Games worth discovering

Age of Wonders 4 (First Impression)

708 View2023-05-03

Released: May 2th, 2023

Price: $50 USD

A tactical strategy game is something I haven't played in a long time. Personally, the most recent game I've played was Civilization V. This didn't really appeal to me, owing to the complexity / realism that they offers through world building.

I felt lost in a sea of diplomacy and conquest that I never completely understood, increasing the likelihood that I would avoid these types of games in the future; but, this game has showed me a side of the genre that I have never seen before.

A less complicated side, with a more direct and palpable introduction & tutorial.

Problems

Crashes

This will definitely vary from person to person, since different computer configurations may react differently when the game is exposed to hardware.

However, I only had one crash while playing, which I believe was caused by having too many cities on the overworld. However, this was 2 hours into my first campaign, so I don't have much to complain about, whereas others seem to say that the game is unplayable, crashing every 10 minutes and many other things.

The game is fully functional. This is usual with new releases, but when compared to some of the more recent releases, this game is almost faultless in that regard.

Second Launcher

Once again, as seems to be an all too common occurrence these days. I don't appreciate having a second launcher loaded just to ask me to make an account.

It appears to be for individuals who want to Mod the game to make it easier for them to play with custom features, rather than manually altering the game files.

I'll use it to sign in and that is about all I will use it for. It basically has little purpose other than to take up space on my computer.

Presentation & Customization

Vibrant and visually appealing

When you see diplomatic strategy games, they frequently take on a more realistic or futuristic approach. Some developers do fantasy well, but the way they do it in this game feels more natural. I want to explore and understand it.

I prefer swords and axes, bows and staves to the industrial ages. In general, it feels more interesting and whimsical than incorporating reality into video games.

Informative & Helpful

There is a surprising amount of customization for what I expected to be a difficult diplomatic game. But the presentation it showed me blew me away.

The narrator's voice is fantastic; it's not unpleasant or overpowering. She explains things succinctly but well enough that you understand what she is saying without becoming confused in a matter of seconds.

Hero Building

It's novel to me to build your own hero alongside your culture and your greatest skills and shortcomings. I'm used to games giving you the same defaults, with maybe a few factions to choose from that give you small benefits in certain fields, but it appears that you and everyone else have the freedom to choose any custom society and build it into your own civilization based on your desires.

30 Minute Intro Gameplay

Conclusion

Currently Palatable

While I haven't explored much in my first three hours of gameplay, I have learned how to consistently grow my economy while managing my forces and resources.

This is a very novel approach to the genre, which I can get behind fully.

The tutorials are simple to understand. Despite the fact that there is a lot to handle and juggle. Because of the underlying roleplaying part that is more fantasy than it is taking itself too seriously, I can see myself coming to this game on a frequent basis to understand it on a deeper level than most strategy games.

Because of the positive response the game has had on Steam, there have been some complications with the multiplayer feature, so I haven't bothered to make any progress there. However, if I want to challenge my lack of strategic ingenuity, I may do so in the future. I will probably not due to my distaste for defeat.

My initial thoughts on this game come to a close with the caveat that, while others may disagree, that is what makes gamers unique. You don't have to share their interests or agree with them and are welcome to critic me on mine.

If you want to catch me on one of my streams or locate me on social media, you may do so at the following locations, I'm always playing something new.

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- Pawkt

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