Age of Wonder - PC Games

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 unfavourable characterisation 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