Age of Wonders: Planetfall

Age of Wonders: Planetfall gives me almost everything I need from a 4X game and a turn-based strategy game in one neat package. Both sides could (and doubtless will) be expanded upon, but the overall package as it stands is extremely good at what it does. If you wanted more depth to XCOM’s strategic overworld or more involving combat in Civilization VI, this is the game you’re looking for.

The depth of Planetfall's decision-making, presentation, unique features and overall high quality of polish alone warrant a look.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall brings a new setting, and lots of improvements, to a classical 4X series. The increased complexity can be occasionally overwhelming, but the strategical experience remains top notch.

Initially unwieldy but eventually engrossing, Age of Wonders' latest entry translates its Civ-meets-XCOM formula brilliantly to a new sci-fi setting. Even if the elements of that sci-fi are a bit rote.

My overall experience with the mechanics of Planetfall is that their complexity brings the worlds to life, but the mechanics described above may be too much for beginners, even with the comprehensive tutorial system. That said, I really hope that Triumph Studios takes some design decisions for future fantasy installments.

An impressive 4X/Tactical game hybrid whose only major fumble is that it fails to communicate its vast array of features in a simple, beginner-friendly manner. There are months of exciting gameplay here if you're willing to persevere.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall perfectly mixes the XCOM series with the Civilization one without renouncing to the peculiar characteristics of the past chapters of the series.

Age of Wonders Planetfall takes on a new coat of paint for the franchise and does it well. The six factions are unique, the tactical combat is amazing and there are loads of choices to make. The perfect game to put hundreds of hours in.

Dynamic empire management and deep tactical conquest forge the perfect alliance within the colorful sci-fi worlds of Age of Wonders: Planetfall. With nearly endless replay value, it is one of the most tantalizing turn-based games in years.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a large, ambitious strategy game that succeeds in many ways but falters ever so slightly in its grand scale. If you can grapple with the scope it's well worth the purchase and time, offering a great sandbox that could be played for hours on end. Newcomers to the genre might want to try one of the earlier Age of Wonders games before seeing if they should truly take the dive into this massive commitment. Those who do won't be disappointed.

As a 4X game, Age of Wonders: planetfall may not as perfect as Civ series, but it stands out in terms of the combat system and fantastic sci-fi settings.

My expectations have definitely been met as well, as the new part of the series has very different civilizations, a nice sci-fi look, a good soundtrack and a comprehensive bodybuilding strategy.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall excels thanks to an emphasis on customization that makes it stand out from the competition.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall, while a bit opaque in some areas, is the most entertaining 4X I've played in years.

I was surprised by Planetfall, lest of all because I was never a big fan of Age of Wonders – not because it was bad, but because it never grabbed me. This entry was different, however, with the focus on 4X expansion and the draw of close-range squad engagements with ranged weapons, bombardments, and customisable heroes was enough to get me invested, and was put together well enough to ignore most of the flaws in the squad combat system. They are still noticeable and frustrating enough to force me to take a break every once in a while (even when constantly winning battles), but if you are looking for an engaging, sci-fi 4X with more character and presence than the abstract grand-strategy Stellaris, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is the game for you.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a dazzling, slick, diverse 4X with snappy and exciting turn-based combat and a story I was always eager to discover more of.

Planetfall is a great 4X that shines because of its combat and strategy systems. If you like Age of Wonders or just the genre, make sure you check it out.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a great 4X, but it lacks in accessibility.

Departure from fantasy setting didn’t turn Age of Wonders into a must-have game, neither did it break some truly new ground for the genre. Nevertheless, it’s a very nice strategy/tactics mix. [Issue#240, p.28]

Of course, this mix-and-match approach will only be as good as the imagination that goes into its parts. Paradox tried something similar with Stellaris, using a set of opposing attributes. But that game’s spreadsheet-dry sci-fi doesn’t have room for the kind of glee, personality, and interactivity that drives Planetfall. Stellaris is the rasp of pages turning in a ledger. Run your index finger across the paper, along the row and then down the column, find a number that supposedly suggests the high-concept sci-fi in one of those dull classics you felt obligated to read and even more obligated to pretend to like. But Planetfall is a shelf of old sci-fi dime store novels in the back of a tiny bookstore inexplicably still in business. Pick the lurid title that calls out to you best. Pull it out and delight at the splash of imaginative cover art. This is your story for today.

