Sorcerer King

[A] triumph in the genre.

Sorcerer King offers a nice strategic balance, and the feeling of carving a swath through a landscape already dominated by your enemy gives the game a fun, challenging feel.

With this new fantasy themed title, and the previous science fiction themed Galactic Civilizations III Stardock has managed to corner the market when it comes to turn-based strategy, delivering a solid mix of both classic and innovative mechanics.

Stardock hits it out of the park with Sorcerer King. Turn-based strategy at its finest.

A great twist on the classic 4X formula.

With the sorcerer king as antagonist you are taunted as well as challenged from the very beginning. And while this is a neat creative impulse, the art design, AI and diplomacy options leave hold the concept back.

Sorcerer King casts a spell on you and keeps you playing.

Sorcerer King is a game that should appeal to both fans of 4X and turn-based strategy games, and those with an open mind looking to experience something new in the genre. It can take a while to get to grips with everything it has to offer, in particular the doomsday scenario, but it pulls through with aplomb and should keep players coming back for more.

Yet again, Stardock did not produce a perfect 4X fantasy game, but Sorcerer King is much better than all their previous attempts. Right now, it is a bit boring, but, fingers crossed, things may change after an expansion or two.

Sorcerer King’s fatalistic themes are tied cleverly in to its mechanics, resulting in the first game in the Elemental series that really feels like it has a distinct identity.

A fine example of 4X strategy, Sorcerer King may not have what it takes to compare with the best of its genre; nonetheless, it’s a great and uncomplicated first step for newcomers, offering at the same time a substitute for veterans.

An interesting take on a classic genre, with some great writing and variably rich worlds to explore. [Sept 2015, p.62]

The fiendishly nerdy control over all the little details can be very rewarding; it’s just a shame that I’ve yet to find a middle-ground the game’s balance of power.

In the end though, I put more time into each of the Age of Wonders III expansion packs than I put into Sorcerer King, because they were just better games.

Sorcerer King has a lot of great ideas, but they don't necessarily come together well. Level progression is slow, so losing experienced soldiers is extremely painful. Oftentimes, the game has you wandering the world, trying to complete a vague quest, and hoping that it will bring you closer to defeating the King.

It's not a bad game, but imagine the possibilities if we can play with the other races, if the AI would do more than standing around, and if ranged units were more than fluff. You'd have a game that can measure itself with the best 4X games on the market! Until it does, it's the little engine that could, but did not.

To increase gameplay speed, Stardock had to sacrifice a lot; perhaps, too much. Building variety went down the drain, you don’t have to balance the budget because concept of money is gone, and tech trees regressed back to Master of Magic-style magic books. [Issue#201, p.66]

I had some fun with Sorcerer King at first and liked some of the concepts it introduces into the fantasy kingdom game formula. However, it feels like things just don't come together well, and that overall the game is light on content and one-dimensional.

Sorcerer King has a couple of interesting and original features, but Stardock focused a little bit too much on them, overlooking the pillars of the 4X genre, especially the AI of the enemies and the variety of the playable races. It's not a bad game, but definitely overpriced for what it can offer.