to your damage type. You rush a unit in an attempt to stun or convert it.. oops they are immune. You melee attack another unit and for some reason they will get more attacks and damage than your attacking unit. The computer knows which enemy to attack every time because in a split second it searched for the foes it can do the most damage to. I have to highlight enemies around the battlefield to see who I can actually damage without doing too much damage to myself. It's a frustrating system.
    How do I work around it. I make sure to attack with more than enough units I need and select AUTO combat everytime. I know that doesn't sound like fun, but it's the best and quickest way to win in a time consuming game. The weirdest thing is.. the part of the game that should be it's biggest draw, it the most confusing and cumbersome. Otherwise, it's a pretty engrossing and original turn based strategy game.    … Expand
  22. PowerGamer
    Oct 15, 2015
    2
    Horrible solo play. Starts out where the AI is no challenge at all then suddenly cheats like hell.
    It's obvious the enemy AI can see the whole map and iterates through all your units to pick the weakest target.

    Would have okay if the enemy had scouts, but they devs didn't even bother to take it to a decent level.
    Lazy, bad, minimal AI design and game play.
  23. MrButtermancer
    Sep 17, 2015
    10
    It's difficult to follow up a classic. It always feels like something is lost when a great game from years ago is brought into the modern age. Things get prettier, bigger, and more streamlined, but many times it feels like some essential chemistry is lost. Some of us blame nostalgia, others simply write the developers off as appealing to the largest audience or the lowest commonIt's difficult to follow up a classic. It always feels like something is lost when a great game from years ago is brought into the modern age. Things get prettier, bigger, and more streamlined, but many times it feels like some essential chemistry is lost. Some of us blame nostalgia, others simply write the developers off as appealing to the largest audience or the lowest common denominator. Sequels always lose something.

    Which is why Triumph Studios had no right to produce such a perfect game.

    This is the perfect sparkling bouquet of what made the original great, combined with the streamlined production quality we've come to expect from a quality modern game. It's asymmetrical and unfair in the most balanced ways possible. Whether you're outfitting your heroes or designing your player class, you'll find great satisfaction in trying to break the game. You'll be very good at some things, and very bad at others, but it will always make sense and it will always feel right.

    The unit design deserves special mention. Each unit is deeply well-crafted and unique, even when comparing racial units of the same role. The attention to synergy is unmatched, both between units of the same race and in the way that race and class combine to make a whole. Leveling up often provides interesting new abilities that also tend to synergize, instead of simply providing better stats.

    As it happens sometimes, this game did not release flawlessly. It had its share of errors, but since that time they have been resolved. Understand that many of the other reviews written on here were made before AoW3 reached maturity. That version of the game is not the version that will be remembered, and it is not the version you will get it you decide to play it now.

    This game has a lot of everything, and all of it affects everything else. You'll build cities, research and cast spells, and train units. You'll command armies on the beautiful strategic map, and when you explore dungeons or fight another army, you'll go down to fight on equally beautiful tilesets. Tactical combat is reasonably simple but very deep. This game has not been casualized. The A.I. is maddeningly clever, and you won't take this statement seriously until you've experienced it. You'll fight skirmishes in the woods with bandits, and you'll fight in truly massive sieges to conquer cities. Your heroes will explore dungeons, find and equip items, and lead your armies into battle.

    You will build your strategy, and then get excited about other strategies you think could work. They probably will. Your race, your class, and your specializations all fundamentally change the way you need to approach the game. It takes a long time to bloom into a full understanding of how the various parts of the game work together, but the journey is pleasant, and you can absorb it by playing.

    The campaign probably deserves it's own review. It's gloriously cheesy golden-age high fantasy. The campaign follows branching questlines, so you can end up doing different missions. The base game has two campaigns of eight missions. Eight does not sound like a lot but you can easily spend an entire day playing one mission. They're huge. Think of them more like chapters. The expansion packs can add another two campaigns. There are also a number of scenarios which are like competitive missions for X players. The "real" Age of Wonders though is in the procedurally generated random map mode, where you can fight other players or the AI. There are a huge number of random features on the maps, such as "dwellings" where you can purchase units from a non-player faction like Giants or Pixies. You'll need to play many games before you've seen everything you can find. Also of note, Age of Wonders has an underground map, full of caves, tunnels, and the cities of the Goblins and Dwarves.

    Triumph is confident enough in the mastery of their game to give the player enormous freedoms to explore how to play. Their own mastery is evident in the careful design of how every element acts together. If you find anything this game does interesting, play it for that reason, but be prepared to fall in love with the rest.

    This is what a strategy game should be. 10/10    … Expand
  24. malcolmm
    Aug 13, 2015
    10
    It took me a while to appreciate AoW3, it can be a bit rough to get started in it. I'm a veteran of turn based strategy games so I usually don't have any problem learning the rules. However, some concepts in AoW3 I a bit unusual (which is good) but it makes the game tough to learn.

    Compounding the problem is that there is no manual for the game. There isn't really a tutorial for the    It took me a while to appreciate AoW3, it can be a bit rough to get started in it. I'm a veteran of turn based strategy games so I usually don't have any problem learning the rules. However, some concepts in AoW3 I a bit unusual (which is good) but it makes the game tough to learn.

    Compounding the problem is that there is no manual for the game. There isn't really a tutorial for the game either, at least there wasn't when I was learning the game. I ended up learning the rules by reviewing the in game encyclopedia and by watching some gameplay videos.

    I've completed both campaigns that come with the base game, plus the campaign in the first DLC, almost 200 hours of really enjoyable gameplay. City management in the game is simple, which is fine with me, I enjoy the combat more in turn based strategy games. The combat is great, lots of variety, great graphics - wonderful fun. You can have the AI play out the combat for you and it does a reasonable job, but I rarely use this feature because the combat is such great fun.

    Overall, I highly recommend this game. Much more fun than Endless Legend (which was more like Endless boredom to me)    … Expand
  25. CaptainChaos
    Jul 28, 2015
    10
    This game is virtually perfect. At first I was kinda disappointed but with the recent patches, and with continued game play where I failed to realize the dept of this game, I am more than impressed; I am in awe. The reasons are (1) depth (2) love (3) flexibility (4) the best UI I ever have seen. (1) Depth: There are so many bazillion ways that units interact, you would need a superThis game is virtually perfect. At first I was kinda disappointed but with the recent patches, and with continued game play where I failed to realize the dept of this game, I am more than impressed; I am in awe. The reasons are (1) depth (2) love (3) flexibility (4) the best UI I ever have seen. (1) Depth: There are so many bazillion ways that units interact, you would need a super computer to keep track. You have race, class, spells, active terrain, items, hero upgrades and experience. So my Evangelist could be totally different from yours; that doesn't even cover the terrain changes you can make to the map or strategy you can follow to win (2) love: they could have shipped the game without all the really nice touches - the way the dragon breathes fire out of its mouth while resting on the map; the reflective water that if you zoom into it, cascades around the rocks foaming, the highly customized sound effects so that when a Eldritch Horror dies it THUMPS to the ground, etc. etc. These designers cared. (3) flexibility: you can play it like fantasy Civ. but if you're like me miss AOW1, you can recreate that experience!! At first I didn't think you could and was very disappointed, but if you turn off city building, and start with few cities you can further customize the map anyway you want. I played with my vision of an old empire in decay (like the Romans) with few roads, few cities, and many ruins to explore. This means cities are few and far between but there are many places to explore and pillage. (4) finally the UI is flawless. One unit could have like 20 buffs and de-buffs - i kid you not. but click it and first of all you can find out what those buffs are and the reason you have them; then over of an enemy and the computer will tell you EVERYTHING. Positive attack factors in green, negative attack factors in red, and your range of damage FOR EACH ATTACK type. WOW. I could go on. And of course there are some flaws, but really nothing worth mentioning. If you like the original AOW or fantasy turn based, this game is a must. I didn't like it first, but now I realize how wrong I was.… Expand
  26. crackpotbeatle
    Jul 1, 2015
    9
    Signed up to meteoritic just to write a review of this game. My first impressions were mixed. It has kinda a steep learning curve and the in-game instruction is somewhat lacking but once you begin to develop and appreciation for the game mechanics it is truly a fantastic game. I'd definitely put it among the best games of this genre that I have played. It's immersive and played online vs.Signed up to meteoritic just to write a review of this game. My first impressions were mixed. It has kinda a steep learning curve and the in-game instruction is somewhat lacking but once you begin to develop and appreciation for the game mechanics it is truly a fantastic game. I'd definitely put it among the best games of this genre that I have played. It's immersive and played online vs. other humans it's deeply strategic.

    Rated a 9 because I feel there's some small features missing mostly in terms of usability that i've seen in other 4x games but would definitely recommend. Played 300+ hours.    … Expand
  27. blackbird1
    Jun 21, 2015
    8
    now this is finally a good 4x game
    i dont liked Endless Legend and i dont liked Fallen Enchantress but i cant stop playing this one.
    Its simple but not shallow, its just fun to play
  28. Renfield
    Jun 15, 2015
    8
    I've always enjoyed the Age of Wonders games. AoW III is a quality sequel. Continuing along the lines of the previous iterations, there is a lot of character customization and a wide variety of maps. Definitely worth picking up on a Steam sale if you enjoy games like Heroes of Might and Magic.
  29. okamimiyazaki
    May 14, 2015
    10
    From someone new to the series who has never played an Age of Wonders game: I absolutely love this game. It seems really underrated to me but that could be because of differences between this one and the older games, which I've never played.

    The campaigns are really fun; I usually hate campaigns in strategy games but this game actually has really enjoyable campaigns with great voice    From someone new to the series who has never played an Age of Wonders game: I absolutely love this game. It seems really underrated to me but that could be because of differences between this one and the older games, which I've never played.

    The campaigns are really fun; I usually hate campaigns in strategy games but this game actually has really enjoyable campaigns with great voice acting, fun little storylines and beautiful artwork. It's also quite atmospheric and the music is mostly really nice (a couple of obnoxious songs but many great ones, too).

