Almost like barbarians in Civ, except they might be like, demons or something. There are monster and bandit nests that will grow over time if not dealt with that send waves of enemies to attack you. Somewhat literally, as there is also an entire underground layer where some empires will prefer to settle.

That really only scratches the surface of Age of Wonders 4. Like Expansion, you will need to defend three key locations during this time. Magic is similar, but is more suited to tall empires, as you must complete a Tier 5 tome and then trigger a countdown that will transform the world according to the whims of your chosen affinity. Expansion involves building a very wide empire and lighting three Beacons of Unity, which must be defended for a certain number of turns. Other than the classic method of destroying all of your AI opponents, Age of Wonders 4 has two additional victory options. Note that the footage you're seeing was provided by the developers, so I can't show you my special creations just yet. I was able to make both savage, barbarian elves who struck from the depths of the forest and righteous, do-gooder orcs who observed knightly chivalry.

Mixing and matching these to go against fantasy stereotypes was some of the most fun I had with Age of Wonders 4. Barbarians are clan-centric, warlike, and aggressive. A 'High' civilization makes me think of Lothlorien or Gondor, with shining armor and well-disciplined troops. This customization continues with deciding what I essentially think of as the 'vibes' for your civilization, which also determines your unique buildings and starting unit roster. There's nothing stopping you from making venomous cat people who ride around on spiders.

Elves are quick and keen-eyed by default, but you can always swap these out.

You start each run by selecting a base template – from mainstays like elves and dwarves to somewhat weirder options like frog people – which sets the look of your leader and units and provides some suggested species traits. Building the fantasy civilization of your dreams starts before you even found a single city, though.

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