Wow. This game is remarkable. I've been a fan of the Age of Wonders series for quite some time and this incredible title has managed to both play homage to the classics and bring fresh life to the series. The greatest strength of AoW3 is the replayability. There are endless strategies of race/class combinations that keep you thinking about the game even when you aren't playing it. The random map generator is perfect and the art style and music really immerse you into the game world as well. I often set up "good vs evil" games where I play a Human Theocrat or a High Elf Archdruid, setting myself up against and evil warlord/necromancer/or rogue. Because of the aforementioned art style and music, I always feel immersed and often create my own stories as the game progresses. AoW3 really encourages this type of imagination. I feel like I'm playing an early 90's rpg, where I create stories in my head to make up for the game not being able to display it graphically. Which always ended up being a more memorable gaming experience. AoW3 has no graphical limitations, but because it is so well crafted I often feel like I did back then. Phenomenal. Lastly I will touch a bit on the actual gameplay. The combat, as I'm sure you've read by this point, is the strongest gameplay element of AoW3. It is deep and strategic, yet is is simple enough to grasp right away (easy to learn, hard to master). Perfect combination there. While detailed empire building is indeed not the major focus of the game, I still feel it is better than many give it credit for. Planning your expansion cities to make sure you get specific resources that enhance your armies is critical and extremely fun. Plan expansion accordingly! As a tip, most people don't think to play with neutral AI cities and dwellings off. If you do this, you and you alone are responsible for expanding properly and before your opponent. Great fun and adds even more depth. Buy the game people. Full price + expansions. Well worth it.