    AoW 3 is quite charming. I enjoy exploring the map, finding items, and working on building up my hero/leader. The customization for leaders is superb and there are so many different spells, abilities, items, etc. Tactical, turn based combat is amazingly fun. The option to automate it when you don't feel like doing it is also nice. The exploration sites are especially fun because they are usually in unique battlefield locations (castles, dungeons, etc.) and involve 6v6 balanced battles that end up being very well balanced and challenging.

    The game is not without some minor flaws (e.g., tech tree implemented poorly and you can't see the progression, etc.) and city building is so-so, but there aren't any major issues that break the game and overall it's a blast to play. I have so much fun just playing around with all the different classes, spells, etc., finding items, exploring the map, and enjoying the tactical battles.    … Expand
  30. mbolme
    May 7, 2015
    9
    The game is under-rated in my opinion. It is difficult to get into, particularly if you played AoW and AoW2 a lo, because it is fairly different and the differences are not too well explained. I love the game, though. The battle animations are great, the races feel very different, and it keeps me thinking about it way too late at night.
  31. nomentanus
    Apr 30, 2015
    0
    I purchased through Steam - but I can never play the game. If there's a number to be had to register, God alone knows how to access it. Nor is the compulsory account registration manageable or recoverable after errors. Dead loss. Zero it is.
  32. Earnsmk
    Apr 21, 2015
    10
    I love this game and can't recommend it highly enough. The game has been consistently patched and updated by its developers in the year since its release, and many of the "problems" that reviewers found with it initially have been addressed through free patches. I do also highly recommend the expansions, Golden Realms and Eternal Lords, which add new races, classes, units and much more.I love this game and can't recommend it highly enough. The game has been consistently patched and updated by its developers in the year since its release, and many of the "problems" that reviewers found with it initially have been addressed through free patches. I do also highly recommend the expansions, Golden Realms and Eternal Lords, which add new races, classes, units and much more.

    But the base game is a fantastic game. It stays true to the series' roots in a way that usually doesn't happen with sequels anymore. It is fun, it is innovative, it is challenging, it is rewarding. For anyone who is a fan of 4X or TBS games, try Age of Wonders 3.    … Expand
  33. WL11
    Apr 19, 2015
    5
    AOW3 is an otherwise decent game with one fatal flaw:

    If you lose a campaign battle in which one of your leaders dies, you lose the whole campaign. And if you are the defender, you can't retreat to save the leader. So you basically can't use leaders in any risky situations. If you really want to use leaders, you have to lower the difficulty or use exploits so that no situation is    AOW3 is an otherwise decent game with one fatal flaw:

    If you lose a campaign battle in which one of your leaders dies, you lose the whole campaign. And if you are the defender, you can't retreat to save the leader.

    So you basically can't use leaders in any risky situations. If you really want to use leaders, you have to lower the difficulty or use exploits so that no situation is ever risky. But without risk, what's the point of playing?

    You should not have to win every battle to win the campaign.    … Expand
  34. PattonMcCrotch
    Apr 15, 2015
    3
    This game suffers from a number of obvious problems right from the get-go.

    First of all the tiny font will make you squint in order to see ANY text in the entire game, from start to finish, in a 1080p res, even with a very large monitor. If you want to scale to 1440 or 4k, forget about it. You will have to use a lower resolution than your monitor is designed for. The combat is poorly    This game suffers from a number of obvious problems right from the get-go.

    First of all the tiny font will make you squint in order to see ANY text in the entire game, from start to finish, in a 1080p res, even with a very large monitor. If you want to scale to 1440 or 4k, forget about it. You will have to use a lower resolution than your monitor is designed for.

    The combat is poorly implemented. Too many restrictions and "time outs" that lead to auto-losses even against the AI make the game a hassle.
    At least in the Elven campaign, even simple things like unit icons are done wrong. Pike units look like sword units. Sword units look like pike units. More than once I chose the wrong unit to separate from the army and had to re-load for the umpteenth time to get right. Once again, the font being so small makes this more of an issue. Can't rely on the text, can't rely on the icons. What can you rely on?

    You can rely on early encounters that are annoying as hell, where all the enemy units are either range AND melee, or include a mega-armored unit that no matter what, you will lose one of your precious early units to. If you try to work around with maneuver, you will time out and lose the battle.

    Although there is an option for 'confirm end turn' in the options, it does nothing to prevent an actual errant click of 'end turn' button on the screen. Just let us use the keybind. Really don't need an on-screen button for this. Why do you still do this?

    This game seems to be to be made by developers who could potentially make a great game, but lack common sense and instead end up with a crumby experience that is not ready.

    Save your money, honestly, even games like Elven Legacy are better than this.

    These issues should never be around in this day and age of gaming.    … Expand
  35. ed57ve
    Mar 16, 2015
    10
    Aow3 is in my opinion the best turn based game at the moment, i dont consider the game a 4x but it revolves more around the tactical combat stage wich is Amazing! do yourself a favor and dont play in auto combat :P
  36. FantasicGamer
    Mar 5, 2015
    3
    In short, it is just a mediocre game with elements similar to HOMM series (spell, combat, exploration) and Civilization (leader scene, diplomacy, world map and city control) but without their depth.

    Age of Wonders is originally a series with its own unique characteristics and UI, but the transition to a streamlined modern title (AOW3) makes it lose all its charms, becoming a game excels    In short, it is just a mediocre game with elements similar to HOMM series (spell, combat, exploration) and Civilization (leader scene, diplomacy, world map and city control) but without their depth.

    Age of Wonders is originally a series with its own unique characteristics and UI, but the transition to a streamlined modern title (AOW3) makes it lose all its charms, becoming a game excels at nothing but with some basic elements in modern 4x title.

    The empire management (happiness), diplomacy (leader scene) and resource controlled by cities gives me a recall of Civilization 5. Unfortunately, the depth of empire management is non-existent. Happiness is mainly determined by how often you win wars, so you have no other main ways to control it. City management is just a simple decision choice to build something (a selection of text from an interface) which unlock units or generate new resource per turn. After you have made the decision, nothing needs to be worried about, and you can just click end turn while controlling units to explore in mean time until it is done for your next decision choice. Diplomacy is just a joke, you only need to care about 3 resources in game, and so there is no need for trading or whatsoever. Even you negotiate something with other factions; they may soon break it without any consequence. Because the main goal of this game is only to crush all factions other than you in the map, so AI won’t even bother with this.

    On the RPG perspective and combat side, it is sub-par compared to HOMM3 or King’s Bounty series. Spell is limited and can only be cast once per battle. Equipment choice is a joke, as you may only come over with 1 or 2 equipment before the game ends, as you need to rush and finish off your opponents quickly, before the game ends up as a deadlock and repetitive resource depletion fight. King’s Bounty does a much better job in the aspect of hero growth and equipment variety. Combat lack the awesomeness and varied ability of units in King’s Bounty series, a high quantity of ranged units and powerful spell is all that matters. In terms of the exploration and turn progression, HOMM3 does a better job in this area.

    The only thing unique in this game is the leader choice and race combination, but that doesn’t matter too much. The core basics of race remain the same and unit variety is still similar as ranged, melee, and calvary, although the leader gives some benefits for each race which doesn’t matter in long term.

    In the end, it is just a slow-pacing RTS executed in a turn-based perspective where you control hero or scout to explore a tiny map and gather 3 types of resource, while the cities serve as a resource generator with automatic resource generation per turn and a barrack for military unit production, so that you can produce units to rush all your enemies ASAP before the enemies have too much resource to recover its loss, which is the only vital strategy for this game.    … Expand
  37. Kontroar
    Feb 17, 2015
    10
    I know just saying that I've played over 600 hours of Age of Wonders III does not clearly indicate the reason for my score. However, it should at least note that there is considerable game play to be had.

    I have tried some of the other 4X games and found their combat to be lacking. To me, this is the largest pro about AoW III. It isn't simply "build the cap unit" and have the computer    I know just saying that I've played over 600 hours of Age of Wonders III does not clearly indicate the reason for my score. However, it should at least note that there is considerable game play to be had.

    I have tried some of the other 4X games and found their combat to be lacking. To me, this is the largest pro about AoW III. It isn't simply "build the cap unit" and have the computer auto resolve dice rolls. When two opposing units fight, the game switches to a battle board. From there, both sides take turns moving their pieces. All the units have strengths and weaknesses to other types of units in the game. Additionally, mixing units together to form an army stack allows for certain synergies to take place during combat.

    Mind you, yes, this can be both a pro and a con. If you enjoy in depth tactical battles, akin to the early versions of Battle Isle, this game will likely hook you in for hours and hours of game play.

    When creating a leader, you have a choice in class and race. Furthermore, you are able to pick three times from a list of specializations. Each of these brings additional variables to the table. Therefore, there are a considerable number of variations before you even start on a map. The same number of variables apply to your opponents as well. Thus, each game has its own hurdles to over come. Add in a random map generator, and voila - No two games will be identical.

    If you're looking for a TBS with intricate combat, AoW III is definitely the game to pick up.    … Expand
  38. TsukasaHiiragi
    Feb 15, 2015
    5
    Same old story with the Age of Wonders series, don't get me wrong - its not a bad franchise but with unfair AI bonuses, and even a little cheating it makes for an rather distasteful game. We all know that the AI loves to stack units just outside your vision range, meaning it knows where your cities are at all times, knows your weaknesses and will exploit them - seems to ignore commonSame old story with the Age of Wonders series, don't get me wrong - its not a bad franchise but with unfair AI bonuses, and even a little cheating it makes for an rather distasteful game. We all know that the AI loves to stack units just outside your vision range, meaning it knows where your cities are at all times, knows your weaknesses and will exploit them - seems to ignore common player problems like upkeep and even occasionally spawns 'extra' units outside of skills/summons. Overall, AoWIII isn't really that much of an upgrade to Shadow Magic, minus the fact the AI in AoW:SM was dumber and cheated less.… Expand
  39. Feldis
    Feb 9, 2015
    9
    One of the best 4X games that i have ever played. The atmosphere and the depth of this game is Astonishing. It also got a strong community of dedicated gamers and a great feedback from the developers who actually listens to its fans. If you are into 4x games then this is for you, it will hook you right into its amazing world and never let go.
  40. BelovedNVC
    Feb 7, 2015
    10
    This game really captures the 'just one more turn!'-feeling. It is addicting and the game becomes better with each patch & DLC.

