Following more than a year on from Take 2s last instalment of the respected Age of Wonders series, Shadow Magic, a stand alone game of even greater proportions, is ready to be unleashed upon on eager population of PC gamers.
Complete with a brand new tale of 'good versus evil versus a greater evil', Shadow Magic pits players as a ruler of a race with God-like powers as they strive to keep the balance in yet another world on the brink of chaos. A new empire has launched an aggressive assault on the ancient races and all things magic. But an even greater evil filled with hellish demons and misery is breeding in its shadows. Do you have what it takes to overthrow these demonic forces and reign as the supreme ruler of an enchanted land? Only hours of gameplay will tell
A new game with a good variety of new additions and improvements, heres what you can expect from the third in the series. There is a new campaign with 16 scenarios, 15 races (including three new ones), dozens of new spells and hero abilities, new landscapes, enhanced computer players and AI, a revamped interface, new editing options, a random scenario generator and multi-player games over LAN or Internet. Thats a lot of new stuff, were sure youll agree.
But at a fundamental level, gameplay remains nearly identical to its predecessors. Shadow Magic is a careful blend of empire building, role-playing and tactical combat. Kind of like Baldurs Gate meets Age of Empires. Very nice. Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is a nice looking title, with solid gameplay and plenty to do. You cant ask for more than that.