For some reason this game and indeed this series had passed me by. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that "Age of Wonders" is, in gameplay terms, a highly-playable mixture of aspects of "Master of Magic" and the "Heroes of Might and Magic" series which nonetheless has its own feel - not least the isometric graphics which still look beautiful - and features. Well worth buying if either MoM or HoMaM floated your boat.
Although Bullfrog expanded on the ideas in the Populous series with Black & White they did so at the expense of fast-paced, intuitive gameplay. Whilst the Populous titles are usually classed as strategy they are also in many ways action games and nimble clicking is required as much as selecting the correct spells or heroes to see-off the enemy. The "land-flattening" aspect is often criticised and it's true that it can be repetitive but it's still quite satisfying and hardly the only aspect of a game which steadily opens-up to you as you proceed through its many levels. Populous II isn't perfect but it's a bona fide classic and well worth discovering or re-discovering.
