Warlock: Master of the Arcane

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 229 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 160 out of 229
  2. Mixed: 50 out of 229
  3. Negative: 19 out of 229

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  1. lunar_cyborg
    Oct 14, 2013
    2
    Incredibly over-rated 4X strategy game featuring bugs and amateur design elements. I did not enjoy this game, I would not recommend it. The game attempts to emulate popular playing styles of other 4X strategy games such as Civilization and Master of Magic, however it falls drastically short of presenting itself as even a low budget clone of these strategy greats. If you have never playedIncredibly over-rated 4X strategy game featuring bugs and amateur design elements. I did not enjoy this game, I would not recommend it. The game attempts to emulate popular playing styles of other 4X strategy games such as Civilization and Master of Magic, however it falls drastically short of presenting itself as even a low budget clone of these strategy greats. If you have never played any decent turn based strategy game then you might enjoy this one. The only reason I can consider this game would have so many positive reviews is due to the generation of gamers it plays to as it's target audience. I don't think a hardcore, serious, die hard or enthusiast gamer would enjoy this cartoony rendition of turn based strategy. If you are looking for a decent 4x turn based strategy game, I would recommend Master of Magic for fans of old school games and a variety of mods for Civ 4 for more modern players. Unfortunately there are no mods for Civ 5 in this area that I am aware of but hopefully there will be in the near future. I would appreciate the team that made this game a lot more if they had just incorporated their designs into a Civilization 5 mod, as a stand alone game it does not hold up to my expectations of a strategy game; the lack of depth in the game makes me feel like I am playing a mod that was rejected.… Expand
  2. Wakko
    May 10, 2012
    3
    Not sure where people are coming from or if we are even playing the same game... Just bought this game after playing the demo on Steam for $20. Not worth it, maybe worth $5 for all content including the paid DLC released on game release date. Simply put, this looks and plays very much like a CIV V clone in a fantasy genre. This is no where near as polished as CIV though. Graphics lookNot sure where people are coming from or if we are even playing the same game... Just bought this game after playing the demo on Steam for $20. Not worth it, maybe worth $5 for all content including the paid DLC released on game release date. Simply put, this looks and plays very much like a CIV V clone in a fantasy genre. This is no where near as polished as CIV though. Graphics look nice, management of resources can be a pain, no in game encyclopedia to explain things, AI cheats... A LOT, random monsters appear on your city doorsteps all the time, no stacking of units, and combat system is mediocre at best. After several hours of play, I have found almost no use for gathering large amounts of $ in game to buy off builds faster. Had this been a more polished game, specially with key command shortcuts to make ease of use better, I would rate this higher. Audio is acceptable, you have the same narrator as with all the Majestic games with his silly Sean Connery accent (which was funny the first game, and boring by now), the "tutorial" in this game is a joke. Its good for a quick CIV like Fantasy sim game, but definitely not worth more than $5 with everything included. Oh the DLC adds uber units which you can customize a hero to inherit which literally nukes the opposition most of the time, way to overpowered.… Expand
  3. AthanasiosT
    Jun 15, 2012
    1
    This game, simply sucks. It's NOT master of magic, NOT civilization and NOT a good combination of the two !! The game interface is annoying, with clicks doing different kind of things from the ones you expect them to. Units mix with the graphic environment and are really difficult to see. Combat has no graphic display (just some sounds and minus symbols for the health lost). If you plan onThis game, simply sucks. It's NOT master of magic, NOT civilization and NOT a good combination of the two !! The game interface is annoying, with clicks doing different kind of things from the ones you expect them to. Units mix with the graphic environment and are really difficult to see. Combat has no graphic display (just some sounds and minus symbols for the health lost). If you plan on spending money on a good turn based strategy with fantasy elements, look elsewhere.… Expand
  4. Zonzai
    Jun 30, 2013
    0
    Might have been a good game but it is so bug-riddled the world will never know. Even the most basic interface controls, such as clicking a ground tile, fail to work. A game that doesn't work, doesn't get any points from me.
  5. bloodyshan
    Oct 17, 2014
    3
    I have to say I'm surprised that the famous Paradox Interactive made such a shabby game, I can't tell how much disappointment and frustration I got from the first 30 minutes of gameplay...
    First, the point and click of unit control is just so unintuitive, I don't even know how many movement point I have to take to get to a place, not to mention the unintentional wrong clicking or false    I have to say I'm surprised that the famous Paradox Interactive made such a shabby game, I can't tell how much disappointment and frustration I got from the first 30 minutes of gameplay...
    First, the point and click of unit control is just so unintuitive, I don't even know how many movement point I have to take to get to a place, not to mention the unintentional wrong clicking or false route the AI may take, I just can't bear with this kind of unclear control.
    Second thing is the map, there's no "whole map" view option in this game, and I'm so frustrated to find out that even the option for adjusting the scrolling speed on map browsing is missing...I'm pretty sure a 90's game may have such a feature, I just can't tell if it's intentionally ignored.
    If this game was out there in 90's or early 2k, I might stop whining and try to feel the intense similar to Civ or HoMM or so, but it's a 2012 game and I believe there are a lot to be reworked concerning UI and gameplay.    … Expand
  6. Broyax
    Apr 17, 2017
    2
    Jamais vu un jeu aussi capricieux : il se lance une fois sur deux, quand il veut bien se lancer ! parfois au bout d'une minute entière sans rien faire, parfois l'écran noir persiste plusieurs minutes (si on a la patience d'attendre jusque là...). Parfois il se lance du premier coup. On dirait une vieille bagnole qu'il faut pousser... et cela sur deux configs différentes (le fixe avec l'AMDJamais vu un jeu aussi capricieux : il se lance une fois sur deux, quand il veut bien se lancer ! parfois au bout d'une minute entière sans rien faire, parfois l'écran noir persiste plusieurs minutes (si on a la patience d'attendre jusque là...). Parfois il se lance du premier coup. On dirait une vieille bagnole qu'il faut pousser... et cela sur deux configs différentes (le fixe avec l'AMD et le portable avec la Nvidia !) et malgré un paquet de patches successifs.

