Dominions 3: The Awakening

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 49
  3. Negative: 9 out of 49

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  1. RussellB
    Nov 28, 2008
    10
    Without having played Master of Magic, I could only describe the game with the analogy that its essentially Civilization II, Magic the Gathering and Rome: Total War in one pleasing, modern interface (I had no problems with wide screen resolution). The content-over-graphics approach is reminiscent of Space Empires IV; even then, I don't see the sprite graphics as negative given theWithout having played Master of Magic, I could only describe the game with the analogy that its essentially Civilization II, Magic the Gathering and Rome: Total War in one pleasing, modern interface (I had no problems with wide screen resolution). The content-over-graphics approach is reminiscent of Space Empires IV; even then, I don't see the sprite graphics as negative given the vast number of units that can appear on the battlefield. With over a thousand well-drawn and animated sprites, large-scale fortress invasions, and amount of units that can be fielded, sprite graphics feel like a feature rather than a limitation.

    The user interface is easy to learn and, in my opinion, better most turn based, 4x strategy games (that includes Space Empires IV, Galactic Civilizations II, Civ. II, Civ. III, Civ. IV). Strategy isn't dumbed down, and the game is probably more repayable than most of those combined. Functions are placed intelligently. The AI appears to be well capable, and even though multiplayer has a pretty big following, I'm still learning which faction to play - factions are pretty interesting and not rehashed versions of each other or simply paper, rock, sissors (i.e. Gal Civ. II combat). My experiences playing most factions - particularly EA Ermor to LA Ermor and EA Ulm to LA Ulm - was as if I tried a completely different game.
    The game appears to have a great development team which, for a game that was surprisingly balanced and whole to begin with, continually release new content for the game (more factions, heros, unit graphics, etc.).    … Expand
  2. DemetrisRoussis
    Mar 6, 2008
    10
    This game is truly great and has a deep gameplay, combined with a great scenario.Only if it had better graphics and sound effects and performance, it would have been an absolutely beautiful game.Surely, if it was published by a games publisher, better than Shrapnel Games, like Microsoft or EA, it would have been a huge success, bringing a lot of money to the Developer and Publisher factoryThis game is truly great and has a deep gameplay, combined with a great scenario.Only if it had better graphics and sound effects and performance, it would have been an absolutely beautiful game.Surely, if it was published by a games publisher, better than Shrapnel Games, like Microsoft or EA, it would have been a huge success, bringing a lot of money to the Developer and Publisher factory and much more entertainment to video gamers!… Expand
  3. Jounk33
    Mar 25, 2013
    8
    Excellent TBS. Many Options and endless ways to win or lose. Ai is very good but the game is made for Multiplayer. But be warned, if you don't like micromanagement do not try this game If you like to manage every turn every province and you are a fan of old school TBS Dominions 3 is a must have.
  4. CaradryanRyman
    Jan 20, 2009
    10
    Warning: If you're a college student of some sort who loves strategy games and care about their GPA, please stay away from this game. Luckily, it is only the beginning of semester, or else ...yeah.
    Dominion 3 is an extremely deep and engaging game. With a complex system, old-school sprites, and customization up the wazoo, this is THE ultimate turn-based strategy.
    I would    Warning: If you're a college student of some sort who loves strategy games and care about their GPA, please stay away from this game. Luckily, it is only the beginning of semester, or else ...yeah.
    Dominion 3 is an extremely deep and engaging game. With a complex system, old-school sprites, and customization up the wazoo, this is THE ultimate turn-based strategy.
    I would highly recommend trying out their downloadable demo to get a feel for the game. This game is definitely not for everyone - but for those of you who are willing to think a little more than our average gamer, this is for you.

