

It quickly takes a backseat to the story you build, though, and that story is a major highlight in Age of Wonders 4. It’s a standard fantasy setup, and the beginning is so rife with enough Proper Nouns and exotic-sounding names that it’ll either inject your brain with glee or feel completely overwhelming.

In the world of Age of Wonders 4, a gaggle of ancient, evil wizards breaks free from their prison in the sea and promises to wreak havoc on the world. It’s a stronger experience than Age of Wonders 3 in almost every way and is easily one of the best in the genre. The grand strategy game gives you an almost overwhelming set of options to create a deep, fascinating story around a set of interesting heroes while gradually expanding your influence around the world. Fairy tales tell a fixed story with a moral lesson at their heart, but in Age of Wonders 4, Triumph Studios and Paradox let you make your own fantasy tale of intrigue and war – often with no moral at all, depending on how you play.