    Pros: - A beautiful strategic map - Combat is fast, brutal and entertaining - It is fun to level your Heroes and Leader; it adds RPG to the game. Also quests that can be gained from independent cities or dwellings add to RPG-feel. - Concept of Race & Class    This game really captures the 'just one more turn!'-feeling. It is addicting and the game becomes better with each patch & DLC.

    Pros:
    - A beautiful strategic map
    - Combat is fast, brutal and entertaining
    - It is fun to level your Heroes and Leader; it adds RPG to the game. Also quests that can be gained from independent cities or dwellings add to RPG-feel.
    - Concept of Race & Class for your Leader provide much variety in play. For example, you can play as a Orc Sorcerer, Dwarven Warlord, Elven Rogue, Goblin Dreadnought etc.
    - Classes are really different from each other; this applies to gameplay, spells and units. .
    - Nice campaigns with different outcomes
    - A pretty good Random Map generator with tons of options
    - Users make custom scenarios and challenges with Map Editor
    - Great music
    - The developer (Triumph Studios) listens really well to the community; as of patch 1.4 it has fixed (almost) all bugs/issues and in the next patch there will also be much new functionality.

    Cons:
    - In general races could be more varied. The good news is that the Devs are working on this and is expected to improve in the next free patch.
    - Although the idea behind alignment is nice (good/neutral/evil is based on your actions and not on your race choice), it remains a bit shallow imo. But also this will be addressed in next patch, making alignment having more impact.
    - MOD-tools are not released at this moment (feb 2015). They most probably will in the future though.

    Other comments:
    - For new-comers to the game it can be difficult to learn and to master. It is recommended to watch some videos on YouTube if you are new to the Age of Wonder-series. For example: How to play Age of Wonders 3-videos by iHunterKiller.
    - I cannot comment on Multiplayer as I don't have much experience on it.

    Overall I recommend this game to anyone who has an interest in Turn Based Strategy games.    … Expand
  41. kfarms
    Feb 2, 2015
    10
    Excellent game that keeps adding new and free content. Great combat mechanics and a good campaign. Tons of different options make me want to start over again and again.
  42. comebackhome
    Jan 30, 2015
    10
    Amazing game, you will not regret buying. Anyone considering this should buy because it is a worthy investment both for your money and for your time spent as a gamer on this top quality product/company.
  43. AZJaguar
    Jan 30, 2015
    10
    I have played Age of wonders from the very beginning. Sadly for several years they did not have anything, but now they brought it back and is better than ever. The story of Athla has been expanded and the game play has been increased to give us a greater experience. Smarter AIs and tougher opponents. The Dev team is even great listening to the players and giving us new stuff to expand the game.
  44. R20
    Jan 30, 2015
    10
    Yes, it is not the most user friendly turn based game on the market, but it is one of the balanced and well developed game. When you get game mechanic you will discover its full potential. This game makes you think and improvise to achieve victory instead of building big army to win by force. Graphic is great and back story of any creature in game make me smile :)
  45. Heinhaim
    Jan 30, 2015
    10
    Waited for this game almost for 10 years, when it finally came out i was truly surprised. They didn't ruined title like it happened with HMM and Disciples, they actually made it better. Best turn-based combat oriented fantasy strategy of decade IMHO.
  46. Stormwind
    Jan 30, 2015
    10
    I've been playing these kinds of strategy games since MoM in the 90's. Age 3 is simply the best one yet. There is a large variety of customization for your start and a lot of different approaches to choose from already, and more content on the way. Balance seems very good, as is the stability. PBEM (play by email) is on the way. The campaigns are long and can be difficult, testing yourI've been playing these kinds of strategy games since MoM in the 90's. Age 3 is simply the best one yet. There is a large variety of customization for your start and a lot of different approaches to choose from already, and more content on the way. Balance seems very good, as is the stability. PBEM (play by email) is on the way. The campaigns are long and can be difficult, testing your strategy (and resolve!). The artwork is also gorgeous. Get this game if you like a more cerebral approach to your gaming.… Expand
  47. Maestro_Grinder
    Jan 30, 2015
    10
    Age of Wonders 3 brings the modest and shy greatness that AoW1 was into the modern world, retaining much of it's old feeling and that of the other prequels, AoW2 and AoW2SM, while sharing some of the best traits with more strongly established franchises and holding a general environment / atmosphere really pleasant to the eye. If you prefer fantasy worlds and a slight touch of RPGAge of Wonders 3 brings the modest and shy greatness that AoW1 was into the modern world, retaining much of it's old feeling and that of the other prequels, AoW2 and AoW2SM, while sharing some of the best traits with more strongly established franchises and holding a general environment / atmosphere really pleasant to the eye. If you prefer fantasy worlds and a slight touch of RPG elements, this will make you forget Civilization. Age of wonders is much less linear, and what it lacks in management complexity, it makes up with more elaborate combat and exploration.… Expand
  48. Dagoth_Ur
    Jan 18, 2015
    10
    One of the best games I've played in ages. There are so many factors that influence strategy; class, specializations, races... Each unit has a whole list of abilities and even after hundreds of hours of gameplay you'll find out synergies and ways to beat your opponents. The game is so deep, I don't think there's a game like it. This game sets a standard on its own, other things aren't evenOne of the best games I've played in ages. There are so many factors that influence strategy; class, specializations, races... Each unit has a whole list of abilities and even after hundreds of hours of gameplay you'll find out synergies and ways to beat your opponents. The game is so deep, I don't think there's a game like it. This game sets a standard on its own, other things aren't even in the same ballgame. It's quite a lot to take in when you're just starting out but it really grows on you, I'm even waiting for the upcoming DLC more than I am waiting for other games to come out.

    Great fantasy aspect, excellent strategy aspect (especially in Multi Player), huge number of variables that influence gameplay making each game feel totally different. There are 6 classes right now and I've been playing the same class over and over again for the last couple of weeks and keep finding out new things or ways to improve my game.

    Don't sleep on this!    … Expand
  49. pwk11
    Jan 5, 2015
    10
    I`ve been playing Turn Based strategy games for a long time. I find AOW3 to be one of the best ever. Graphics are great,A lot of tedious empire micromanagement has been trimmed away,yet leaving enough complexity to still be a challenge,and the strategic battling is the best I have ever encountered. And the developers are everywhere in the forums supporting it and listening to feedback andI`ve been playing Turn Based strategy games for a long time. I find AOW3 to be one of the best ever. Graphics are great,A lot of tedious empire micromanagement has been trimmed away,yet leaving enough complexity to still be a challenge,and the strategic battling is the best I have ever encountered. And the developers are everywhere in the forums supporting it and listening to feedback and patching the game accordingly.This makes for a fantastic game! 10/10.… Expand
  50. Ansatsu83
    Dec 12, 2014
    7
    I love this game, I have an affection for 4x strategy games. I love that my main character can level up... I wish it was permanent levels. The main complaint I have is with the AI. They are overly aggressive late game and are very difficult to beat. They will rush your cities with 14 units, on easy mode, and you can barely defend against them, even with 12 of the best units your class has,I love this game, I have an affection for 4x strategy games. I love that my main character can level up... I wish it was permanent levels. The main complaint I have is with the AI. They are overly aggressive late game and are very difficult to beat. They will rush your cities with 14 units, on easy mode, and you can barely defend against them, even with 12 of the best units your class has, defending. That is the main problem. Otherwise its great!… Expand
  51. SirCesar
    Nov 20, 2014
    10
    Amazing game, I became addicted really fast to it. The type of game where you say: "just one more turn" and then you realize 3 hours went on.
    The campaign is fun and it changes depending on your choices, the random generated maps are awesome and the battles are unique, I have never felt so good assaulting a city.
  52. Ericius
    Nov 12, 2014
    10
    I'm new to this game. It took a while to get some kind of control and start winning levels. But all the time I could not stop playing. It has been a while that a game has screwed up my private life like this. But I'm hooked. A fantasy world, dragons, armies, magic, giants, war what else do you want?
  53. Ixoziel
    Oct 23, 2014
    5
    I think it's very important to note that this is a combat heavy TBS. The empire building is pretty bad... each different faction has the same buildings, with only one difference, and there are very few buildings. Your cities will build everything very quickly, and then you have no choice but to expand. On harder difficulties, expanding is the ONLY real choice. You can't build tall, becauseI think it's very important to note that this is a combat heavy TBS. The empire building is pretty bad... each different faction has the same buildings, with only one difference, and there are very few buildings. Your cities will build everything very quickly, and then you have no choice but to expand. On harder difficulties, expanding is the ONLY real choice. You can't build tall, because cities have such few buildings and reach their maximum population level very quickly. There's also very little downside to settler spam, and the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

    The empire building also moves at a very, very fast pace. On normal mode, for example, you typically complete a building in 2-3 turns, and most military units in 1 turn. However, the maps are very big. This creates a problem... by the time you're done exploring the map (especially on larger map settings), endgame will be here. And endgame is very, very stale. It usually consists of spamming your hero class's tier 4 units, and supplementing them with stun units. Virtually every race and hero class does this, because there's no downside to having t4 units other than upkeep, and they're very easy to get. You can get t3 units by the 20th turn, if not earlier, and if you take the time to try and expand you're going to get swarmed on harder difficulties or in multiplayer.

    Ultimately, the game boils down to battle after battle. When it's late in the game, if you're fighting a player that's equally as strong as you are, it often comes down to a deadlock. Both of you might have 5-6 cities pumping out strong units every 1-2 turns. Sometimes these fights can take hours, especially if they involve multiple armies. You can autobattle, but it's not recommended, as your units seem to behave like morons.