    Ignoring the fact that there's still frequent official patchs, a myraid of excellent mods and maps featuring other fantasy works, the pricetag is really pretty fair for a game like this. Overall, a solid 10/10.    … Expand
  5. MartialDoctor
    Nov 18, 2012
    5
    Let me start by saying that I love strategy games. Civ Series, MOO, MoM, GalCiv, Distant Worlds... the list goes on. However, I hate this game. That's right, I hate it. I will focus on what I dislike about it so that other players can get an idea before buying this game. If you want to get a better summary of the good aspects, read one of the other positive reviews :)

    First off, if you    Let me start by saying that I love strategy games. Civ Series, MOO, MoM, GalCiv, Distant Worlds... the list goes on. However, I hate this game. That's right, I hate it. I will focus on what I dislike about it so that other players can get an idea before buying this game. If you want to get a better summary of the good aspects, read one of the other positive reviews :)

    First off, if you are good at single player strategy games, the single player will be of little challenge to you here. You'll have to play play-by-email multiplayer games (or find skirmish games online). Play-by-email games will last quite some time (months) so be prepared for such things. I'm not a huge fan of this but I got used to it. However, if you don't have the patient for such things, it would be in your best interest to stay away.

    Now, on to what I really dislike.

    This game has so much depth to it that, as others have put, the strategies are endless. However, the mechanics of this game are nowhere near the level they need to be. To put it simply, you lack sufficient control over your units and will find a good part of the game will be to just get your units (especially mages) to simply do what you want them to do... and then get frustrated when they do something stupid.

    You see, the battles are totally out of your control. You give your units orders and then watch the battles unfold in the next turn. You can give your mages, and units, commands but they are very limited. In the early game, this isn't a major issue. But, in the mid to late game, where mages become very important, the fact that you lack good control over mages becomes a huge issue.

    You can only give commanders 5 orders total. After that, the unit is totally under AI control. Not only that but, if the unit can't perform what you want it to, they may do something reckless or otherwise stupid - sometimes even costing you the unit or gems (which you use to cast spells, more or less). When multiple units do such things, they can even cost you the battle. So, a huge part of the game becomes simply getting your units to do what you want them to. Does this sound interesting to you? It definitely was not fun for me - especially when you invest a good amount of time (late game, when your armies become gigantic - even an hour or more) programming your units to only find them not do what you want. There's not even a simple command for a mage to cast one spell and do it continuously. Or to not cast certain spells.

    I could go on about other AI issues that annoy me to know end but I'll end it there.

    My next major gripe is the way that Super Combatants, so called SCs, work in this game. Once you get into the later part of the game, you can start creating powerful items for these large, powerful units. The problem is, they become so powerful that they can take on entire armies! Even an army composed of high level summonable units which, from my point of view, should be able to stand up to them! Swarming will not work even in the least bit! So, you must rely on mages. However, these SCs will have items that are resistant to certain magic types. So, only certain magic spells will really work on them.

    But, wait, didn't I just say that you have little control over your mages and that they are very difficult to program to get to do what you want? Now you see where further frustration comes in.

    Also, in regards to strategies with these SCs, they will absolutely destroy entire armies but, get the right spells in, and you may take them out before they can do anything. One good spell, with some luck, can take out an SC with one hit or even charm it to your side.

    To sum it up, you may get strategies that work like this:

    Strategy A >>>>> Strategy B
    Strategy C >>>>> Strategy A

    This can be to the point that, if you aren't adequately prepared to counter something, you may have little or, even, no way of countering it. It also means that these SCs are very important to get and all players aim to get them later in the game. Without them, you are at a major disadvantage.

    So, to sum this part up, balance is not in this games best interest.

    Finally, I hate the ability that units, and armies, can effortless warp around the map. It destroys the whole idea of fronts, which all strategy games have. What fun is it when a unit, or army, can appear anywhere on the map at any time? There's no way of countering this as you can't predict where they will appear; you can only guess.

