The Age of Wonders franchise is famous for its combination of 4X strategy and turn-based combat in a fantasy setting. Other 4X games include Stellaris, Civilization, and the newest in the genre, Dune: Spice Wars. Age of Wonders 3 was critically acclaimed all around; reviewers praised it for its battle system and the design of the various different worlds, and it had solid sales numbers. So why fans had to wait this long for a sequel seems like a mystery.
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The shared announcement stream with Triumph Studios was released on Paradox’s YouTube and Twitch channels. After a very brief introduction by streamer and host cKnoor, the stream started with the trailer for Age of Wonders 4, which revealed the planned release date as May 2nd, 2023. Immediately after cKnoor had an in-depth discussion with Lennart Sas, Studio Director of Triumph, and Jordi Engel, Community Developer. Engel revealed that conceptualization for Age of Wonders 4 started around November 2019, not long after the release of Age of Wonders: Planetfall, which is the sci-fi version of the series. Sas highlighted the variety of customization options Age of Wonders 4 holds in store for fans, where as the ruler they’ll be able to create their own empire by mixing bodily forms, societal traits, and arcane powers.
Sas continued by explaining that even though players will be able to pick their preferred combination at the start of the game, they won’t be locked into their choice. Throughout Age of Wonders 4, players will be able to adapt the play style of their faction based on what kind of enemies they encounter or even based on the type of victory condition the player pursues. But beyond just discussing Age of Wonders 4, during the stream Triumph Studio showed actual gameplay as well where it demonstrated how highly customizable the game truly will be. Players will be able to customize the world the game takes place, and the ruler they’ll control, but of course, there will be premade options available as well for those who wish for a more straightforward experience.
Gamers who are fans of 4X games will hopefully rejoice at the announcement of Age of Wonders 4, especially considering how soon the game will release after the announcement. Paradox Interactive has had great success last year with the release of Victoria 3, and it’s entirely possible Age of Wonders 4 will continue the hot streak.
Age of Wonders 4 is expected to release on May 2nd, 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
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