Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic

**screwtype** · 05-18-2005, 07:32

It's not that new anymore, I bought it on budget some time ago and it sat on my shelf virtually untouched until the last couple of weeks when I finally dusted it off to have a look, and I'm quite enjoying it.

It's quite a bit tougher than AOWII (playing on the hardest difficulty level), I'm only into the fourth scenario and I've already lost it once, making my second attempt now but I think I might be about to lose again - and this scenario is only rated as "average" difficulty. It's a real change to play a PC game that is actually hard to beat for once!

There are new units in the game, and also many units from the older game have been "tweaked" in their values a bit to better balance things. For example, I never built ballistas or other machines in the earlier game, in this game they have more hitpoints and movement points and are more powerful. I still rarely build them but now they are harder to beat when you face them in combat. Catapults are quite a bit more useful now with their fireball ammo. Other units are more powerful too, like the dwarven engineer who really sucked but now he comes with a pistol and is actually a better unit than the human pirate because the engineer has a better pistol, more movement points and can still repair machines.

There are a couple of minor disappointments, for some reason they seem to have weakened the ranged attacks of the heroes, so that they are even weaker than standard ranged units, at least that's how it's been with my first hero. I'm also still a bit disappointed that you lose your heroes after just three scenarios - just about the time they reach their maximum potential. It would be nice if you could keep them for a fourth scenario so you could actually make full use of all their abilities.

All in all though I've having fun with this game, it's got that "just one more turn" factor and the greater challenge is very welcome in an era when games seem to be getting much too easy.

**Maximus_Praetorian** · 05-19-2005, 17:45

is this any similar to the age of mythology, or empires games? also is this an add-on? i love rts games. and first person shooters.

**screwtype** · 05-20-2005, 18:25

No, it's not. It's quite different. It's a turn based strategy game, you move army stacks of up to 8 units around on a campaign map and when you do battle with an enemy army you are taken to a battle screen where you move and attack each unit individually, again on a turn by turn basis.

It isn't 3D but the graphics are pretty and there's quite a bit of character to the game structure and the individual units. I must say that after a couple of quite tough scenarios the one I'm playing right now has been much too easy, or maybe I'm just getting better at it. So I'm not sure how the game will eventually play out.

However I did play the previous game, Age of Wonders II, right through to the end which is a rarity for me in games. And I did that even though the challenge wasn't that great. Somehow the game manages to keep me interested turn after turn, not sure why really, I think it's partly because it's pretty and well done and partly because there is always some short term goal you always think you're just a few moves from completing, LOL.

You can probably download a demo of either it or the previous game AoWII somewhere, have a look at one of those and see if it appeals.

Oh and in answer to your other question, Shadow Magic is not an expansion, it's a standalone game.

**Duke Malcolm** · 05-20-2005, 18:26

This is a damned addictive game. Me and my friend (he has the game, not me) play this for hours at night.

**screwtype** · 05-20-2005, 18:32

Yeah, it can really keep you up at night. I've had plenty of late, late sessions that started out with me thinking I'm only half a dozen turns from wrapping up the scenario, LOL.

**Dorkus** · 05-21-2005, 16:27

Really really great game. Suggest it for anyone who has even a mild interest in turn based strategy (or just strategy) games.

**econ21** · 05-21-2005, 20:38

Thanks for reminding me of this title. I've always been interested in it and my son loves the original Age of Wonders (although I am too much of a graphics whore to play it). You people prompted me to track it down on the internet and order a copy.

Of course, if it sucks, I'll have to sue you all.

**Leet Eriksson** · 05-21-2005, 23:48

Single player is rather fun btw, i finished it.

Big games last a long while btw, some of them go for a slong as 3700 turns per game, but it has a ton of variety and races so its pretty fun.

**screwtype** · 05-22-2005, 16:57

I take it by "big games" you mean multiplayer? I haven't tried MP but yes, I imagine it must be pretty hard to finish off human opponents in this game!

I bet heroes don't last too long in human v human encounters either :)

In single player mode I can usually finish off a scenario in well under 200 turns, but the last scenario was far too easy, only took me 30 turns to beat, I hope the rest of them prove to be a bit tougher than that!