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Age of Wonders 4

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Age of Wonders 4
Developer(s)Triumph Studios
Publisher(s)Paradox Interactive
Director(s)Lennart Sas, Arno van Wingerden, Richard Burgess
Producer(s)Djurre van Dijk, Frederick Milders, Davey Grotendorst
Designer(s)Tom Bird
Writer(s)Jakob Matthes, Michelle Kusters
Composer(s)Michiel van den Bos
SeriesAge of Wonders
EngineCreator Engine
Platform(s)PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
ReleaseMay 2, 2023[1]
Genre(s)4X turn-based strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Age of Wonders 4 is a 2023 4X turn-based strategy video game developed by Triumph Studios and published by Paradox Interactive. It is the sixth game in the Age of Wonders series, following Age of Wonders: Planetfall.

Synopsis

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Plot

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At the end of Shadow Magic the warring Wizard Kings and Shadow Demons were banished from Athla.[2] Thus the Third Age of AoW III was a lower-magic era.[2] The Human Commonwealth's renaissance empire filled the power vacuum of the banished archmages.[2]

When wizards such as Yaka, Karissa, and Nimue left Athla in search of riches in the Shadow Realm, Merlin sealed their return path.[3] They became stuck in the void between realms.[3] The Torment of Shadows left them scarred and mentally warped.[3] They were corrupted for centuries in the Eldritch domains.[2] Yet some claimed new domains and followers in faraway realms.[3] The scheming Shadowborn helped the Wizard Kings escape their otherworldly prisons and return to Athla to establish themselves as gods over mortals.[2]

The Fourth Age heralds a new beginning where magical forces flow freely again.[2] The returning Wizard Kings first preyed on bountiful and harmonic realms to hone their skills. They are no longer limited to their original mortal form and can create vastly different followers. A new mortal ruler rises to protect the Fields of Rebirth from the invasion. The mortal champion is ascending to Godirhood on Athla and challenged by old Wizard Kings who reclaim the realms from which they were banished.[3] The mortal champion must prepare by mastering forbidden arts and rallying the population for an unparalleled confrontation in the universe.[2] The conflicts occur on Athla and other worlds within the Astral Sea.[2] Only by ascending to Godir can the mortal champion save the people from the dangers beyond the World Gates.[3] The fate of all Godir in the Astral Sea is threatened by an unfolding grand plot in Magehaven.[3]

Setting

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AoW 4 takes place on Athla and other worlds in the Astral Sea. Athla is one of the oldest worlds with great natural beauty and magical potency due to the convergence of Astral Flows. Through the ages, Athla had a pivotal role in the shaping of the cosmos with important battles of conquest and many Godir originate from this planet. The Elven Court of House Inioch was sacked by the first Athlan humans. In the Fourth Age, the Ascended Champion who joined the Pantheon of Godir at Magehaven, starts on the Valley of Wonders in the Blessed Continent on Athla. The Ascended Champion must build a new home for their tribe in the Valley of Wonders and overcome a clash with the returning Wizard Kings who seek power across the realms of the Astral Sea.

All worlds beyond Athla are connected through the vast ethereal ocean called the Astral Sea.[3] Some of these distant worlds are explorable by the mortal champions and claimable as their own.[3] The ascended Mortal Champions and Wizards become godlike Godir capable of traveling between the worlds and create followers.[3] The gathering of Godir on Magehaven became known as the Pantheon. Magehaven is a world in the Astral Sea where the Godir hold their forum of dispute and council.[3] An unbreakable spell protects all living creatures and souls in Magehaven.[3] Each Godir is part of the grand Pantheon of the Astral Sea.[3] The most important alliances are the lawful Covenant and the conniving Shad’rai.[3] The Covenant want to uphold ancient agreements of peace and stability. The chaotic Shad'rai believe no power should be hidden and invade worthy realms for domination. The Godir built magic portals called World Gates to allow near-instant access to new realms.[3]

Gameplay

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AoW 4 is a turn-based strategy game set within a high fantasy universe. The core 4X-based gameplay is similar to the prequels with a plethora of improvements, new systems and deep customization. There are 2 turn systems options: Classic Turns and Simultaneous Turns. Classic Turns mode; each player plays their turn in order. Simultaneous Turns; all players play their turns simultaneously. However, battles have the classic wait for your turn style.