    If the above things do not bother you and you do not mind lacking control over your units, you will most likely find this game to be a great one. However, if you are like me, you will find this game to be an incredibly frustrating experience. I played a good five or six multiplayer games (remember they take months to complete) and I will say that my most recent one will definitely be my last.    … Expand
  6. Damascus
    Sep 12, 2013
    0
    This 0/10 is for putting this game up for sale on stem for 19 euro 8 years after its original release.
    Price aside this game deserves to be a 4/10 in 2013. Graphics and sound would have been good 20 years ago. Strategic gameplay is maybe the deepest of any computer game ever made, but/and also entirely unbalanced, unforgiving and uncompromisingly hard. This is to say, you need to know    This 0/10 is for putting this game up for sale on stem for 19 euro 8 years after its original release.
    Price aside this game deserves to be a 4/10 in 2013. Graphics and sound would have been good 20 years ago. Strategic gameplay is maybe the deepest of any computer game ever made, but/and also entirely unbalanced, unforgiving and uncompromisingly hard. This is to say, you need to know exactly what you're doing at every point in the game or you'll just suddenly die (no matter how well you seem to be doing) and have to start over (or find another game if doing multiplayer). There is no save. While this caters to the target audience perfectly (this game is 10/10 if spending about a year full-time, studying its every little nuance, appeals to you), but makes it a less than good game objectively.
    The fantasy themes are very well presented, and the best part of the game is how it lets to create The Lion or The Witch of Narnia, or Gandalf or Sauron, or a DnD Lich-King, or a Titan of the Greek Mythologies or just about any classic powerful being as a pretender to godhood. No other game on any media have been able to mix a fraction of the themes or come as close to portraying them as well as Illwinter. They also deserve kudos for being Indie before the concept was concieved. I wish Illwinter good luck with the upcoming Dominions 4, but if you're curios about this game you should find another way of procuring it other than buying it. Illwinter does not deserve your money, demanding what is full-price for a brand new top-notch indie game for an 8-year old indie w 20y-old graphics w an extremely narrow target audience.    … Expand
  7. JeremyF.
    Oct 15, 2006
    10
    Easily the best turn-based strategy game in the past decade, Dominions 3 completes the promise of its actual predecessor (Dominions 2) as well as its spiritual predecessor, the classic fantasy TBS, Master of Magic. When you consider that its competitors are legendary franchies like Warlords abd Heroes of Might and Magic, that's high praise indeed. That said, its worth noting that Easily the best turn-based strategy game in the past decade, Dominions 3 completes the promise of its actual predecessor (Dominions 2) as well as its spiritual predecessor, the classic fantasy TBS, Master of Magic. When you consider that its competitors are legendary franchies like Warlords abd Heroes of Might and Magic, that's high praise indeed. That said, its worth noting that Dominions 3 is ONLY for those fans who are ready to handle a very deep, very complex strategy game.… Expand
  8. CalD.
    Jan 2, 2008
    10
    Best fantasy MP game ever, SP isn't that good because AI can't handle all the cool actions.
  9. TimH.
    Nov 7, 2007
    9
    Excellent Turn Based Strategy Title. With better graphics/interface/Single player AI this would be 10/10.
  10. Pin
    Aug 22, 2007
    1
    So frustrating. Poorly documented. Terrible interaction design and no save feature just left me cold.
  11. ØyvindW.
    Apr 21, 2008
    8
    Dominions is a very special 4X fantasy game in many respects. First of all, it uses a more original fantasy setting than most games in that you won't encounter the cliché Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and other races from the Warcraft/Dungeons&Dragons universe. Rather, and this brings me to the second point, the game features a huge array of nations based on international folklore andDominions is a very special 4X fantasy game in many respects. First of all, it uses a more original fantasy setting than most games in that you won't encounter the cliché Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and other races from the Warcraft/Dungeons&Dragons universe. Rather, and this brings me to the second point, the game features a huge array of nations based on international folklore and myth. And 'huge' is a word I can use on pretty much the entire game. Dom3 boasts over a thousand different units, hundreds of magic items you can give your commanders with an RPG-ish equipment system, and hundreds of different spells you can research. The game is so huge that even experienced players will find themselves exploring it and constantly discovering new strategies. Add to this a Random Map Generator (a welcome addition) and a decent modding system, and you have a game that's not exhausted in a matter of weeks or months.

