Age of Wonders

Consider for a moment that the role-playing genre, turn-based strategy genre, and The Lord of the Ringsseries by Tolkien were thrown into a blender set on puree. What would come of this unusual recipe? The resulting amalgam would be Age of Wonders, and it would be (and is) superb. Why? Age of Wondersmanages to mix an absorbing plot (rare in the strategy genre), well-paced and entertaining gameplay, and almost limitless replay value into an admirable product that should be greatly considered by all fans of either the RPG or turn-based strategy genre.

Though Age of Wonders draws heavily on J.R.R. Tolkien’s work (there’s actually a goblin with a Ring of Invisibility in the game), the story is a breath of fresh air from other games that emulate The Lord of the Rings. A long time before the game began, the continent was ruled by the Elven Court, located in the Valley of Wonders, led by the magician-king Inioch. Peace reigned across the land and the races were happy. Happy, that is, until a new race known as “Humans” sailed to the continent. These newcomers apparently didn’t like the Elven Court, for they slaughtered all of the members, including Inioch, and made the Valley of Wonders their new home. The remaining elves were split into two factions, the Keepers, who wished only to live in peace with humanity, and the Cult of Storms, who wanted to ultimately annihilate humanity. The two Elven factions were led by half-siblings, both children of Inioch. When a new star appeared above the Valley of Wonders, both the Keepers and the Cult of Storms took it as a sign and began advancing upon the Valley. The campaign in Age of Wonders is centered around these Elves and Dark Elves. Upon beginning, the player must choose which side he or she will service. Aside from the great back-story, the developers inserted a little extra into the campaigns — branching missions. Thus, the player can directly control the flow of the story to his or her liking.