Age of Wonders

by Gathering of Developers

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002CF8Q
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: November 12, 1999
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,027 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Berry gathering and cave painting may best illustrate the real story of mankind's formative years, but making more room by slaughtering a few of the earth's previous inhabitants ensures a far better game in Age of Wonders. This addictive, turn-based strategy game can keep you immersed for hours in a Tolkeinesque, high-fantasy earth that just begs to be conquered.

Age of Wonders is not overly original in any aspect of its game play, offering a familiar interface and a proven formula that emphasizes a town-based resource-management system, mana-based magic, and unit-based combat, with the always satisfying end goal of conquering your enemies. Here, the resource-management system is somewhat more simplistic than others found in games of this genre, drawing almost all of its depth from town size and the acquisition of mines and farms. The combat portion of the game is easily grasped, if sometimes silly, and the magical model found here is of the "bolts from above" variety, straight out of Master of Magic, which allows you to personally influence individual battles or plague your opponents from across the globe.

At first glance, it would appear that Age of Wonders is nothing more than the classic Master of Magic's dim-witted younger brother. This unfavorable characterization is avoided by the enticing nature of the plot and a diversity of play options that allow gamers to play in up to 22 different scenarios, with 12 engaging races to choose from and a campaign feature that is more versatile than a choose-your-own-adventure novel. The campaign feature allows you to try and save humanity or destroy it, with many possible means to those two ends, and the scenarios range from very specific objectives to the classic crush-your-enemies free-for-all. There's nothing new here, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. You can definitely still get lost in this latest offering of a classic theme. --Joshua Coombs

Pros:

• Versatile campaign feature and numerous scenario options allow for great replayability
• Well designed for multiple players and Internet games
• Rich plot provides excellent backdrop and inspires play

Cons:

• Mediocre graphics
• Simplistic control of town economy
• Weak sound

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This game is wonderful. Really., November 19, 1999

By 

Jesse D. Watson (North Dakota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Age of Wonders (CD-ROM)

This game is going to be on my hard drive for a long, long time. The only thing it lacks is a random map generator, which I think will be added in a patch or an add-on later. If you're a turn-based strategy fan, this game is a must have. It blows Heroes of Might and Magic (an already superb series) out of the water with more detail, better combat, and just plain better everything (even better MUSIC, which was very hard to beat!).

If you don't love this game, you're not a gamer. (Either that or you're just a twitch gamer, which is allmost as bad. :-)

In all my years of PC gaming, this is my favorite turn-based game (tops Master of Magic and even X-COM! those two games held the "longest on hard drive" awards up until this one came along, and I know it will unseat them). It might actually be my favorite game of all time, bar-none, but that remains to be seen in the test of time.

Buy this.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific turn-based fantasy strategy game, May 4, 2000

By 

Andrew Limsk (Kuala Lumpur, MY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age of Wonders (CD-ROM)

This is the most recent turn-based fantasy strategy game and is arguably the best of them. The game includes two full campaigns (choose between good guys and baddies) and several single scenarios. You control one main hero with the option to recruit units and secondary heroes. Each race you control has 4 levels of units unique to each race. Heroes improve through experience in the campaign, gaining spells, higher stats and unique abilities. Units can also improve gaining better stats with experience. Heroes, units and magic items are carried forward to the next scenario subject to a points maximum. Unlike Heroes of Might and Magic, your heroes actually fight in battles (finally!). If you liked Master of Magic or the Heroes of Might and Magic series, you'll love this game.

The good parts: Multiple races (all controllable through capture even from opposite alignments). Simple intuitive interface. Deep strategic battles, where each unit has srong and weak points. Improveable heroes with spells, magic artifacts, and a large number of unique skills. Units and Heroes carry forward to the next scenario you get to select which ones. Superb replay value (many races to play, two branching campaigns, scenario editor included). Rock-solid stability (haven't had a crash since I installed it a month ago)

The bad parts: If you didn't have much of a life before, you'll have even less after you buy this game.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic fantasy war gaming at its best!, July 6, 2001

By 

Yoshitsune (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age of Wonders (CD-ROM)

I bought "Age of Wonders" when it first came out. The game, in my opinion, is the best computer fantasy war game that has ever been made. With the option of twelve different races and seven different spheres of magic, there is definitely plenty of diversity and replay value in this game. The spell effects are charming, and the musical score is beautiful. The single player campaign has a great story line, and the multi-player aspect of the single scenarios is well developed. Heroes are very customizable, and if you so choose, you can actually have a hero represent you on the playing field as well (though if you die, you lose). There is only one thing that I would change about the game and that is some of the unit icons; to be honest, the artwork on some of the icons is a little lacking like they were rushing to get this product out the gates. All in all, "Age of Wonders" is an awesome game, and I am definitely looking forward to "Age of Wonders 2".