    Dom3 has downsides, primarily the very basic graphics and sound effects, and how the game tends to become micromanagement-heavy when you've built your empire.
    Important PS: If your menus disappear and you can't access the save function, you're playing a pirated version. Shame on you.    … Expand
  12. Necronomicon
    Feb 21, 2013
    8
    This is a serious game. Probably for TBS, the best out there. It is deeply engrossing. Options endless, strategies endless, highly moddable, dedicated community. The game is richly complex and winnable with literally 100's of strategies. A virtual gold mine of a game from a strategy point of view. A caution, the learning curve is steep. It's not angry birds. Some posters have saidThis is a serious game. Probably for TBS, the best out there. It is deeply engrossing. Options endless, strategies endless, highly moddable, dedicated community. The game is richly complex and winnable with literally 100's of strategies. A virtual gold mine of a game from a strategy point of view. A caution, the learning curve is steep. It's not angry birds. Some posters have said that the AI is weak. It can be adjusted, but simply it has too many options which are adaptable and good. I suspect that because there is no "right" choice, the AI can't handle it all. Made even more amusing and complicated is the fact that when you give orders, they may not be obeyed or not play out the way you'd like just like real life. The replay value is not exceeded by any game on the market. Now for the bad. The graphics could use a little work, both in appearance and in a manner that enables one to follow the action a bit better. But graphics are not the main selling point. The point is game play and options, endless options. Also, near the end game, micromanagement becomes a serious issue. It is possible to lose track of where units are going and what they are doing. Perhaps there should be a final destination marker and a way to track what the units are doing in a more trackable way. The organization and tracking need a bit of work and some of the interface rough spots need to be cleaned up. Having said that, it is probably the finest game out there if strategy is what you seek.… Expand
  13. DanielS.
    Oct 19, 2006
    10
    Best Multi-player TBS game I have ever played. SP game is only a 7 as the AI is only good. Not a fast paced game or one with killer graphics but I can't stop playing. When I am not playing I am working on new strats to try out next time I play.
  14. DaveJ.
    Jan 26, 2007
    7
    This is a good game, with a lot of depth. It has lots of mod options and gives many play options for how the game plays. However, it is small developer game and it shows. They do give good support, but in the end, this is very much a niche game and the forums are dominated by hardcore fanboys who like the rough edges. Excellent manual, best I have seen in 20 years of computer gaming. Try This is a good game, with a lot of depth. It has lots of mod options and gives many play options for how the game plays. However, it is small developer game and it shows. They do give good support, but in the end, this is very much a niche game and the forums are dominated by hardcore fanboys who like the rough edges. Excellent manual, best I have seen in 20 years of computer gaming. Try the demo, as you will either love this game or hate it.… Expand
  15. Dom3Fan
    Oct 14, 2006
    10
    If you love deep turn based stragy games like VGA Planets, Stars!, Space Empires IV you will love this one. The strategic and tactical possibilities are virtually endless. No game has ever been written that is this strategically rich. A game will take months to complete, with you and your friends becoming deeply involved in all the nuances of your epic struggle. Really, can't If you love deep turn based stragy games like VGA Planets, Stars!, Space Empires IV you will love this one. The strategic and tactical possibilities are virtually endless. No game has ever been written that is this strategically rich. A game will take months to complete, with you and your friends becoming deeply involved in all the nuances of your epic struggle. Really, can't recommend it highly enough.… Expand
  16. DCorazon
    Nov 3, 2007
    10
    I know this game has a big hurdle - I had been noodling on whether to buy this back when it was Dominions 2 but I could never figure out what was going on. Well, I finally took the plunge, printed out the tutorial, and downloaded the demo. By the time I was through, I couldn't wait to get the full version. Needless to say, my only regret is why I waited so long. This game unlike I know this game has a big hurdle - I had been noodling on whether to buy this back when it was Dominions 2 but I could never figure out what was going on. Well, I finally took the plunge, printed out the tutorial, and downloaded the demo. By the time I was through, I couldn't wait to get the full version. Needless to say, my only regret is why I waited so long. This game unlike anything else I have played captures the essence of epic. There is so much to learn, so much to do, so much strategy. I love how it actually makes sense to scout, so you can deploy your squads effectively. If you know you are going to fight archers, position your troops with kite shields up front. You can give your calvary orders to attack the read , trying to flank your enemy. On and on. Meanwhile you have assasins, priests, wizards, mighty warriors, summoned ghost captains. You can forge magic items, cast the world into darkness, etc. It is great fun to play via email. It allows you to really take the time to savor each turn and makes each decision feel crucial. Anyway, nuff said. If you take the time to figure this gem out, it will pay off like no other game.… Expand
  17. NGResonanceFan
    Nov 4, 2012
    8