Factions

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Each faction consists of a race and Ruler. There are 20 official factions or build a unique starting race defined by their physical form, culture, traits and magical tome.[2] There are over 10 physical forms ranging from Humans to Molekin and 36 traits. The player chooses the ruler's origin: Champion or Wizard King. A Champion is a mortal risen from the ranks of their people. A Wizard King seeks dominion over a new realm and can be a different race than the followers. There are new faction creation and evolution systems and an enhanced avatar character creator.[2] The player's faction embodies their traits.[2] Players can determine the research, build and evolution paths of their factions.[2]

Realms

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There are multiple official realms with distinct portal visions; The Fields of Rebirth, Valley of Wonders, The Crystalized Sands, Paradise Plains, The Infinite Forest, The Vacant Throne, The Husklands, The Frostbreeze Valleys. The Tiers indicate the difficulty level. The Valley of Wonders is the first story realm about the Rise of the Godir. The new realm creation options enable the player to customize and create new realms.[2] There are a variety of traits such as geography, climate, inhabitants, environmental effects, rule modifiers, free city and unit modifiers. However, there is no map editor to design the shape of continents or islands.

Narrative

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The new narrative engine adds encounters, diplomacy and events reactions to players.[2] There are also story missions and narrative events.[2] However, there is no linear story campaign with missions. The player can set Bounties which are optional quests with rewards for other Rulers.

Cities

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The city domain expands based on population growth.[2] Each province has optional improvements.[2] Cities have separate queues for structures and units.[2] Imperium is the resource for empire management.[2]

Combat

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The turn based combat has a new morale system, and clearly defined unit roles.[2] There are many new units and abilities.[2] The new siege system adds preparations and options for defenders.[2]

Tomes

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The game's tech tree is organized into groups called Tomes. There are over 50 tomes of magic with 6 affinities to the cosmic powers.[2]

Development and release

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AoW 4 was announced on January 19, 2023 for the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.[4] It's powered by an upgraded Creator Engine which was also used for all the previous titles of Triumph Studios.[5] Development took nearly 4 years.[2] The central theme of AoW 4 is creation.[5] AoW III's lower magic era has autumn hues, renaissance, and industrialization.[5] In contrast, AoW 4 has fresh spring hues, early medieval/fantasy, creation and high magic.[5] The art style has more fresh, green and blue tinted color palettes.[5] The game launched on May 2, 2023.[1]

Music

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Michiel van den Bos composed the nearly 2 hours long OST of AoW 4.[6] It consists of mostly completely new music material with a few nods to legacy AoW songs.[6] On May 15, 2023, a lo-fi soundtrack of AoW 4 composed and mixed by Van den Bos was released on YouTube.[7] It includes some classic AoW 1 and 3 songs.[7] Van den Bos made 6 additional songs for the Empires & Ashes expansion.[8]

Downloadable content

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Multiple DLC have been released for the game. Each one is optional and can be installed on the base game in any order.

Name Type Release Date Description
Dragon Dawn Content Pack 20 June 2023[9] First content pack.[10]
Empires & Ashes Expansion 7 November 2023[11] First expansion.[12]
Primal Fury Content Pack 27 February 2024[13] Second content pack.
Eldritch Realms Expansion 18 June 2024[14] Second expansion.
Ways of War Content Pack 5 November 2024 Third content pack.[15]
Giant Kings Expansion Q2 2025 Third expansion.[15]
Archon Prophecy Expansion Q3 2025 Fourth expansion.[15]

Expansions

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Empires & Ashes

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The first expansion of AoW 4 released on 7 Nov, 2023.[11] It added the Avian form, the militaristic Reaver culture, four tomes, the Seals of Power victory mechanic, two story missions, an ancient wonder and an infestation location, wildlife units and mounts, and six music tracks by Van den Bos.[11] The free Golem Update was released simultaneously for all players.[11] It features the Item Forge, and reworks for core systems such as form traits.[11]

Eldritch Realms

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The second expansion released on 18 June 2024.[14] It added new features: the Umbral Abyss map layer, the Eldritch Sovereign ruler type, three tomes (Tentacle, Corruption and Cleansing Flame), an event system with mini-crises, two forms (Insectoids and Syrons), two story realms, two mounts, three realm traits, three realm templates, five pre-made rulers, and six music tracks by Van den Bos.[14]

Content packs

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Dragon Dawn

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The Dragon Dawn content pack released on 30 June 2023.[9] This DLC added Dragon Lords, the Lizardfolk form, the Dragon Ruler godir origin, additional tomes, and the Ashen War realm.[9] The Wyvern Update was also released for all players.[9] It includes new traits, Cavalry and mounted units, and world map improvements.[9]

Primal Fury

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The Primal Fury content pack added the forms Lupine and Goatkin, the Primal culture, new tomes, the Stormwreathed Isles realm, four Achievements, four new mounts and more, on 27 February 2024.[13] The Wolf Update is free for all players and includes War Bounties, Hero Recruitment, a Necromancy overhaul, Pantheon Expansion and QoL improvements.[13]

Ways of War

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The Ways of War content pack released on 5 Nov 2024.[16] It features the Oathsworn Culture with warrior codes, intrigue events with betrayals and assassinations, 2 new forms (Simians, Ogrekin), 4 new tomes (Discipline, Shades, Calamity, and Prosperity).[16] Additionally there's new mounts, music, ancient creature lines, realm templates and an interface skin.[16]

