There was nothing in the way of Age of Wonders III maintaining the quality level of its predecessors. But that did not happen and instead of another solid title we got a game that will make every armchair strategist cry... tears of joy. [05/2014, p.52]

This is a deep experience backed by intricate mechanics and a concerted polish that makes gameplay immediately intuitive and rewarding. Age of Wonders 3 will keep you up until the wee hours of the morning, constantly muttering that you'll crawl into bed after just one more turn.

Age of wonders 3 perfectly simulates that one-more-click feeling. As an action packed turn based RPG it easily keeps you on the edge of your seat. This sensation is strengthened by a beautiful fantasy world and enormous battles. We’ve been struck with a case of national pride.

Age of Wonders III is a must for anyone that will enjoy spending a lot of their time controlling the fights rather than just clicking auto-resolve.

Once you have maybe 10 hours of gameplay under your belt, you will start to appreciate the subtle changes that the upgradable heroes and combat mechanics bring, and thus the equally subtle innovations that Triumph Studios has made throughout the game.

Age of Wonders 3 gives you challenging 4X strategy within a charming fantasy setting with one of the best enemy AIs I’ve seen in years.

Whether playing a campaign against the computer or taking on eight other players in a random map, it bears the hallmark only a few empire building games have--the addiction to take "just one more turn".

Age of Wonders III is old-school turn based gaming at it finest. [Apr 2014]

Age of Wonders III is quite possibly the best 4X that has arrived on our computers so far this year. The game is vast in options and features endless hours of entertainment. The work of Triumph Studios is a perfect example of the right way to successfully retrieve a license. A must for fans of the Age of Wonders title, although it cannot go unnoticed by those who enjoy turn-based strategy games. We will be stuck to our computers for some time.

Since I never played the earlier games, I can’t make the call as to whether or not this game was worth waiting 11 years for. Saying that, I’ve been waiting since I saw the game at GamesCom last year to get my hands on it, and it was definitely worth it.

Age of Wonders III offers a very good option for turn-base strategy fans, continuing successfully the legacy of the series. It offers many hours of play, especially if you want to taste every bit of detail. Some further improvements which would force the player to ponder of his strategy before acting are needed. Nonetheless, Age of Wonders III is an amazing game that will always keep you thinking "one more turn".

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic in particular has long been a cult classic, and Age of Wonders III certainly doesn't let it down. It could use a couple patches to adjust balance and minor things such as occasional lag on the strategy view, but the core game is an immediately engaging mix of strategy and tactics.

Age of Wonders 3 is everything fans of the series wished it to be: a deep and complex turn-based strategy game with lots to discover, a true PC Game with beautiful graphics. Although its campaigns lack a certain something and the economic part of its gameplay never reaches the excellence of Civilization 5, Age of Wonders 3 is still a challenging game you don’t have to regret sinking many, many hours into.

It may be overwhelming for beginners, but it offers months of fun for veterans of the genre. It doesn't change a lot compared to the first installments, but why change good things that work?

Age of Wonders III turned out to be a very accessible game that is filled with tons of content. Its beautiful fantasy world will keep you busy for hours.

Triumph Software is a skilled bunch of people that have created a really good strategy game. You could have some reservations about the graphics, very minimal portrayal of different castles or not strong enough focus on diplomacy, but none of these issues spoils the fun. Age of Wonders III is a well made, extremely playable game.

These clashes are the most tense and exhausting part of Age of Wonders 3, but also the most engrossing.

Age of Wonders III is a good comeback that only needs to be balanced to become perfect.

It's not the new king of the hill for turn-based strategy genre, but certainly a deep and pleasant game for anyone looking for a tactical challenge. Especially if you've played the previous games, you will definitely enjoy this one too.

Addictive, beautiful and often challenging. This is Age of Wonders as we know and love.

All that long waiting was worth it. Age of Wonders III is not only a game about magic but it's a magical one at the very same time. Fight, invent, conjure, and enjoy its endless gaming possibilities. Just... we would like to forget its lazy game engine along with flaws in its game interface.

Age of Wonders 3 is an authentic Age of Wonders title. A deep, complex and beautiful turn-based strategy game for PC.

Age of Wonders comes back on PC after years of silence with a well-crafted game that's too old in its gameplay or aim to bigger scores.

So while Age Of Wonders III doesn’t really offer much that you can’t get elsewhere from the 4X genre, it feels fresh and distinctive enough – it has been over a decade since the last Age Of Wonders, after all – that strategy fans will have something to get their teeth into all the same. Hopefully next time won’t be quite so far away, and a little more consideration for the city management screen wouldn’t go amiss.

If you enjoyed the previous Age of Wonders games and you had any reservations about this game, then rest easy – it is a very good one.

Despite my nitpicks with combat and balance, Age of Wonders 3 is a solid title.

It’s the best that Age of Wonders has ever been.

Just like any other decent 4X game, Age of Wonders 3 truly shines when you play on random maps, rather than scenarios. They are much more fun to explore, and the whole diplomacy mechanic suddenly makes sense.

Age of Wonders III's wealth of unit types and leader abilities leads to some engaging battles. I just wish as much thought was required for its strategic empire-building sections. If you can put up with the toil of running an empire, you are treated to some compelling and rewarding combat. Unfortunately, you have to do both, because you can't play only half a game.

Age of Wonders III is a bona fide old-school 4X. And it's also pretty good at it, even if sometimes falls in the trap of tedious, unbalanced micromanagement.

I have no doubt that the strength of the tactical combat will help find a strong niche, but for me, that just makes the relative weakness of the strategic side of gameplay all the more disappointing.

Age of Wonders 3 knows the ropes, so much is clear. But as soon as you get a grip on the clever AI, you'll notice this game might be looking in Civilization's direction – much too often for me to believe that's not what it wants to be – but it never really reaches those heights.

Despite some familiar trappings and a shortage of genuine wonders, Age of Wonders 3 delivers a more tightly focused experience than Firaxis' behemoth Civilization series, to which it initially appears to owe so much. In doing so, it proves that even after a decade away the Age of Wonders series can still stand proud beside its modern-day contemporaries.

But the more you play, the more you try different game types, the more you experiment with different races and paths along the skill tree, the more you develop favorite combos and hated opponents, the more crushingly disappointing it is that it doesn’t know how to end. A game this good deserves a good finale. It deserves anything other than the long tedious slog to finish a game that was over 100 turns ago.

A complex, albeit a little confusing strategy game. If you have the time and enthusiasm to pour into it, you will be rewarded. [Issue#241]