    Thus, the game has a flow problem; the empire building and research happen very quickly, but because military units are produced so quickly, you just end up with hours of t4 units fighting other t4 units.    … Expand
  54. johnny5
    Oct 17, 2014
    9
    One of my favorite games on steam!
    Prepare to be sucked in with Age of Wonders 3. An amazing turn based strategy game that will continue to hold your attention and WOW you with attention to detail, depth and rich battles.
    The game features a series of campaigns with different routes, fun hand crafted scenarios and a random map generator with different modes to play. You pick a    One of my favorite games on steam!
    Prepare to be sucked in with Age of Wonders 3. An amazing turn based strategy game that will continue to hold your attention and WOW you with attention to detail, depth and rich battles.
    The game features a series of campaigns with different routes, fun hand crafted scenarios and a random map generator with different modes to play.
    You pick a race/class/specializations which are all interesting, fun and create different synergies.
    Orc warlord? Human Dreadnaught? Elven sorcerer?,
    Goblin Archdruid Specializing in water magic to create a swampy empire?
    You name it! the combinations are plenty!
    Each race starts off with a variety of units that for the most part fill common roles,
    Infantry, Archer, Pikeman, Cavalry, flyers, and support. All these units per race ARE UNIQUE and different, it just might not appear that way on the surface. Orcs are great at melee, elves great with archers etc.
    Classes affect your spells in and out of combat, and units that you get.
    Terrain/weather affect.
    Your leader and Heroes units level up and can customized.
    Units can level up.
    Different sub factions that can be conquered and used to your advantage. Like dragons and giants.
    I can go on and on but the combinations and situations to be in are plenty and it never gets dull.
    MUST PLAY! 9/10    … Expand
  55. Lenzie
    Sep 30, 2014
    7
    A well polished, good looking and enjoyable tactical strategy game. I enjoyed the challenging AI which always seemed to keep me on my toes and forced me to think through every move, battle and turn.

    What did frustrate me about the game however was the length of the campaign. I easily put 80 hours into the game and by the end I was getting bored and felt very relieved to have it finished.
  56. JohnBarrett
    Sep 27, 2014
    10
    Age of Wonders 3 is a gorgeous, amazing TBS. Like in previous games, engaging an enemy unit stack on the strategic world map zooms you down to a tactical battle map, based on the terrain and structures. And the tactical battles are rich! There were balance issues and bugs on release, of course, but Triumph has been consistently on-target with their patches, and now the Golden RealmsAge of Wonders 3 is a gorgeous, amazing TBS. Like in previous games, engaging an enemy unit stack on the strategic world map zooms you down to a tactical battle map, based on the terrain and structures. And the tactical battles are rich! There were balance issues and bugs on release, of course, but Triumph has been consistently on-target with their patches, and now the Golden Realms expansion. Bought it on GOG, so I'm not sure how much time I've put into it yet, but I'd guess 400+.… Expand
  57. Soulfirez
    Sep 27, 2014
    9
    Solid 4X game with a rich fantasy setting. With continued support could easily become the go to game in turn based strategy.

    With a class and race system that allows a good amount of variety in play style (with the movement between good and evil depending on in game actions) A good magic system that may have been better served without the limitation on spells per tun , but due to the    Solid 4X game with a rich fantasy setting. With continued support could easily become the go to game in turn based strategy.

    With a class and race system that allows a good amount of variety in play style (with the movement between good and evil depending on in game actions) A good magic system that may have been better served without the limitation on spells per tun , but due to the strength of this games spells understandable.

    All in all a good entry for people looking to get into a 4x for the first time with enough depth in combat to have experienced 4x's tweaking there tactics to maxmize damage.    … Expand
  58. greyclouds
    Sep 27, 2014
    10
    My review is of the game after the 1.4 patch. Triumph has made great strides after release to improve the quality of the game and it shows! Post patch, the game has improved in many different facets including the unit/city morale system, city growth and racial unit diversity. I feel that they have made a game that equals their previous title, Age of Wonders Shadow Magic, and may soonMy review is of the game after the 1.4 patch. Triumph has made great strides after release to improve the quality of the game and it shows! Post patch, the game has improved in many different facets including the unit/city morale system, city growth and racial unit diversity. I feel that they have made a game that equals their previous title, Age of Wonders Shadow Magic, and may soon succeed it as one of the best tactical, TBS games.… Expand
  59. godking
    Aug 31, 2014
    4
    have you ever heard about "city management"?. if you had you hadn't heard it from AGE OF WONDERS III.

    how about different playstiles? nope, just rush em all and we'll be fine. becouse if you dont rush then the AI will send some OP armies to crush your forces and they are "nasty" becouse i can handle some of those tier V monsters but i cant when they are like 18 and you cant deal proper    have you ever heard about "city management"?. if you had you hadn't heard it from AGE OF WONDERS III.

    how about different playstiles? nope, just rush em all and we'll be fine. becouse if you dont rush then the AI will send some OP armies to crush your forces and they are "nasty" becouse i can handle some of those tier V monsters but i cant when they are like 18 and you cant deal proper damage to them.

    ok so maybe its a little bit boring to clean all the map of those bandits. and i dont want to play every single battle becouse its a waste of time. so i use the autoresolve button and voila, i lost 2 or 3 units to kill 3 bandits. so you have to fight every single battle or you are going to lose units or maybe a hero.

    graphics are no good or bad. sound its no good or bad too. magic is a little bit useless, like 85% of the spells you are going to use em like 1 or 2 times at most.

    my veredict: only play it if you are a fan or a bored gamer. excuse me if my english is bad.    … Expand
  60. Rexnos
    Aug 14, 2014
    8
    A rather solid 4x game with great customization potential and beautiful graphics. It really starts to bog down when you get into the late game and the diplomatic options are seriously lacking, but it's definitely worth playing.
  61. anggadaz
    Aug 8, 2014
    7
    The game storyline is good. However nothing special in this game. I think this game just normal rpg strategy game. But the graphic is pretty good. Overall this game is not bad.
  62. pSylle
    Aug 5, 2014
    9
    Remember it is a turn by turn game so don't rage about difficulty. Conversly this makes the game one of the best publication of this 2014 year with a full encyclopedy of diversity and game time.
    In an absolute silence about this game release I've bought it because I enjoyed the previous versions and I am now surpisingly happy I have selected the deluxe edition because of the beautiful    Remember it is a turn by turn game so don't rage about difficulty. Conversly this makes the game one of the best publication of this 2014 year with a full encyclopedy of diversity and game time.
    In an absolute silence about this game release I've bought it because I enjoyed the previous versions and I am now surpisingly happy I have selected the deluxe edition because of the beautiful background music in FLAC.    … Expand
  63. Vayra
    Jul 13, 2014
    6
    A fun and good-looking 4X game, that unfortunately does not last very long in the hands of those familiar with 4X titles. Even though there is a wide variation in spells, races and classes and the seemingly 'infinite' amount of combinations and games this should offer, every game essentially plays the same.

    Age of Wonders has a few major flaws that make the game boring very fast: -    A fun and good-looking 4X game, that unfortunately does not last very long in the hands of those familiar with 4X titles. Even though there is a wide variation in spells, races and classes and the seemingly 'infinite' amount of combinations and games this should offer, every game essentially plays the same.

    Age of Wonders has a few major flaws that make the game boring very fast:
    - Class balance is off. Certain classes are capable of destroying most others, while other classes, in particular those that rely heavily on spellcasting, are virtually powerless against a gold-based class with a good army such as the Rogue or Warlord. With a smart mix of racial and class-specific units, these two become even more overpowered. The simple fact is, players can only cast a single spell each turn of combat, while they can move and attack with every separate unit on the field - this makes physical combat by definition far more influential than spells could ever be.

    - Lack of depth in development. While building your empire, with a few lucky early resources, you can rush straight to 'endgame'. If you'd really want to, 'endgame' units are easily achieved and there is a glaring lack of depth to the tech trees and units that become available. There are four tiers of everything, which means that a research-oriented player can whip out maximum tier units within 30 minutes of play, or possibly even faster depending on your luck with resources. After those first 30 minutes, there is no longer any kind of stronger unit available. Not a single 4X game presents such a flat tech tree, because of the simple fact that are those 30 minutes are over, the game stops being interesting and surprising.

    These two key points will, eventually, and for me already after about 4 games, destroy the entire experience and lead to a dull, boring game that revolves around simple rush tactics to win. Sure you could make your life difficult, but then you notice that the AI utilizes said rush tactics as well - end of story.    … Expand
  64. curvy2
    Jun 30, 2014
    8
    Its everything AoW1 was and more,and also its everything Fallen Enchantress tride but failed to be. As an old fan of HOMM, MOM AoW1, I am entirely satisfied to my own joyful amazement.
  65. tranxhdr
    Jun 10, 2014
    6
    As for turned-based strategy games go, this one is by far the best one currently available. The game gets quite repetitive quickly which gets a little boring after a while.
  66. Sethland
    Jun 7, 2014
    6
    AOW3 is an OK game, but not much more than that; For me I think the main attraction was it being a turn based strategy game, which there are not many off, and I had much fun with AOW2. However, AOW3 does not in any way live up to either AOW2 or the HOMM series.
    Maps are extremely boring, with few resources, points of interest or other goodies. The "dungeons" you can explore are quite fun    AOW3 is an OK game, but not much more than that; For me I think the main attraction was it being a turn based strategy game, which there are not many off, and I had much fun with AOW2. However, AOW3 does not in any way live up to either AOW2 or the HOMM series.
    Maps are extremely boring, with few resources, points of interest or other goodies. The "dungeons" you can explore are quite fun however. The graphics in general are lackluster, and it's very hard to see on the world map where resources, POI's etc are located.
    Hero building is pretty good and diverse, and the fact that your hero is a unit is something HOMM could learn from. The larger scale combat maps and siege type combats work well too.
    However there're just too many cities to conquer, be they from another faction or from independent parties, and large and huge maps are just not very enjoyable. It's the same stuff - fight 3-4 mobs manually (because the auto combat function is **** 5 times or so every turn and then build a few things.
    The only break in monotony is boss battles where you fight e.g. 18 vs 18; those are fun and requires just a minimum of strategic planning - all other battles don't as the AI is horrible.

    In conclusion, I'd say that I'm fairly disappointed by this game and that it doesn't reach HOMM 4-6's level at all. Your money would be much better spent getting any of those games.    … Expand
  67. balvan64
    May 30, 2014
    4
    At first I thought this is a good game, but after a few hours in I realized I was just fooling myself, it's a bad game.