Reception

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Critical reception

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Age of Wonders 4 received a "generally favorable" reception from video game publications on release (88% positive).[17] PCGamesN said: "This is undoubtedly the best 4X game I’ve played in years, delivering top-notch exploration, combat, and diplomacy alongside a rewarding and dynamic customisation system." Polygon said: "Age of Wonders 4 is good fun as a solidly entertaining amalgamation of familiar things I love."[26] PC Gamer called the game "A flavourful and inventive 4X".[20]

Sales

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The game sold 250,000 copies in less than a week by May 9, 2023.[27] There were 42,826 peak concurrent Steam players on May 1, 2023.[27]

Awards

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AoW 4 won the Best Game award at the Dutch Game Awards in 2023.[28] The judges said AoW 4 is an excellent continuation of the series, innovative within the strategy genre and combines old and new mechanics to create a masterpiece.[29] It was added to the Collection of Sound & Vision for preservation.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Age of Wonders 4 out now!". Paradox Interactive. May 2, 2023. Archived from the original on Dec 2, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Welcome to Age of Wonders 4's first Dev Diary!". Paradox Interactive. Jan 19, 2023. Archived from the original on Dec 7, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Age of Wonders 4 Dev Diary #3 - Narrative: Story and Lore". Paradox Interactive. February 2, 2023. Archived from the original on Oct 21, 2023.
  4. ^ Wheeler, CJ (19 January 2023). "Strategy sequel Age Of Wonders 4 hops out of a magic portal onto PC in May". Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Dev Diary #11: The Art of Age of Wonders 4". Paradox Forum. Mar 30, 2023. Archived from the original on Oct 21, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Dev Diary #12: Music - Creating the Age of Wonders 4 OST". Paradox Plaza. April 6, 2023. Archived from the original on Feb 26, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Age of Wonders 4 Official (channel) (May 15, 2023). "Age of Wonders 4 LoFi Fantasy - beats to Enchant Magical Realms With". YouTube. Archived from the original on Feb 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Michiel van den Bos (Dec 8, 2023). "AoW4 Empires and Ashes Official Soundtrack". YouTube. Paradox Interactive - Age of Wonders 4 Official. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Age of Wonders 4 - Dragon Dawn Content Pack is out now!". Paradox Interactive. June 20, 2023. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Wutz, Marco (20 June 2023). "Age of Wonders 4: Dragon Dawn – every new unit". videogames.si.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Empires & Ashes Expansion & Golem Update Out Now!". Paradox Interactive. November 7, 2023. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024.
  12. ^ Wutz, Marco (7 November 2023). "Age of Wonders 4: Empires & Ashes – all new units". videogames.si.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  13. ^ a b c "Primal Fury Content Pack and Wolf Update Out Now!". Paradox Interactive. Feb 27, 2024. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Eldritch Realms Expansion and Mystic Update Out Now!". Paradox Interactive. Jun 18, 2024. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Age of Wonders 4 - Expansion Pass 2". Paradox Interactive. 1 October 2024. Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  16. ^ a b c "Ways of War Content Pack and Tiger Update Out Now!". Paradox Interactive. 5 Nov 2024. Archived from the original on 24 Nov 2024. Retrieved 24 Nov 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Age of Wonders 4 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on Jan 17, 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  18. ^ Hafer, Leana (27 April 2023). "Age of Wonders 4 Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  19. ^ Boudreau, Ian (April 2023). "Age of Wonders 4 review – wizards of mass destruction". PCGamesN. Network N. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  20. ^ a b Brown, Fraser (April 2023). "Age of Wonders 4 review". PC Gamer. Future plc. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  21. ^ Broadwell, Josh (April 27, 2023). "Age of Wonders 4 review: Magical strategy". Shacknews. Shacknews LTD. Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  22. ^ Dawn, Artura (October 2024). "Age of Wonders 4 Review". GameGrin. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  23. ^ Vrolijk, Marco (October 2024). "Age of Wonders 4". Gamereactor. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  24. ^ Malcharek, Jakub (October 2024). "Age of Wonders 4 - Recenze Výborné Fantasy Tahovky". Games.cz. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  25. ^ Hauser, Reiner (October 2024). "Age of Wonders 4 Test: Civilization im Kopf, Fantasy-Strategie im Herzen". GameStar. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  26. ^ Ong, Alexis (27 April 2023). "Age of Wonders 4 lets you build high-fantasy civilizations — at a cost". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  27. ^ a b Lane, Rick (10 May 2023). "Age of Wonders 4 is the fastest-selling game in the series". PC Gamer. Future plc. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  28. ^ "Age of Wonders 4". Dutch Game Awards. Dutch Game Association. October 4, 2023. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024.
  29. ^ a b "And The Winners Of The Dutch Game Awards 2023 Are…". Dutch Game Association. October 4, 2023. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024.
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