    Forcément, au moment de la notation, cela s'en ressent... Toujours est-il que ce Warlock (avec son addiction au lock) n'est qu'un ersatz de Civilization 5 transposé dans un monde d'heroic-fantasy. Bon point tout de même avec l'interface repompée presque entièrement sur Civ ; mauvais point également, car la carte est peu lisible jusqu'à en devenir confuse. Ce n'est pas le tout de copier : il faut aussi faire les choses correctement et ce n'est pas le cas ici.

    De prime abord sympathique, le jeu finit par ennuyer assez rapidement dans sa répétitivité, son côté bien niais et la réalisation bas de gamme continue de tirer ce petit jeu minable vers le bas, c'est-à-dire au niveau d'un simple navet.    … Expand
  7. Laer
    Mar 14, 2017
    4
    Estrategia al puro estilo Civilization, pero por el contrario, basada puramente en la fantasía.

    Este juego me pone en un apuro, ya que veo que tiene todos los componentes para ser buena estrategia por turnos, pero sin embargo, le falta algo, ese toque que te hace querer seguir y seguir pasando turnos para avanzar y ver a tu imperio cada vez mas grande. Sin duda tiene buenas ideas, y    Estrategia al puro estilo Civilization, pero por el contrario, basada puramente en la fantasía.

    Este juego me pone en un apuro, ya que veo que tiene todos los componentes para ser buena estrategia por turnos, pero sin embargo, le falta algo, ese toque que te hace querer seguir y seguir pasando turnos para avanzar y ver a tu imperio cada vez mas grande.

    Sin duda tiene buenas ideas, y si te gusta el género, probablemente merezca la pena al menos echarle un vistado.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Worth Playing
    Jan 22, 2013
    70
    Despite not explicitly saying so, Warlock: Master of the Arcane serves as a decent entry game for those who want to dabble in 4X strategy. Thanks to the lack of a decent tutorial and in-game instructions, the game still has a steep learning curve, and the lack of attention paid to the diplomatic aspects of the genre will leave some players overwhelmed once they move on to something with more substance.
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  2. PC Master (Greece)
    Aug 31, 2012
    75
    Warlock does not offer something truly new to the genre and the components borrowed from Civilization far outnumber its renovations. The gameplay options offered may feel many, but are in fact, very limited: combat is over-simplified, diplomacy is poor, the religious element is non-existent and the actions you take in one turn are 90% the same. Despite that, the 'one more turn' magical effect can be felt at times. [July 2012]
  3. The Escapist
    Aug 2, 2012
    90
    A well-crafted, easy-to-play game with an entertaining fantasy bent, Warlock will have you staying up nights taking one more turn to blast King Rrat to kingdom come.
    Read full review
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