    * After killing 11 out of 12 soldiers in a squad it still does the same damage as if nothing changed, * Not enough ruins and such to explore, you barely get 2 items per game. * Strategic battle starting positions are insane. * Heroes customization has too many    At first I thought this is a good game, but after a few hours in I realized I was just fooling myself, it's a bad game.

    * After killing 11 out of 12 soldiers in a squad it still does the same damage as if nothing changed,
    * Not enough ruins and such to explore, you barely get 2 items per game.
    * Strategic battle starting positions are insane.
    * Heroes customization has too many useless traits, and even level 10 heroes aren't that powerful.
    * You can only cast 1 spell per combat round, but what if you have 2 casters? or 3?
    * Casting global enchantments is pointless, whatever you cast is immediately dispelled the following round.
    * Heroes only give their bonuses if they are leaders, so you can't stack two heroes in an army. why?!
    * All races have the same buildings.
    * There is almost no different between the units of each race (priest shots fire, priest shots poison etc...)
    * It takes ages to clear a map, and it's mostly waiting on your cities to produce enough units to take down the 3 army stacks the computer has holed up in his castle. really really boring.

    I can go on for ages, this is a bad game, they did not think this through, this is a big disappointment!    … Expand
  68. wolverine101
    May 7, 2014
    0
    Worst game scores in the history of the franchise. Easy to see they didn't improve anything but the graphics. Less factions to play with, less factions to play against and no personality settings. Over at the Steam forums if you say anything "negative" about the game they will ban you and call you troll. lol They are sooooo insecure about this game and they have reason to be. Down fromWorst game scores in the history of the franchise. Easy to see they didn't improve anything but the graphics. Less factions to play with, less factions to play against and no personality settings. Over at the Steam forums if you say anything "negative" about the game they will ban you and call you troll. lol They are sooooo insecure about this game and they have reason to be. Down from over 4000 players just a few short weeks ago to around 1600 now. lol Keep on worrying Triumph you on the way out just like the others before you. lol… Expand
  69. nutcrackr
    May 4, 2014
    9
    It's so easy to get lost in the magic of Age of Wonders 3. Many of my sessions were 5-6hours long and it barely felt like I'd begun managing my empire. There is just so much to do each turn, so many armies to manage and cities to build. The gorgeous world is waiting to be explored and the various monsters are ready to do battle. All of this is paired with truly wonderful tactical combat.It's so easy to get lost in the magic of Age of Wonders 3. Many of my sessions were 5-6hours long and it barely felt like I'd begun managing my empire. There is just so much to do each turn, so many armies to manage and cities to build. The gorgeous world is waiting to be explored and the various monsters are ready to do battle. All of this is paired with truly wonderful tactical combat. There are just so many different ways to approach combat that it's dizzying. The visual styling and the core mechanics are so faithful to the original that it makes me smile.… Expand
  70. Bogdan0x400
    May 2, 2014
    2
    I expected to play a similar game to AoW2 with old bad stuff being thrown away. But what do I see instead?
    The Cons:
    1. Gameplay has got even slower than in AoW2. There is a lot to automate in UI. Now I have to click even more buttons and messages than I've used before. I want to be able to automate most stuff so I won't feel as if I am working instead of playing. Personally for me this    I expected to play a similar game to AoW2 with old bad stuff being thrown away. But what do I see instead?
    The Cons:
    1. Gameplay has got even slower than in AoW2. There is a lot to automate in UI. Now I have to click even more buttons and messages than I've used before. I want to be able to automate most stuff so I won't feel as if I am working instead of playing. Personally for me this the biggest con, and this is why I've stopped playing this game after ~10 hours in total. I don't want to micromanage woeful stuff that mu computer should do for me.
    2. AI on strategic map is really stupid.
    3. Looks like they've spent most of their development time on graphics. Personnaly I would still buy AoW3 with old graphics, but better gameplay, and would enjoy it.
    4. No possibility to run an autocombat and then go manual combat like in HoMM. Come on, was it so difficult to implement?
    5. Most spells are useless.
    6. Cities have more structures, and most of them become useless because you'll produce 1 unit at 1 time.
    7. Ever run out of mana?
    the Pros:
    1. You can have much more casting points.
    2. Attacks and damaging spells don't miss.    … Expand
  71. stevezilla
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    After spending a few hours to get accustomed to the game conventions and flow of the play, I have been totally sucked in. I did play AoW2 back in the day and loved it, but it had been a while and I was concerned the game style would not hold up to todays standards. Fortunately I was wrong, and the "wonder" of surviving in a fantasy world of mystery and danger is back. The artwork andAfter spending a few hours to get accustomed to the game conventions and flow of the play, I have been totally sucked in. I did play AoW2 back in the day and loved it, but it had been a while and I was concerned the game style would not hold up to todays standards. Fortunately I was wrong, and the "wonder" of surviving in a fantasy world of mystery and danger is back. The artwork and battle grounds are fantastic and evoke feelings of treading through a world steeped in deep lore.

    I started with the campaign, but it wasnt until I tried the random map generator that I really got hooked (I'll have to get back to the campaigns at some points.. just .. cant.. seem to find the time!). The random maps are beautifully done and are unique adventures everytime. Early game is about exploration and leveling and questing, mid game is about skirmishing and getting a good position to face the AIs and then finally taking out the AI's. This is as I see it anyway, and makes for a very satisfying experience!!!    … Expand
  72. zugod
    Apr 25, 2014
    1
    There is nothing wondrous about Age of Wonders 3.

    I've now played for 40 hours on two maps and am sick of this game. It feels like I'm playing AOW2 with poorer maps. Despite the graphics, the maps in AOW3 are POORLY decorated, as if they were decorated by an AI--they look completely generic and more or less the same except for their shape. I've seen all the AOW3 maps, which are    There is nothing wondrous about Age of Wonders 3.

    I've now played for 40 hours on two maps and am sick of this game. It feels like I'm playing AOW2 with poorer maps. Despite the graphics, the maps in AOW3 are POORLY decorated, as if they were decorated by an AI--they look completely generic and more or less the same except for their shape. I've seen all the AOW3 maps, which are much smaller than AOW1&2 (even the XL size), and they look like they were decorated with a palette of maybe 15 tiles. Good maps in AOW2 are decorated with thousands of beautiful tiles and exquisite detail. The maps in AOW3 are plain, boring, and pedestrianly conceived. The tiles are limited, plain, generic, and boring whereas the tilesets in AOW2 were hundreds of times more vast, and indeed, many of them were wondrous. There used to be all kinds of beautiful, cool swirling magically wondrous things in the AOW2 tilesets, but they are nowhere to be seen in AOW3.

    I think the problem is that instead of attempting to break some new ground in the genre, all they did was take the easy way out and bring AOW2 into the 21st century (circa ~2007, mind you) by giving it a makeover. That's it, AOW3 (should be AOW2.5) is nothing but a makeover. And they thought they could actually make money doing it. I mean, they must be trying to target the undiscerning consumer who loves playing games in 2014 that were good enough to be out in 2007.

    To wrap this up, finally, so I can put the bad taste behind me... I would have been 100 times more satisfied if, instead of taking the time and effort and cost to "develop" AOW3, they simply put out a new pack of beautiful, wondrous maps for AOW2, which was a game that I can only describe as perfection.    … Expand
  73. korfel
    Apr 23, 2014
    10
    In Short:
    Pros:
    -great gameplay -high replayability -very good multiplayer -easy to get into, hard to master -low price -frequent updates (it looks this way so far) -good balance -a lot of customization -nice graphics -beautiful music Cons: -relatively long games (not for the genre) -not that many people playing multiplayer -rather bad tutorial -not the most challenging    In Short:
    Pros:
    -great gameplay
    -high replayability
    -very good multiplayer
    -easy to get into, hard to master
    -low price
    -frequent updates (it looks this way so far)
    -good balance
    -a lot of customization
    -nice graphics
    -beautiful music

    Cons:
    -relatively long games (not for the genre)
    -not that many people playing multiplayer
    -rather bad tutorial
    -not the most challenging AI (for veterans of the genre)

    This game is a steal! I bought my steam digital download version for 75PLN (about $25) and if you look online you can by it this cheap pretty much anywhere in the world. For this price you get a brand new game with 2 campaigns, each with 6 missions + 1 for alternative choices made. I would say this is easily 40 hours of gameplay, at least. Then you also have scenarios and endless possibilities with random map generator.

    The game is complex, but easier to get into than the likes of Europa Universalis, Total War, or even Civilization series. At the same time it offers plenty to more seasoned TBS and 4X players. It's different than almost anything else on the market. People compare this game to HoM&M, Civ, and Total War, but while it includes elements of all these games, it's still something totally different.

    If you enjoy 4X games, you should definitely try it. If you like TBSs in general you might want to give it a go. If all HoM&M titles after HoM&M 3 (and maybe 4) disappointed you, buy this game!

    For anyone who likes Civ, Gal Civ, HoM&M series this should be a definitve buy. People who like Paradox games should also consider it.

    The random map generator in this game is like nothing I have ever seen before. The number of options is mind blowing. You can customize the number of cities, their size, number of treasures, resource, visit structures, starting army sizes, and much more.

    There's plenty of strategy involved and enough variety to keep you playing for many hours. 6 classes, 6 races, and 14 specializations to choose from means you get to try out new things almost every game.

    And finally, the multiplayer. I don't know how 4X games could have existed without simultaneous turns. I used to play some with classic turns and it was a thrill, but it also dragged on way too long and I would never play with strangers for this very reason. Here you can start a small map 1 vs 1 game with smallest starting cities and medium armies and finish it in about half an hour, it that's your cup of tee. You can still play epic large map games with mutiple opponents and save your sessions, in this case too, the simultaneous turns option will vastly speed up the game. I was worried about using this over the classic turns, but it works like a charm, I use it even against the AI, there's hardly any reason not to.

