Age of Wonders III is a fantasy strategy game that becomes genuinely enjoyable once you learn its systems. While the combat is fantastic, the overall experience can feel slightly shallow at times compared to other strategy games, especially when it comes to victory conditions.
I played several games, mostly focused on random maps. I found the scripted scenarios tedious, with the slightest misstep often leading straight to the game over screen. Victory conditions felt limited to wiping out the enemy, and that seemed to be about it. I attempted to learn the game without guides or online research and did not encounter alternative paths to victory. Strategy games benefit from multiple win conditions, as seen in titles like Endless Legend or Civilization V, where military dominance is only one option among several.
In many scenarios, your main hero cannot die without triggering an immediate loss. For me, this defeated the purpose of even having hero units. Instead of leading from the front, I felt forced to keep them back defending cities. Random maps handle this more gracefully. Heroes respawn at the throne city after several turns if defeated. You only lose if your hero dies and your throne city is captured.
Cities without defending armies are instantly taken over, which means you are strongly encouraged to station a full six unit army in each settlement. If gold is tight, this makes it difficult to build a large offensive force. Fortunately, as cities develop and buildings are completed, shifting toward gold production becomes easier and army maintenance more manageable.
Combat That Truly Shines
Combat is where Age of Wonders III excels. Battles are tactical, varied, and visually satisfying. I encountered a wide range of battle maps, with city sieges standing out as a particular highlight. Breaching walls, battering down gates, or sabotaging fortifications with specialized units adds genuine strategic depth.
Trebuchets are designed specifically for destroying walls and gates, while other units can undermine defenses. Invading a city with multiple armies feels epic and rewarding. That said, time constraints sometimes led me to skip battles. The game provides a projected outcome screen before combat, and when the odds look favorable, it can be tempting to auto resolve.
The variety and spectacle of combat consistently pulled me back in, even when other systems felt repetitive.
Eternal Lords Expansion
The Eternal Lords expansion introduces a new class, two new races, additional leader specializations, and cosmic happenings that alter the world in small but noticeable ways.
The two new races are enjoyable, though they lack immediately distinctive traits. Many starting units feel similar across factions. Differences become more pronounced later in the game as you unlock advanced units and research powerful spells. I particularly enjoyed a rogue style unit that could attack once per battle without retaliation. Dragons that fly across the battlefield are equally entertaining, and summoning Horned Gods that devastate enemy lines never gets old.
Despite the additions, classes themselves tend to blend together. Your main hero’s abilities differ depending on class, but once you recruit multiple heroes, their skill trees begin to overlap. You can research different spells and unlock certain units depending on your class, yet in practice I did not find one class dramatically more compelling than another beyond specific unit preferences.
Cosmic happenings add variety but feel like minor tweaks rather than transformative mechanics. Treasure sites are rewarding, though some contain extremely powerful neutral armies. At times, clearing them can feel like sending waves of expendable units to chip away at overpowered defenders until you can safely finish the job.
Final Summary
Age of Wonders III and the Eternal Lords expansion are fun and consistently draw me back, even after frustrating losses. The tactical combat is excellent and remains the strongest part of the experience. However, limited victory conditions, blending class identities, and occasionally punishing scenario design prevent it from reaching true greatness.
It may not click immediately, but once it does, it becomes hard to put down. For players who enjoy tactical fantasy warfare and are willing to learn its systems, Age of Wonders III Eternal Lords is well worth the time.
How to Play Today
- Original Hardware: Originally released for Windows PC in 2014. Any modest modern Windows system can run it comfortably.
- Modern Re-releases: The Eternal Lords expansion is included in the Premium Edition, which bundles all major DLC.
- PC Availability: Available digitally on storefronts such as Steam and GOG, often discounted during seasonal sales.
- Other Options: Plays well on modern systems without special configuration. No official console version was released.
Editor’s Note: This review has been updated for clarity, score conversion consistency, and modern availability information while preserving the original tone and opinion of the author.