Arcane Sorcery
This game feels like a cross between Master of Magic and Medieval Total War (the first one that is). Gameplay wise, it feels like Master of Magic with the magic spells, and the isometric battle system, but the campaign maps feel more like the original Medieval Total War. As one of the other reviews described, it has an early 90’s feel to the graphics (and for once that phrase does not mean ‘pixel art’, which is a rarity). The 4x nature of the game is more 4x-lite, specifically with lite aspects on the diplomacy and exploring aspects of 4x. There’s three different maps, but it would be nice if there was random map generation, though that would probably require a different map style I think. It has flaws, but it’s an inexpensive game as well.
– Real player with 32.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best 4X Grand Strategy Games.
A game that strongly resembles strategy games of yesteryear, that actually does not pretend to be anything else. Its pretty straight forward, without much tactical depth or need for strategic thinking. Still its an enjoyable game, even if only for a couple of runs, its still worth playing. If you are a hardcore 4x or strategy player, I would strongly suggest you stay clear, for you will be disappointed as the game lacks in both areas. Its perfect for the casual strategist, looking for a fun run.
– Real player with 26.7 hrs in game
Driftland: The Magic Revival
Yet another ‘neutral’ rating. I’ve leaned on the positive side as a heads up for the developer, but see below.
Driftland is a nice original RTS with quite novel mechanics. It shows a lot of promise, yet often fails to deliver.
Let’s start with the good sides.
First, the active pause system works like charm. Basically, you can start any action while on pause, it drastically decreases the usual for RTSes time pressure.
The island positioning subsystem is probably the most important feature in the game, and it works, too. Forging an empire from fragments is fun, requires planning, and so on. There is a room for improvement (no flexible joints, no island rotating, no group movement…), but it is already good, and you might want to play the game for it alone.
– Real player with 131.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best 4X Strategy Games.
An interesting adaptation of Majesty but lackluster campaign
If you’ve played Majesty, this is basically that except:
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The game world is made up of islands that you can move around and build bridges between.
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There are flying mounts that your units can combine with to make them stronger and let them traverse freely.
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There are more resources and most are all can be gathered through mines that you build after discovering the resources with a unit from your castle.
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There is a skill tree that unlocks a goodly array of economic, magic, military, and utility perks.
– Real player with 51.9 hrs in game
Gênese
Welcome to your Universe!
Gênese allows you to enter a meditative and relaxing experience of sculpting your own Universe, exploring physics in space and your creativity. Here you can create star systems and fully detailed planets, from a tiny molecule to an huge orb floating in the great void. You will be the powerful entity ruling this Universe, bending and manipulating the forces of nature and creating life. Rising from cosmic dust, this very life will go forward on its own crusade, evolving into intelligent life and conquering the arena you built, as you watch and care (or destroy) its progress, in a high detailed environment.
BE THE COSMIC STORY WRITER
Gênese is also a story generator where every action, every event, every birth and death is recorded in the fabric of space and time. Planets formed from asteroids and cosmic dust, stars dying in colossal supernovae - or becoming black holes, the rise of galactic civilizations from its rudimentary ancestors and, fatefully, to their extermination caused by themselves, by others or… by you.
WITNESS THE POWER OF GRAVITY
Every object wandering in the system will obey the laws of gravitation, effectively being attracted to one another at some point where they collide, merge, become satellites, explode, desintegrate: Watch powerful planetary collisions and the chaotic environment of the early stages of a stellar system that will create unique celestial bodies orbiting that system. Bring order and stabilize it to allow the appearing of life or consume every planet and molecule.
CHEMISTRY IS IMPERATIVE
Every particle can be combined, to form new molecules with new properties - adding unique features to its host planet. Elements and molecules will melt, solidify or evaporate given the right temperature and circunstances. You can engineer a lush paradisiac world or a toxic burning-hot planet. Creating the perfect environment for life to thrive or the most inhospitable place depends on that right combination.
FOLLOW YOUR CO-CREATORS
Once you create life and it becomes intelligent, a new level of complexity and fun is added to the game: they will evolve, create, explore, colonize and get to know those places you already know - and created. These beings you raised will become “co-creators” of some level, changing the landscape for good or evil purposes, advancing independently through the Eons, bringing on their own culture and technology. Watch over them or destroy them - if you decide there’s a reason for that.
Read More: Best 4X Strategy Games.
Dominions 5 - Warriors of the Faith
I bought Dom 5 just yesterday and started 2 games, 1 random map game and 1 game on the cradle map, which is still one of the best maps in the game( you can download it from the map subforum).
I consider myself a veteran dominions player, having played a lot of single player and multiplayer in Dom 2 and Dom 3 very succesfully.
Dom4 I never played in MP but I did play some really long lasting SP games on the glory of gods map using Mods to strengthen the AI at the highest difficulty setting.
I think dom5 is definitely worth the money, it feels much better polished than Dom4 and also better balanced …which is a pretty big achievement from the devs considering this game is only out for some days now.
– Real player with 3199.4 hrs in game
I’ve had quite mixed reactions to this game but it may definitely be appealing to some people.
Pros
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Very varied and different factions that aren’t cookie-cutter copies of each other, there is a lot of mythical lore. Exploring different options will take quite a lot of time.
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Multitude of viable and strong strategic options, battles can be decided by huge buffed armies / massive magical evocations/superheroes geared with magic items/ reanimating huge swaths of undead/ …
For a fantasy-themed 4x there truly are a lot of things to do.