    Buy this game! Even if you have never played 4X games before. This is a good game for beginners too and at this price it is worth giving it a go. The support for the game is amazing, the forums are very helpful and best of all there is more content to come in the form of dlcs and expansions, which are likely to feature new playable races, new scenarios, and maybe new campaigns.    … Expand
  74. AeonForm
    Apr 22, 2014
    5
    This is a mix between Heroes of might and magic and Civilization, but definitely a failed one, you have so much options and things to care that it's a commplete mess, i feel like playing a different game everytime i go from a screen to another... The world map is also a mess, i feel stupid to say that but...it's too colorful.
  75. Jellyjam
    Apr 21, 2014
    5
    Great graphics, lore and even a nice combat twist. None the less nothing above the grade or truly fresh.
    Lay out also lacks several key lay out features that either make the game inconvenient, or annoying.
  76. guillaume321
    Apr 15, 2014
    4
    Weak game for me, both visual and gameplay. If you really want to play turn based fantastic strategy then go for Might and Magic Heroes VI. It excels everywhere and is 100 times better than this.
  77. avessabian
    Apr 15, 2014
    9
    This is my first review, so please bear with me.

    I've been rocking AOW3 for the last couple of weekends with a couple of friends in hot-seat mode. And when I say rocking, I mean full on day in - day out marathons with tiny brakes for sleep. We must be at the 30 hour mark by now, which seems a good place to voice opinion. First the basics. The AOW series were strongly inspired by the    This is my first review, so please bear with me.

    I've been rocking AOW3 for the last couple of weekends with a couple of friends in hot-seat mode. And when I say rocking, I mean full on day in - day out marathons with tiny brakes for sleep. We must be at the 30 hour mark by now, which seems a good place to voice opinion.

    First the basics. The AOW series were strongly inspired by the HOMM series and "Masters Of Magic", so it comes to no surprise that they sport game play that is a mix and match from both. You build and develop cities (MOM/CIV), to produce armies (MOM/CIV/HOMM). These armies are led by great heroes (HOMM) into tactical combat with the enemy and independent mobs (HOMM). There is a research tree based on your leader's class and specializations (MOM) and of course powerful strategic spells (MOM/HOMM).

    I won't go over graphics, sound and interface since I find those irrelevant if they are capable of getting the job done without distraction and they seem to be in this case (sans the bloom in some combat locations, it's just mehhh...). The sole fact that me and me palls have been afflicted by the "just one more turn" syndrome is reason enough for me to rate this game as high as I did. But let me go over what I actually find so appealing in AOW3. Even with it's multitude of combat units the game somehow manages to find balance in chaos. All games we've played thus far have been "on the edge of your seat" close. Each player is constantly grasping for the win until the bitter end when the true winner is revealed through greater cunning, strategy or tactics. An example for it's good balance is that when two similar strength armies engage, often only just a few units survive. Note that similar strength doesn't mean the same army composition, four well developed heroes versus a plethora of regular units are also evenly matched armies. I also very much enjoy the choices the game provides, should I make my heroes into leaders or combatants? Should I focus my cities into military development and get my racial units or build up research and mana so I can get my class units? Should I summon an additional guy for the next fight or preserve casting points for combat magic? The game is full with interesting choices like these and what makes them interesting is that both paths are viable. The random map generator is excellent, it creates gorgeous maps with a lot of interesting locations and good starting positions. This for me translates into infinite number of maps available for play.

    Enough praise, lets go over the bad parts. First of all the AI is atrocious. I'm playing on the hardest possible difficulty setting and all it does is spam cities. When war pokes it's ugly head, it either sends lone units/heroes or in the rare occasions when it actually has a sizable force it divides it into small armies that are ripe for the picking. Mob encounters start to get very similar very quickly. The game has tons of different units and I don't see why mobs should be so limited in their choice. And that goes double for scoundrels, every game I've played thus far has had me slaughter uncountable amounts of scoundrels - scoundrel villages, scoundrel patrols, scoundrel guards, etc. It's a minor issue with me that the game deploys one of a full army's units behind the battle line and there seems to be no way of picking which unit that is or to move it's starting point. Most of the time you would have time to get into position before the actual battle begins, but it's a silly thing to have left in what is otherwise a very polished game.

    Finally, to end on a good note. Triumph (the developer of this game) seem devoted to their player base and have already released a patch that addresses a bunch of issues pointed out by players. This is a good sign and perhaps the game will only get better with time. I strongly recommend this game and my suggestion, as of now, is to stick to multi-player on small/medium maps.    … Expand
  78. Mivo
    Apr 15, 2014
    9
    I waited a decade for this sequel, and I'm glad it turned out so well!

    The general stuff: Visuals and sound are high quality as you expect it from the series, and the gameplay is the same, as well. Compared to AoW2:SM, there are fewer units (but Shadow Magic was essentially an expansion) and the game is currently more streamlined, which also makes it more accessible. Race differences    I waited a decade for this sequel, and I'm glad it turned out so well!

    The general stuff: Visuals and sound are high quality as you expect it from the series, and the gameplay is the same, as well. Compared to AoW2:SM, there are fewer units (but Shadow Magic was essentially an expansion) and the game is currently more streamlined, which also makes it more accessible. Race differences and alignments don't yet matter as much as in the previous game, but developer responses on the official forum imply that this is coming. The focus is less on empire building and more on global strategy and tactical battle (no other fantasy TBS does tactical combat better). Games are relatively quick for TBS standards, especially if you opt to start with cities and an army.

    Content: The game has several lengthy campaigns (that you can play on either side), scenarios, a map editor (that lets you create entire campaigns), a competent random map generator (huge plus), single-player and multi-player (local, internet, and asynchronous pbem is in the making. There's a ton to do, and it's unlikely that you'll run out of things to do. There is a large number of options that allow you to customize scenarios and maps: teams, victory conditions, custom heroes, classic or simultaneous turns, terrain, map type, map size, pre-learned spells or none, and so forth.

    The AI: If you don't want to play against people, the AI's quality matters. Right now (two weeks after release), the AI is pretty standard for a fantasy TBS. It's not GalCiv2's excellent AI, but it's also not Civ5's excuse of an AI. It seems more competent than it was in AoW2:SM, but it's a little passive still and can be cheesed in tactical combat. The devs mentioned that the next patch will include substantial AI improvements including code that recognizes cheesing attempts and will respond to it, so by the time you read this review, things may already have changed. A nice improvement over AoW2:SM is that if you start with a settler and no town, the AI actually handles it well and does manage to be a competitive opponent. So if you go for the "empire building" mode, the AI will keep up with you.

    In short: I dig the game and don't regret that I picked it up at the full price. It's a worthy successor of AoW2:SM and didn't disappoint. The devs are active in the community and listen to suggestions. The excellent random map generator and map/scenario editor guarantee variety, and the game actually has multiplayer!    … Expand
  79. Anthropos
    Apr 14, 2014
    6
    Without a reasonable opponent, the depth of the character class/race combinations falls flat. The limited AI drains enjoyment from a game that has a lot of potential.
  80. Socram
    Apr 13, 2014
    5
    After reading some reviews where the game was praised as a perfect mixture of HoMM and Civ (which I both love), I bought this title... only to be bored quite quickly.
    The UI has some shortcomings like missing "effective" range indicators and the "all-knowing" Tome of Wonders does not contain any info on some searches that I did.
    While the graphics esepcially in the overview map are very    After reading some reviews where the game was praised as a perfect mixture of HoMM and Civ (which I both love), I bought this title... only to be bored quite quickly.
    The UI has some shortcomings like missing "effective" range indicators and the "all-knowing" Tome of Wonders does not contain any info on some searches that I did.
    While the graphics esepcially in the overview map are very aesthetic and the soundtrack is well composed, the proclaimed tactical combat lacks eye- and earcandy... the animations and spell effects are lackluster, the sound doesn't feel very impactful... things that imho were better even in older HoMM titles.
    My biggest contra is the empire management where the best procedure seems to be to stomp out as many cities and units as possible while not bothering all that much about your resources. Meaningful decisions about which buildings to get in your cities? Hardly. There are also few incentives to recruit weaker units as you can quickly progress to the highest tiers... if you know what to research. And while I normally love random elements in such games, it doesn't feel right in the research section of AoW3.
    Some of these things (like gettings many cities asap) might be changable in the random map games, but first I'd like to finish the singleplayer campaigns to get a feel for the game. And while the story with it's good english speakers can induce some atmosphere, the levels just cannot motivate me to play through them.
    On the plus side: The AI of the game seems to be well programmed, both in the strategic and tactical section.    … Expand
  81. MartinD81
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    First off, I can call myself an Age of Wonders veteran. I have been with the series since its inception back in 1999. Age of Wonders III, like its predecessors, is a TBS game with a fair amount of RPG flavor set in a wonderful world of magic and adventure. Like before, the fourth game in the series is a meticulously mixed blend of MoM and HOMM, with greater emphasis on global strategy andFirst off, I can call myself an Age of Wonders veteran. I have been with the series since its inception back in 1999. Age of Wonders III, like its predecessors, is a TBS game with a fair amount of RPG flavor set in a wonderful world of magic and adventure. Like before, the fourth game in the series is a meticulously mixed blend of MoM and HOMM, with greater emphasis on global strategy and warfare. Mind you, it is not a full 4X experience as some believe it to be. Some folks over on the the official AoW forums keep comparing the game with Civilization V, which is really not fair IMO – Age of Wonders III and its older siblings are significantly more combat-oriented. Some have criticised the game for being rather basic in diplomacy and for its supposedly simplistic city development. In my opinion, both these elements are fine and work sufficiently for the game’s purposes despite being a little austere in their appearance and functionality. But then again, this is not a Civ-level empire building and diplomacy. The game mechanics are solid and can stand on their own and they are clearly more fleshed out in comparison with HOMM and some others in this regard.
    Anyway, the game’s foundations lie in a progressive empire building and managing your cities. A city serves as an essential economic unit here, and without a properly managed city your armies may not prosper as well. You can also do research, level up you heroes, who make their hard living by killing monsters and hordes of opposing armies. Unlike HOMM, the AoW series is an actual strategy game, encouraging you to plan ahead and consider you next moves carefully in the context of a bigger picture represented by your developing realm.
    As mentioned above, the core element of the series is warfare, and the new game is well-prepared for that. It sports an improved tactical combat that rewards clever tactics and puts a strong emphasis on unit positioning. Every unit on the battlefield has unique abilities you need to take into account, and exploiting them in the right way is a key to success in any encounter. Plus there is flanking now, which the AI likes to use against you when you expect it the least. The improved combat also encourages cooperation of your ranged and melee troops and there is a new scissor-rock-paper formula introduced (pikemen, cavalry, infantry units with their strengths and weaknesses).
    The game itself plays very smoothly and familiar, so if you have played an AoW game before you will easily slip into these new and shiny pants. The class system is cool and classes themselves varied enough to secure a very solid replayability. The level of leader customisation here is beyond all you have seen in a TBS game. You would need so much time to explore all the possibilities! If you are not an expansionist type you can effortlessly adjust your experience through many various RMG settings to suit your play-style. Here lie infinite hours of fun for everybody…
    The only downside to the new game that I see ATM are some unit and resource balance issues, though not serious, but they can sometimes be annoying, particularly in late-game. Not a deal-breaker in any way. The devs are currently hard at work to deal with these and are ready to send more updates, features and new content in our direction.
    The AI could also have been better, sure, it does not but at a strategic level it does a decent job of keeping you on guard, and so does in TC. There are some minor changes that seem to have already upset some core fans, namely mountains are passable now by practically any unit, fliers land in TC and can be attacked by any unit, only six units allowed in a single stack etc., but they do not by far distract from an overall great and rewarding strategic experience. In fact, these changes were made to keep the game balanced as possible, and the „six units in a stack“ change particularly contributes to a more strategic approach when it comes to composing your army.
    Well, I seem to have left out a thousand other things that come to mind when thinking about AoW III, but firstly there is not enough space to put them here and secondly, and more importantly, I have been engaged in playing it for more than 25 hours and the joy of doing so has not by far worn off. And I honestly believe that I will enjoy the next tens of hours as much as I have until now, the game has so much to offer! By the way, have I made a mention of a lovely cloth map like the one in Fallen Enchantress? Or completely unique class units and spells? An excellent in-game manual/encyclopedia called Tome of Wonders?
    My recommendation for this game is quite simple: if you want to immerse yourself in a beautifully crafted world of magic you can feel at every step (even with wizard towers gone this time), you like to engage in epic battles for the fate of your empire, you have played some HOMM but found it shallow at global strategy then this is the right game for you. And it has rogue dire penguins!    … Expand
  82. eastwoodknight
    Apr 10, 2014
    10
    Actually i' ve become really happy for this moment. It happened! The Legend returned and the genre was reborn!
    I was so sad about latest parts of such monumental series like HoMM, Disciples, etc. It was so many new ideas, decisions but no perfection - all were crashed on reefs of bugs, monotony and unbalance. But in this game one can see strong elegant balance, a wide variety of tactics    Actually i' ve become really happy for this moment. It happened! The Legend returned and the genre was reborn!
    I was so sad about latest parts of such monumental series like HoMM, Disciples, etc. It was so many new ideas, decisions but no perfection - all were crashed on reefs of bugs, monotony and unbalance. But in this game one can see strong elegant balance, a wide variety of tactics and ways to victory.