    This Indie game maybe wasn't quite what I expected, but it was still nonetheless a real treat! It is definitely one of the best fantasy/Tolkien-esque 4X strategy games on the market; up there with Age of Wonders 2. Like most games it's not without its weaknesses though. For one thing the sprite graphics are definitely dated. For another, I was expecting intricate city building, civilThis Indie game maybe wasn't quite what I expected, but it was still nonetheless a real treat! It is definitely one of the best fantasy/Tolkien-esque 4X strategy games on the market; up there with Age of Wonders 2. Like most games it's not without its weaknesses though. For one thing the sprite graphics are definitely dated. For another, I was expecting intricate city building, civil and military research on par with the Civilization series, and strong single player diplomacy options. Alas, city building is very lite, diplomacy is basically multiplayer play-by-mail only, and there is no research other than magic. Having said that, the game has the most detailed and well-fleshed out magic research I've ever seen in a game. Further, despite the dated graphics, the 'autopilot' tactical battles (where your armies fight it out according to orders you've given them before the battle) are great fun to watch. I would also add that you have a wide range of choices when it comes to your faction and leader. Be warned though, the 'sandbox' campaigns can be rather long and involved, even on small maps and at easy AI difficulty and aggression settings. In fact my last game was on a small map with five total 'pretenders' and it was a good ten hour game. On the aesthetic side, the Celtic soundtrack with female vocalist is very strong; some of the best game music I've heard in a while. Anyway, I had really wanted to give this game a 9, but I docked it half a point for the dated graphics, lack of single-player diplomatic options, the lite city building, and the lack of non-magic research. Still in all this Indie game is a lot better than more than a few strategy games put out by the big gaming studios with their much greater development resources. If you like fantasy/Tolkien-esque turn-based strategy 'explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate' games, this one is not to be missed.… Expand
  18. Billick
    Mar 26, 2013
    9
    I just discovered this gem of a game, and I have to say it's one of the best turn based strategy games I've ever played. The amount of depth in this game is staggering. There are a huge number of nations, units, spells, items, and tactics at a player's disposal. I actually found the UI to be pretty good once you learn the basics, and I didn't find the basics as hard to learn as someI just discovered this gem of a game, and I have to say it's one of the best turn based strategy games I've ever played. The amount of depth in this game is staggering. There are a huge number of nations, units, spells, items, and tactics at a player's disposal. I actually found the UI to be pretty good once you learn the basics, and I didn't find the basics as hard to learn as some folks have suggested. It will take you a very long time to learn to be competitive in multiplayer though. The only negatives about this game that I have found are the dated graphics, and that the AI quite dumb.… Expand
  19. CokinandJokin
    Sep 27, 2013
    10
    If you are looking for fancy graphics, a gentle learning curve, or a casual strategy gaming experience look elsewhere. If however you want a challenging game with a tremendous amount of depth, content, and attention to detail you have found a real gem. The gameplay experience could be described as unforgiving but success in this game is very rewarding because it requires careful planningIf you are looking for fancy graphics, a gentle learning curve, or a casual strategy gaming experience look elsewhere. If however you want a challenging game with a tremendous amount of depth, content, and attention to detail you have found a real gem. The gameplay experience could be described as unforgiving but success in this game is very rewarding because it requires careful planning and execution. Also, the departure from the "High Fantasy" mythos is refreshing. From Norse and Hindu mythology to Lovecraft's underwater horrors there is so much inspired content it is almost mind-boggling. This is an excellent game!… Expand
  20. tpyo
    Oct 21, 2014
    1
    I picked up Dominion 3 about 24 hours ago and have onomnomed it since (yes, straight. I do that.). I saw the recommendation for 4 on my Steam but kinda baulked at the price considering the PD style of art (#3 still put me back a fair bit). I'm struggling to see what other people see in it. Its not really that different from Centurion Defender of Rome back which was released back in theI picked up Dominion 3 about 24 hours ago and have onomnomed it since (yes, straight. I do that.). I saw the recommendation for 4 on my Steam but kinda baulked at the price considering the PD style of art (#3 still put me back a fair bit). I'm struggling to see what other people see in it. Its not really that different from Centurion Defender of Rome back which was released back in the 1990's. The sound and the gfx are on par, if not worse and its the same principle: give vague instructions to an AI and watch it totally screw it up when the fight happens (I just rage quitted from the last chance I gave that game).
    It's an interesting concept and the implementation in Dominations is reasonably complex (lots of spell and potential unit combos, like TONS) however the instruction is almost as limited as it was back in Centurion. You can just about instruct your hero to do a couple of things in sequence. In the game I just quit from my sequence was: long range fire spell *2 => fly into their ranged troops and kill them with your fire AOE. Worked out fine for a few fights but then my hero appeared in the middle of my own troops burning them all to death. Why are the spells and the tech paths complex but the tactics, the actual part that is the core of the game so incredibly simple?
    Attack/Hold and Attack/Retreat/ etc. You can then specify if you want to attack a particular type of unit or maybe just the one at the back, however you can't elegantly sweep your army from right to left nor pull of a sweet pincer movement (which you could in Centurion). Considering this game sells itself on the principle that it has complex combat, considering the fact it sacrifices the gfx, the sound, EVERYTHING for it I'm disappointed that the tactics are so incredibly bare. The spells and abilities are just fluff. So all we have is a lot of fluff. The fluff is cool. I just wish I could program the commands for them where I'm not terrified everytime I look at a fight result to see if my hero died because he didn't understand them.

