Age of Wonders is one of the long standing stars on the game scene. Although the latest addition comes after prolonged hibernation and fantasy environment exchanged for space science fiction, where the battle for planets. The Age of Miracles does not resonate as much as Might & Magic Heroes and stands a bit in the shade. But supporters of turn-based strategies know that there is nothing behind the saga of heroes that has been inspired to a certain extent by this series and has its own distinctive features. This was confirmed by a futuristic novelty.
Again, the game is a mix of different styles, dominated by management and progress on the map as in the simplified version of Civilization. This means you are expanding your headquarters, which opens up new possibilities, units and technologies with new levels. At the same time you conquer and colonize surrounding sectors and confront other factions. Fantasy battles tending to Heroes, however, transformed and approached tactical battles in the way Xcomu. Overall, it works together and works well.
Veterans of turn-based strategies will be familiar with the basics, as they are commonly found in this genre. But there are specific features and options that make the game a little different from the competition and make it more complex. At first glance, it may be more complicated, but you will quickly find that the individual processes are far from being as complicated as they initially appear. For example, you can get new sectors under control in several ways. Traditionally it is a colonization unit, but for example you can also use combat units. You place them on the designated point and build a forward base or choose annexation to create a province associated with a full-fledged colony.
Individual sectors have different conditions and are more or less suitable for certain activities, which you will further support by building appropriate buildings. You focus on accumulating energy that is used for most purchases, food production, generating research or production points. It is necessary to pay attention to the satisfaction of the population and the growth of the population, to increase their influence, knowledge, to build relations with neighbors through the diplomatic window. There are quite a wide range of possibilities, from a non-aggressive pact, trade agreement and opening borders to an alliance or declaration of war optimally with Casus Belli, justifying this step. For NPC factions that you have a good relationship with, for example, by performing optional tasks, you can purchase technologies or units that can be used immediately.
We must not forget about research that takes place simultaneously in two directions - the military and social sectors. Through them you unlock new buildings, technology, units, equipment for the army, upgrades, as well as doctrines and operations that can be used and activated both in the map and in combat.
In the field, there are neutral units, mostly local creatures, friendly and enemy factions, and often marked locations of tasks that bring the player closer to victory. Some are explicitly necessary to complete a selected part of the campaign that is always represented by a planet. As mentioned earlier, other tasks are optional, but performing them will improve (sometimes worsen) relationships with other factions or gain extra units, resources and experience. Important goals include the destruction of major rivals or peace. In addition, you need to contact and protect certain characters while they do something important, explore a site or object, or send some resources to protect the colony at risk. Initially, this is enough for the procedure, but it repeats with minimal changes on every planet, but at least you can try it with a different race. Anyway, the first planets in the campaign will entertain, the others no longer offer anything new and the process will become monotonous.
You can try separate scenarios and especially online multiplayer, where it is more dramatic due to the deviousness of other players who can get up to twelve on one planet. In each mode there is the possibility of adjusting your commander, where the most important are his perks, which you have a certain number of points. Usually, race and secret technology are also available.
You are moving armies across the sector map that normally make up a maximum of six units. These can be troops of troops, various land vehicles and combat machines, soon air forces, and will also fight on the water. At the head of standard units are well removed commanders or heroes. The difference is that the commanders will automatically revive after a possible death in the fight for several rounds, but you may lose the heroes forever. Otherwise, they have similar development and abilities. This means that you can change their primary and secondary weapons, gaining experience, levels and points for which you choose permanent improvements. This increases the character's value of life, improves the accuracy of the hit, the amount of damage with certain weapons, adds various bonuses, and improves their command skills when they are at the forefront of armies. In addition, you can add modifications to commanders and heroes in three handy slots, and it can be, for example, special ammunition, medicine, or other support accessories.
To a lesser extent, however, the standard units are also improved, which are also increasing in level and have room for three modifications. When you add new accessories, you create templates that then appear in the product range. New units can now be produced with the default modifications.
The fight occurs when two or more opposing armies meet. Here works a similar principle as in Total War. So if there are more armies close to each other in the field, or even defenders of the city, all will participate in the fight. Theoretically, the battlefield can appear up to 42 military units, which then proceed individually in turn mode. You control the fight manually, but if you have a visible superiority, you can use automatic result generation. Occasionally there is a possibility to negotiate and sometimes an enemy unit also joins you.
You watch the battle terrain from above with the option to change the camera angle and zoom in on everything. Units are in the form of individuals or groups, and each round has three action points to use for movement, shooting or other activity. So, for example, using a supplement, healing, throwing a grenade, a special attack. Covering behind objects brings a protection bonus, but objects can be destroyed. Useful components include the patrol overwatch mode, so the unit waits and attacks when the advancing enemy appears in its field of view. Sometimes the course of a battle can reverse operations. They can be used after the first round and are various defensive or offensive means that you apply in the field to your own or enemy forces. For example, a bomb, a shield, cleansing from poisons or burns and the like.
The look of the game is pleasant. The global map, where construction takes place and progress through the country, is sufficiently clear and also resembles Civilization. The battlefields are full of objects and diminutive units, sometimes overcrowded and a little less transparent, but since battles take place in turn mode, you have time to orientate. It is conveniently controlled with the mouse. Sounds are solid, partial dubbing at the level and music well fitting to the sci-fi environment.
Age of Wonders: Planetfall has replaced the fantasy environment with futuristic space blasts, but the series didn't hurt. On the contrary, it showed it in a slightly different light and confirmed that its principles work well with certain modifications and apply to extraterrestrials, space infantry and combat machines. Clearly one of the best turn-based strategies today will appeal to many fans. It has style, is complex enough, but not too complicated (which some may perceive as a negative), skillfully combines management with tactical struggles and, above all, entertains. Although the similar conquest of the planets in the campaign after the first successes thunders.