– Real player with 336.1 hrs in game
Nikhil Murthy’s Syphilisation
I like the use of a strategy game as a complex social metaphor that this presents. Even though I couldn’t complete any game of it due to crashes, trying to fathom the mind of the author was worth the price of admission.
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
Deity Empires
Short description:
DE is the most faithful (playable) successor to Master of Magic. It has some
*4x Fantasy Strategy with seperate magic and civic research
*points to spend on perks at game start
*sophisticated economy
*incremential elements like resource upgrades and unit leveling ( (which you can turn off))
*Tactical battles and Rogue like dungeon diving (simplistic Rogue Like at the moment but there is more to come)
A negative point is, that this game is complex and/but has very limited manual (and no tutorial). As I understand it, the devs wait for the big and essential updates, before they spend time on manuals. The DE community is very welcoming. The forum search function is your extended manual.
– Real player with 783.5 hrs in game
This review is from the perspective of someone who has played a significant amount of the Age of Wonders series and the Fall from Heaven 2 mod for Civ4. I’ve also dabbled in Endless Legend, Fallen Enchantress, Dominions, and Master of Magic.
Right now this game feels like a cross of Age of Wonders and FFH2, and I love it. Below are some of my thoughts:
City Development (Tall vs Wide):
Cities start weak but can become incredible powerhouses given time and investment. For example, a starting city will produce approximately 100 gold per turn, which is enough to fund a low tier army or a level 1 improvement every 5 turns. My capitol in my latest game, however, produces 4000 (!) gold a turn, and is still not yet fully developed. I basically don’t have to care about income because this city is basically El Dorado.
– Real player with 357.3 hrs in game
Dominions 3: The Awakening
I own Dominions 3 and 4. Started playing Dominions 3, few monts later Dom 4 came out - moved to it.
Now I’m playing Dominions 3 and enormousely enjoying it. Less spells, less magical items than in Dom 4 - somehow even more fun.
Why I like Dominions:
1. Very interesting fantasy setting (not just elfes and other copies of Tolkien imagination) with Valkiries, armoured gorillas, ghouls, giants, chariots, eagle-men, bat-men, spider riders, raptor riders, fiery salamanders, armoured or undead elephants, giant ants, tiny dragonflies, barechested warriors, tritons with amber armour, hydras, halfblind cyclopes, nagas, twoheaded giants, liches, krakens, dragons, mechanical dragons, trolls, tengu, ghosts, lamias, jaguars, werejaguars, powerfull but insane gods, mages of various kinds,assasins, shark knights, Vikings with glamour, Aztects with flying ability and many, many more…
– Real player with 360.6 hrs in game
BLUF: This game’s pretty awesome, if you can get past the ancient graphics and focus on the creative/imaginative aspects.
I loved the game. Yes, it is complex, but I think the complexities are actually exagerated. It’s basically raise armies, research spells, invade provinces, collect gold, etc. But somehow I find it 20x more engrossing than any other “4x” game (which I don’t think it quite is). There are little quirks, like that it is turn-based, but then all the movement happens at once for everyone, seasons affect gold income, but they also affect how many mushrooms grow in the forest for your witches to collect, and it’s all these quirks and the plethora of races to play that make the game world feel alive. I love how you are slowly introduced to the lore; it never feels like a chore to read it to get into the game, you just pick up some of it as your priests randomly summon some ultra-powerful seraphim that then randomly gets itself killed by wandering around the map.
– Real player with 159.4 hrs in game
A Planet of Mine
A cute time killer that its easy to get lost on for hours at a time. The random planet load outs and landing positions can make some planets practically impossible to win which can take a while to spot. Re-starting is fairly easy though.
– Real player with 21.0 hrs in game
Very enjoyable little game~
Takes a bit of learning but it’s very fun~ you can find some good info and tips with a quick google search that might help you get started.
I used to have it on mobile but I find it much more enjoyable on PC and it runs very well.
Lots of races (I believe 16) and different ways to play. Discovers and exploration. Planets are very unique and not all the same.
You can also destroy a rivals planet completely or be friendly and trade with them.
The gist is you start on a single planet and harvest resources and build different constructs. After a while you ascend (which you can do several times) and more technologies become available. Soon you will be colonizing multiple planets.
– Real player with 19.5 hrs in game
Dominions 4: Thrones of Ascension
I’ve played several thousand hours of this game, and dominions 3. The only other game i’ve played anywhere near as much is tabletop rpgs. But i’m biased, old hand, fan, etc. This guy isn’t. Here’s what he had to say on the Steam forum.
@Stephen:
Earlier tonight, one of the most epic occurences I have ever seen in a video game occured. Seeing that as a sign of a good game and also worth telling about, I decided to post here for your reading pleasure. Since it is only due to a confusing chain of events that this occured, I’m going to tell the full story from start to finish. Enjoy.
– Real player with 595.5 hrs in game
Dear friends, I know that many would have you believe that the Pale Ones are extinct, save for the occasional emergence of an Earth Reader or the primitive Pale Ones that are sometimes encountered in remote regions. I am here to set the ancient records straight.
Long have I labored in service to the Ancients, dead and forgotten though they may be to most of the civilized world. Only after extensive research and tireless experimentation had I uncovered a ray of hope in the sea of Agarthan darkness.
– Real player with 333.1 hrs in game