Age of Wonders 4: Archon Prophecy review – Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair

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In fantasy and science fiction genres, traces of ancient civilizations that once held great power are common themes. It’s surprising that Age of Wonders 4, with its rich tapestry of tropes and power fantasies already woven into its turn-based strategy game by Triumph Studios, hasn’t included such elements until now. However, the Archon Prophecy DLC addresses this gap, providing a satisfying conclusion to Expansion Pass 2 of the game.

While the previous installment, Giant Kings, enriched the game’s maps and worlds with additional depth, Archon Prophecy appears to serve as a culmination for this strategy title’s powerful faction-building aspect. In Archon Prophecy, two new physical manifestations for your civilizations are introduced: The Elysians, who bear an uncanny resemblance to characters from Greek epics, and the Ancients, a decaying people reminiscent of those rumored to dwell in ancient tombs. The expansion’s novel Culture – the Architects – embodies the essence described above: They are the last remnants of the Archons’ followers, safeguarding their secrets and completing any tasks left unfinished by their masters.

One distinctive trait they possess is their ability to construct monumental structures. These aren’t your typical constructions; they require rare materials known as Wonderstone. You can find these resources by deploying Surveyors on the global map or by capturing Magic Resources, which will continuously yield Wonderstone. Essentially, this process mirrors the exploration-focused strategy of the Giant Kings, emphasizing the significance of mapping the world and being rewarded for exploration.

To put it simply, I believe the monuments could appear more grand and diverse. They don’t seem as striking against the backdrop as they ought to, but this is a minor issue – their impact makes up for any aesthetic shortcomings. When you select the Architects, you have the freedom to pick your Affinity, which significantly impacts the damage type of all your Architect units and the kind of monument you can construct. Monuments, in essence, offer benefits to their city, but they also strengthen your entire empire’s Affinity – both by granting Affinity Points and by enhancing your Architect units’ affinities with your main element, thereby increasing their damage output and resistance. In other words, the Architect Culture allows you to specialize heavily in one Affinity, creating a powerful army tied to its damage type.

Additionally, once finished, your magnificent structures are recognized as Gold-tier Ancient Wonders, thereby enabling you to secure a triumphant victory through magical means.

In addition to customizing your gameplay experience with the DLC’s culture, Age of Wonders 4 also offers a new method: Prophecy Traits in the faction builder. These traits enable you to choose a narrative for your leader and civilization, providing unique story content that isn’t solely reliant on the events within the realm you’re exploring. If you’re interested in a world conquest run, select the appropriate prophecy to inject some extra flavor and position yourself as a formidable force aiming to end the world. This feature underscores one of Age of Wonders 4’s standout qualities: immersing players by offering role-play opportunities and diverse objectives, ensuring the game remains engaging and enjoyable.

In The Tomes of Magic, introduced alongside Archon Prophecy, there’s a harmonious blend maintained where they stay relevant to the expansion and bridge gaps present since the game launched. For Celestial and Order empires, you’ll discover enhanced options like Paladins and purifying flames spells, which can be seen as beneficial or misused in a darker context, providing flexibility. Meanwhile, fans of undead empires will appreciate the new technology unveiled within this DLC, completing the power fantasy of an everlasting necromantic realm that has been elusive since its initial release.

In Archon Prophecy, a variety of stunning creatures such as radiant angels and awe-inspiring griffins join forces with rejuvenated, colossal titans. This intriguing game offers an array of fantastic units to choose from. The narrative behind the game, or the Prophecy itself, is featured in one of the included Tome, and it’s quite fascinating how it works: By utilizing your intuition, you can either shield your units from the imminent attack or enhance their critical hit rate. Additionally, the Vigil, a captivatingly designed unit, makes its debut in this game.

In addition to the new DLC, there are two new realms for stories, fresh music, extra wildlife creatures including chariots pulled by lions, and plenty of additional content. Accompanying this, the free Griffon Update is quite substantial. Although it’s separate from the expansion, it offers a comprehensive revamp for characters who use magic, the item creation system, and more intricate AI faction customization. Furthermore, it introduces an abundance of Pantheon content that can be unlocked.

The larger-than-life Kings filled in some of Age of Wonders 4’s remaining flaws. On the contrary, Archon Prophecy significantly enhanced the strategy game’s strong points – it serves as a solid conclusion to Expansion Pass 2, offering more role-playing options and diversity within the game.

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2025-08-12 16:19