    Forget the "civ like" stuff, that part isn't fun either. It suffers from "ring around the rosie" syndrome where if one troop sneaks past your defense you'll be stuck chasing it for a good twelve turns before you can corner it while it burns down all your temples. So you're left desperately trying to block off the landscape to avoid this which then just leads to a sort of dull stalemate.
    There are limited strategic decisions to make outside of your magic and god build. I could maybe tolerate half of these problems if it wasn't for the user interface from hell. I'm sitting here getting RSI from having to constantly click on units to purchase them individually. The interface is directly from the early 90's, its awful, there is _no_ excuse for this. Don't try to bribe the mercenaries in this game too highly or you'll lose your mind (its an arrow, that increments by one that you have to click for each increment), especially when you then accidentally hit "reset" because your brain assumes its "done" because "reset" happens to be exactly where the "done" button should be ("done" is exit).
    I just can't believe that this is the third iteration of the game. I found out recently the first iteration was about ten years ago. What exactly have they been doing in the past ten years aside from travelling back twenty years to take game design lessons from people in the nineties?!? The premise of this game is incredibly entertaining but this implementation is just **** This is genuinely their third go? The opening screen teases you with a 3d landscape that they can't be bothered to port onto the map screen.

    When I was a kid in the old smoke filled arcades I once saw an older gent try to play the game "time traveller". It was this really bad game that was sold on a hologram gimmick. I watched him struggle with the controls as a "baddie" shot him in the back in each one of his lives and he pathetically shot in the wrong direction. The old western style gent that narrated the game offers the same advice each time: "remember, turn before you shoot!". The third time this happened was too much, he shouted back at the screen: "I AM F**KING TURNING". He then looked at me and my brother and said: "Kids, don't play this game its SH*T". Today, I get to pass this advice on to you. Don't buy this game.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best PC Game of 2006
55
#55 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. GameZone
    90
    For those TBS fans out there this will most likely be one of the best games out there. Though it carries a hefty MSRP of about 50 bucks, It is very unlikely that any game will be exactly the same. There is just too much content for that.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer UK
    65
    Too garage for its own good. [Christmas 2006, p.80]
  3. Computer Games Magazine
    90
    But if you're willing to look, there are very few games that show you as much as you'll see here--a nearly infinite variety of rising gods and dying empires and a fat man with a magic belt--and no games that do it with focus, depth, and extraordinary economy of Dominions 3. [Jan. 2007, p.60]
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