    Comparing to previous part - there is no effect of superfactory in metropolia of empire, when you could extremely quickly make strong troop, cast some spell over them and crush all on your way. The strongest units can overcome by mass and adequate combinations of common units. So the key - is to rule all your Empire. There is no more absolute combinations.

    For newcomers it can take several hours to get bases. But, i'm sure, then it can be a wonderful journey for years, as Heroes III was.    … Expand
  83. Cosian
    Apr 9, 2014
    7
    I was between a 6 and 7 for this guy. I went with the 7 mostly because I think the game has unrealized potential. If you segment in the game into its Tactical Combat, RPG, and Strategic components my ratings for these components vary substantially.

    The Tactical Combat is some of the best when compared with similar games that provide this type of instanced tactical combat. The    I was between a 6 and 7 for this guy. I went with the 7 mostly because I think the game has unrealized potential. If you segment in the game into its Tactical Combat, RPG, and Strategic components my ratings for these components vary substantially.

    The Tactical Combat is some of the best when compared with similar games that provide this type of instanced tactical combat. The tactical combat is similar to Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes and the Dominion series. IMO it outshines this games by allowing larger armies, facing, flanking, zones of control, cover, and line of sight. The game is very solid in this regard.

    The RPG components are not bad as well, with a variety of choices for how you improve and manage your hero characters.

    Where the game really falls down IMO is the strategic layer. Despite a number of different races, the units you build end up feeling much the same. That said, the units are not the biggest issue here and TBH there is some synergy to be gained by constructing certain units and armies that work well together.

    The cities themselves are pretty much postage stamp representations of each other despite being from different races. There are very few decisions to make here since your building all build in a couple turns and there is little reason to specialize. City management on large maps become a tedious and somewhat boring chore. Until changes to the strategic layer are made I feel smaller maps which tend to focus more on the tactical battles provides the best play.

    As I said, the game has potential and it will be interesting to see where it ends up after a few patches.    … Expand
  84. golgor
    Apr 9, 2014
    5
    Well, I must confess the game looked better watching the gameplay than the fun I had playing it since its release... There are some good tactical stuffs, like flanking units in battle,...but your heroes are so involved in the storyline, that loosing one will result in loosing the game :-/...boring! The battles start with all your units on a straight line, which is really not what to expectWell, I must confess the game looked better watching the gameplay than the fun I had playing it since its release... There are some good tactical stuffs, like flanking units in battle,...but your heroes are so involved in the storyline, that loosing one will result in loosing the game :-/...boring! The battles start with all your units on a straight line, which is really not what to expect from this kind of strategy game!!! The cloth map is pretty but not really functional (at least not as much as in Fallen Enchantress...a shame!)...and AI sends units which are just running away when you chase them with stronger units...resulting in a stupid hide and seek game which really kills the fun imo. At least there is the multiplayer part, which is definitely the best part of this game!… Expand
  85. dysanfel
    Apr 9, 2014
    8
    There is so much they can do with this game to make it better. I can't wait for the expansions. As it stands the game is wonderful. It is stable and I have not found any real bugs outside of AA support which seems to be lacking right now.
  86. ketamarine
    Apr 8, 2014
    10
    This game is everything I ever wanted in a TBS. Exceptional, rewarding and diverse tactical combat. Many different play styles with the different hero types (and I've only played three so far!). I can only imagine how this game will grow over time as more of the AOW lore is built into it.

    They somehow managed to keep the mystique of the series alive (the remixed, driving epic music    This game is everything I ever wanted in a TBS. Exceptional, rewarding and diverse tactical combat. Many different play styles with the different hero types (and I've only played three so far!). I can only imagine how this game will grow over time as more of the AOW lore is built into it.

    They somehow managed to keep the mystique of the series alive (the remixed, driving epic music gives the game of thrones theme a run for its money!) while piling on strategic and tactical depth with more unit types and abilities and some game-changing spells (Chaos rift left my jaw agape - made me feel like a god opening the heavens!).

    Definitely worth picking up for any serious strategy gamer - and while not an entry level title, it's approachable enough that novices should be able to pick up and play as well.

    10/10 Would Play Again!    … Expand
  87. ArjaaAine
    Apr 8, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am a big fan of the series, but I was disappointed here.
    The UI is very clunky compared to the older versions. It now takes too many clicks to get a lot of basic tasks done.

    One big pet peeve of mine is that you can't cycle between cities (or i couldn't find how to). You have to manually click a city and then find the next city to click too. Which would be fine, if the map was not so cluttered.

    Another problem is that the building description is a tooltip rather than a fixed menu on the right.. like the old games. So, more often it is too much of a pain to figure out what exactly does the building do.

    The unit screen is a total mess, with again no unit description menu.. So, i have to hover my mouse over the unit name and wait a few seconds to see what the unit's powers actually are. Plus there is no differentiation in the UI over tier1 -tier2 - tier3 units.. so I have to right click a unit and check its wiki before I know what tier the unit is off. In the old game, the units were organized so that the cheapest 3 were always tier1, and so on.

    There is no mini-map in the battle... Yes, let that sink in for a while.. no mini map in the battle screen. So, battling in any zoom level but the lowest is too slow and annoying.

    They have removed the strategic aspect of attacking the city from 4 sides. Now you only attack from one side.. the front.

    The hero upgrade screen is just chock full of upgrades, most of them are useless.. and there is no upgrade tree.. So, you have no idea how to unlock the better upgrades.

    I though do like the new buildings as they do offer a lot of different strategies in what buildings to build first.. but the UI is just so horrible, all the joy of city management goes out of the window.

    Too many things in the game are a mix and match between right and left clicks. Your attacks in battle would only hit if you right click.. even though you select the unit using left click. Heroes can be equipped using right click, even though you left clicked on the inventory.

    It gets tedious to constantly have the wrong click.

    It is a playable game, but not unlike AoW2 where tasks were fun and not a chore. I have played AoW2 nonstop for 10 years.. but AoW3.. i am just going to play because i paid for it.    … Expand
  88. Magliano
    Apr 7, 2014
    10
    Best strategy game of the last decade. To fully appreciate the beauty of the game I suggest to try first one of the medium size scenario. The variety of races territories and spells is really fabulous.
  89. faceless-1
    Apr 7, 2014
    8
    I just love how IGN clearly did not get paid from developer and fired lovest rating from all reviewers, when they give **** games 95% almost every time.

    I werent fan of Age of Wonders 1 and 2 (preferred Heroes and discipless 2), but this instalment is really good. It feels like mix of heroes of might and magic and civilization. I dont think that this game should be compared direct-li to    I just love how IGN clearly did not get paid from developer and fired lovest rating from all reviewers, when they give **** games 95% almost every time.

    I werent fan of Age of Wonders 1 and 2 (preferred Heroes and discipless 2), but this instalment is really good. It feels like mix of heroes of might and magic and civilization. I dont think that this game should be compared direct-li to HOMMAM, both are very good games and both are very different. The game play of Age of Wonders 3 is very good and graphics and music are ok too. What is really good about this game is wast number of skills and abilities your hero and units have.

