Description Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic takes the acclaimed fantasy strategy series to new heights; enhancing the series' praised fusion of empire building, role-playing and tactical combat.
The reigning Order of Wizards drew upon the forces of creation for their own needs, until their wars awoke a great evil that devastated them. The remaining mages became despised and hunted, blamed for the darkness that crept across the lands. Their towers fell one by one, as the Emperor Phobius rose to power under banner of the abolition of magic. The wrath of the Empire then turned to the ancient races that share the wizards? magical nature. The drums of war can be heard again, while the shadow grows ever larger.
Summary: Well, I wanted Warlords, and I wanted to get Heroes of Might and Magic III, but fortunately for me, I found AoW:SM first. My search for the others has ceased. It’s stopped due to the impressive reviews this game has received, and my personal opinion of it. Essentially what the first AoW game was lacking, has been nicely rectified in this, the third incarnation of the game.
What essentially boils down to a Fantasy turn-based strategy game, with Heroes and Magicians ruling the fields of combat, goading the forces of Orcs and Goblins, Elves and Halflings, Demons and Undead towards the end goal of utter domination, the amount of depth, balance, and strategy required is staggering. A serious overhaul of the graphics engine, unit tweaking, and tactical combat combines to make for some serious, Fantasy turn-based campaigns, that will stretch far into the night, and leave you wondering about the next turn while you’re away from your computer.
To top it all off, is the MUCH needed, and touted, Random Map Generator. I jumped into this option the moment I cracked the case, and installed the game. The included 16 scenarios in the Campaign, as well as the 19 stand alone scenarios, intrigue me, yet it’s the random map generator that will increase this games’ longevity and replayability for me… much more than the simple graphic and combat tweaks. Why? Well, I think simply because the first game (AoW) was so well done, and I know of what to expect of the scenarios in this game.
Everything that made AoW great is back, with Heroes that can be “levelled” ala AD&D, and a powerful wizard avatar that represents you on the battlefield, which in turn becomes more and more powerful, make succeeding that much more important, and worthwhile, since powerful units, artefacts and resources can be carried across to other scenarios within an episode. Units clashing on the field of battle can be fought in either quick battle mode, or turn-based tactical mode, offering a flexible variety to veteran grognards, and newbies, alike.
Hmm, a simple expansion you may be thinking? Ah no… It’s so much more than this, since the 3 new races, added to the existing 12, and the new spells and unit skills offer more on top of the original, and top even the second game in the series, AoW: The Wizard’s Throne. AoW:TWT is the true overhaul of the original, but not NEARLY as finely tweaked as this, nor with as many options. For new-comers, skip AoW with it’s tiny combat units, and questionable AI, AoW:TWT for it’s lack of a Random Map Generator, and buy AoW:SM straight-out (it’s a stand-alone game, not an expansion), then go back and buy the previous games for the extra Campaigns and scenarios, if you ever feel the need. The included Map Editor though, should keep most people very entertained and happy with this one purchase for a long time to come.
Summary: This needed at least another few months work before being released, in its current state its a dire bug ridden piece of junk.
FIX THESE BUGS!!! Only then this game would be worthy of a much higher score, for all wouldbe people who are interesting in buying this game definately wait a few months before buying so that all the critical bugs have been fixed, expect a big download though...
Summary: I totally agree with Scott Crandalls post, this game has massive bugs, it took me several patches to fix the TC in multiplayer mode then finally managed to fix that, I found another bug unfortuntely a more critical bug this time in the form of saved games in multiplayer don't work at all so if you play a lan game and save it, then want to go back to it, the game opens it in single player mode, not LAN mode so no one can even see the game, less than join it making multiplayer totally pointless unless you want to play a small map.
I truelly hope this is fixed as its ruining what could be one of the best rpg/rts games ever.
Summary: This is the AoW that I have been waiting for!! A random map generator??? LIFE IS GOOD!! A couple of new races??? LIFE IS GREAT!! New Units and Spells??? LIFE IS GRAND!!!
Rating Reviewed by: Michael Chuaungo(Unregistered User)
Review Date August 5, 2003
Overall Rating 5 of 5
Visitors rate this review 4.00 of 5,
1 votes
Review NaN of 11
, from India
Summary: The storyline involves Merlin and rescuing him from the land of Shadow. He's trapped there and has sent an ethereal being to help you gain power, the confidence of the people, and stop the Phobian Empire from eradicating magic. The Shadow World is encroaching at the same time, and a magic-less world will soon fall against such an enemy.
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