    Aside from some minor problems in game play, the only major problem can be very bad tutorial. If you are fan of 4x strategy games you will know what to do in short time, but if this game is your first 4x game than you can have problem with it.

    Still have to recommend this game. I really like the classic turn based game play and this game is very addicting.    … Expand
  90. Leap8
    Apr 7, 2014
    10
    I had never heard about this game until its release date and after watching a few review videos and lets plays i decided to pick it up. I have to say so far i am really impressed with ~15hrs played. The game beautifully combines the grand strategy of games such as civilization with the turn based combat of games like Heroes of might and magic to create a overall brilliant experience. NotI had never heard about this game until its release date and after watching a few review videos and lets plays i decided to pick it up. I have to say so far i am really impressed with ~15hrs played. The game beautifully combines the grand strategy of games such as civilization with the turn based combat of games like Heroes of might and magic to create a overall brilliant experience. Not for everyone of course but if you enjoy games like Civilization i definitely recommend giving this game a try, i assure you that you will not be disappointed.… Expand
  91. Jockedamus
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    The tactical battles are really fun and the ways you customize your heroes are great. The strategy leaves a little to be desired. Then again I haven't played the multiplayer yet so maybe that's what it's all about really. Already sunk a lot of hour into this title and I'm loving it.
  92. taygor
    Apr 7, 2014
    8
    A winner for those who like turn based strategy games with individual combat engagements between your armies and those of your enemies. My only knock on the game is the excessively long load times between turns if your playing on a large map with the max number of players.
  93. Khyrid
    Apr 5, 2014
    3
    I played the first two Age of Wonders games a lot for years and I love them. I hate to have to say it, but this third game is a disappointment. It forces the player's strategy too much, limiting you to one option. You are put in positions where you need to rush and that's all you can do if you hope to win vs the poorly programmed cheating supplemented AI.

    You have to send out small fast    I played the first two Age of Wonders games a lot for years and I love them. I hate to have to say it, but this third game is a disappointment. It forces the player's strategy too much, limiting you to one option. You are put in positions where you need to rush and that's all you can do if you hope to win vs the poorly programmed cheating supplemented AI.

    You have to send out small fast units to grab undefended AI cities which feels more like an exploit than normal game mechanics.

    In combat I was fighting to siege an enemy fort and our armies were evenly matched, so obviously I wanted to use some strategy and position my forces for the best approach. Not in AoW3. In this game you're penalized for using strategy. A message popped up after only a few turns saying that no unit had been damaged fast enough and the battle was ended. The only option I have is to rush at the gates so my forces can get cut down by their defenses.

    I don't have time for games like this. It's unbalanced. The AI gets bonus money to spam OP units on normal or higher. Any difficulty easier than that is too easy and no challenge.

    Here's some advice for the devs, actually try to program AI routines. Not just a few basic ones, stop think about why the AI is losing strategically and make routines for dealing with those scenarios. It's obvious you didn't even try. You should probably try to hire me to fix your terrible AI.    … Expand
  94. masterhidra
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    The game itself is awesome. My score - 9 - is because the AI needs some tweaking, since sometimes it acts very predictably, even on hard. But it's 100% recommended for who love turn based strategy/RPG games.
  95. GodModule
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    I'm relatively new to the 4X genre. Ever since I got into these games, I've been looking for a very specific type of game. I wanted something set in a fantasy world with a great combat system (preferably not RTS, which isn't my thing), memorable factions, and diplomatic options for victory. That's a pretty tall order for a genre that already doesn't have a whole lot of options. When II'm relatively new to the 4X genre. Ever since I got into these games, I've been looking for a very specific type of game. I wanted something set in a fantasy world with a great combat system (preferably not RTS, which isn't my thing), memorable factions, and diplomatic options for victory. That's a pretty tall order for a genre that already doesn't have a whole lot of options. When I heard about AoW III, I jumped at the chance to play it.

    After spending a dozen hours over the last couple of days with it, I have to say that this is very close to being exactly what I was looking for. AoW is set in a fantasy world with beautiful 3D graphics. While graphics aren't the most important thing in a strategy game, the lush, colorful world of AoW really draws you in right off the bat. Things get even better when you go into combat. One of the best things about fantasy is the flashy spells, and this game definitely doesn't disappoint. Spells can cast an eerie, otherworldly glow over the whole battlefield, or cloak your entire army in lightning. You definitely won't be disappointed in terms of aesthetics.

    The combat system is turn-based and thorughly enjoyable. Units are lead by heroes for whom you can acquire gear and learn new skills upon leveling up. Unlike in some games where winning is just a matter of having more units in the area (ahem...Civ 5), here every battle plays out like a chess game. Both positioning and the battlefield itself play huge roles. Are you outmuscled by a particularly powerful unit? Set a trap and have one unit flank him from behind (there are bonuses for flanking and penalties for various postional disadvantages), then, when he turns around, have the other unit flank him. Combat never gets dull here. Even though you can sim battles, you'll find yourself wanting to fight out every one of them.

    The game has several paces you can choose from that focus on different aspects of gameplay. Are you all about war? You can set up the game for that. Do you wanna take your time and build an empire of scratch? You can set up for that, too. I play on empire building pace. While this is fun and certainly very streamlined to limit micromanagement, the options for city building are a little lacking. There's really no focus on culture or religion or anything like that. Instead, every building is there to either unlock units or generate gold or mana. For me, this is kind of a bummer, and here's hoping they can turn out an expansion pack that adds to the non-combat side of empire building. Same thing goes for diplomacy. You have your basic peace treaty, alliance, open borders options, but this aspect of the game is definitely lacking.

    All in all, this is an awesome game that's well worth the money. It really shines in terms of exploration (owing to the beautifully rendered world) and combat, but lacks in the economic and diplomatic side of things. Things are streamlined so that it will be accessible even to beginners, but it might be a little lacking for hardcore micromanagers. Even without super-detailed management options, however, this game is still a winner.    … Expand
  96. LD9000
    Apr 4, 2014
    8
    A Civilization like game with magic and better unit abilities. Reminds me of Warlock Master of the Arcane. Overall, this is a good game, and I'm sure once they fix all the bugs and improve the AI it may even be a 9.

    Right now, looking at the elven campaign on hard, it seems that the enemy AI is really bad. Most of the time it does not do anything, no new settlements, no major offensives    A Civilization like game with magic and better unit abilities. Reminds me of Warlock Master of the Arcane. Overall, this is a good game, and I'm sure once they fix all the bugs and improve the AI it may even be a 9.

    Right now, looking at the elven campaign on hard, it seems that the enemy AI is really bad. Most of the time it does not do anything, no new settlements, no major offensives (saw it only once). The enemy seems to be able to instantly spawn 3-4 stacks of 6 units in their capital when you get within the borders, but it does nothing with those units. They just sit around the capital, about 18 units. I can park my army of 6 within the borders, and the enemy would do nothing. A normal course of action would be to kill off my guys.

    The campaign has good story, and one of my biggest complaints is the poor character resurrection system - the faction leader can die and will be resurrected in X turns, but secondary heroes that "must survive" cannot be resurrected. This creates a lot of situations where a random succubus or a bunch of flank attacks cause me to lose a scenario. This is really annoying when after spending 30 minutes in a capital battle, some succubus flies over the wall, charms my hero and causes me to have to replay the battle.

    In terms of civilization upgrades, all races have exactly the same buildings, and there isn't much depth to the buildings, maybe 20 different buildings, all leading to the grand palace. Each of 6 classes has a class specific building to produce 4-5 class based units. I think there's only 4 tiers of units. There is not that much difference between the races, they all have an archer, infantry, pikeman, cavalry, etc.

    Overall, a good game once the bugs get polished out.    … Expand
  97. darsat
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Age of Wonders III plays very similar to the last installment and follows the spirit of the franchise. Playing the game since release, around 40 hours, I have developed a fondness and desire to keep playing, which I have not had since Civ 5. If you have played AoW I, II, or II SM and enjoyed your experience, then you will very much enjoy this one. I see a lot of growth for DLC in theAge of Wonders III plays very similar to the last installment and follows the spirit of the franchise. Playing the game since release, around 40 hours, I have developed a fondness and desire to keep playing, which I have not had since Civ 5. If you have played AoW I, II, or II SM and enjoyed your experience, then you will very much enjoy this one. I see a lot of growth for DLC in the magic system, troop routines, and maps, and look forward to that content. My only complaint is that the Tier IV troops are lackadaisical. I am not impressed. Even considering that, I will play the game often and look forward to additional DLC and patch content.… Expand
  98. masterjohnson1
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    This is a fun game that is easy to get to know, you have a bunch of races and classes to chose from and 2 campaigns to go through, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys playing strategy games
  99. DiddyMeerkat
    Apr 3, 2014
    10
    Amazing in every way so many customizable features from creating you hero to creating random maps and if that wasn't enough you can make your own with the editor free with the game great game play many, many hours of fun 10+
  100. Sgt_Splooge
    Apr 3, 2014
    10
    I never played the original and am not very far into the game, but I can already tell it is a really fun game with lots of abilities and units and different paths and strategies to take. Would definitely recommend to my friends.
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Awards & Rankings

71
#71 Best PC Game of 2014
44
#44 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
57
#57 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Ragequit.gr
    Jul 30, 2014
    84
    Age of Wonders III offers a very good option for turn-base strategy fans, continuing successfully the legacy of the series. It offers many hours of play, especially if you want to taste every bit of detail. Some further improvements which would force the player to ponder of his strategy before acting are needed. Nonetheless, Age of Wonders III is an amazing game that will always keep you thinking "one more turn".
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  2. CD-Action
    Jun 28, 2014
    95
    There was nothing in the way of Age of Wonders III maintaining the quality level of its predecessors. But that did not happen and instead of another solid title we got a game that will make every armchair strategist cry... tears of joy. [05/2014, p.52]
  3. DarkStation
    May 21, 2014
    80
    If you enjoyed the previous Age of Wonders games and you had any reservations about this game, then rest easy – it is a very good one.
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