Overall, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a solid sequel that differentiates itself sufficiently and improves upon the franchise's formula. It has a diverse mix of units and races, wonderful artwork, and what appears to be a massive range of strategies. Customizing your forces with an array of passive effects and active abilities is handled effortlessly by the UI, and it's very rewarding to use it in the tactical combat. The campaign should take anywhere from 30 to 60 hours to complete, depending on how quickly you play, and that's before stepping into the random scenarios and multiplayer, where a wide range of options and customizations can cater to your play style.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is one of the most unique 4X games released in recent memory, and that is great news for a genre that can be a bit stale at times. Its blend of XCOM-like combat with the traditional strategy elements isn’t perfect, and there are some rough spots that Triumph Studios will need to work on in the future, but it provides an enjoyable and fresh challenge. While the generic sci-fi world isn’t as rich or organic as the previous high fantasy settings, its amount of depth and ways to play carry it up and beyond many of its genre rivals.

And the mod-tweaking of my science fiction troops and commanders brings additional depth.

In the end, I think you'll love this game if you're a tactics fan and you enjoy some casual strategy focus on the side. If you're a massive strategy fan, though, this game will likely disappoint you.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall takes several turns to get moving, and newcomers might feel overwhelmed until they gain their bearings, but Triumph Studios’ newest strategy offering is full of fun, creative ideas and each faction is worth taking for a spin at least once. Building a sustainable empire and managing a happy populous takes some grunt work, but they are really just stepping stones to Age of Wonders: Planetfall’s epic firefights.

Planetfall sets some new standards for 4X games that would be wise not to ignore, and is an excellent start of a new strategy journey.

Triumph returns to its unique mix of Civilization and XCOM with the new Age of Wonders: Planetfall. Leaving behind the fantasy trappings of the previous games, Planetfall heads into sci-fi territory. The new colony system speeds up play and allows for interesting options for hobbling your opponent's cities, and the combat system is blown way out, with combinations of race, technology, research, and unit mods allowing for a dizzying array of army choices. In fact, Planetfall's biggest problem will likely be onboarding new players because of its density. If you're up to the challenge though, Planetfall is a worthwhile entry point into the series.

No more fantasy setting for Triumph Studios: Age of Wonders: Planetfall brings the 4x series into the future and this transaction in almost perfect.

A number of flaws such as a disappointing campaign, a rigid tech tree, and a couple of bugs hamper Age of Wonders: Planetfall. However, it more than makes up for these flaws with its refreshing charm, tactical battles, and customization choices for the avid 4X player.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is an imaginative sci-fi strategy game that adds some interesting new layers to the series’ empire management and combat mechanics, but, ultimately, the game falls just short of greatness. Combat needs to be a touch deeper and standard 4X ingredients like trading, religion, and government policies are missed. Planetfall is certainly worth exploring, but not all strategy fans are going to want to set up permanent residence.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall has its issues. I confess I haven’t cared very much though. The jank is usually a result of over-ambition, of Planetfall trying to let the player do too damn much where another game would’ve gone for a simpler (or “more elegant”) solution. I can’t fault Triumph for that, even if the holes are obvious when listed out.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is one of the better 4X science-fiction games of the last few years, which is mainly thanks to the exploration, the battles and how these are joined together with quite an expansive narrative. The base building and management is somewhat less interesting, but far from a chore.

If you're a fan of Age of Wonders, or 4X in general, you're going to love Planetfall. While it has a steep learning curve, once you learn the ropes it becomes very fun, very fast. Planetfall combines systems like Civilization with XCOM in a way that blends the two genres together for a wonderful mashup of fun.

A good format that optimally mixes two different strategy modes, but which in turn has too much information to process and requires time to adapt, with a somewhat more repetitive campaign than we would like.

Truly exemplifying the maxim of 'too much of a good thing,' there is simply too much here that bogs itself down. The battle and strategic systems have some really cool and interesting ideas, but there is far too much... stuff that takes both of them down a notch. The strategic layer has way too many things to do with too much consequence, and the battle system takes too long, and is replete with a dizzying number of little things that must be taken into account, lest destruction result. It's really too bad as the core of the game is extremely solid, yet there is just too much in the way for it to shine.

I know it seems like a paradox to say that on the one hand, it's a well-oiled, impeccably balanced sci-fi empire building game with all the elements that make a great wargame; and on the other hand it feels a smidgen like they phoned it in, but there you are. That's precisely how it feels.

If you've got time to spare, Planetfall has more than enough intricacy to keep you occupied, but if you're someone without a lot of free time, the game's demanding pace, meandering tasks, and compulsory conflicts will prove to be more frustrating than entertaining.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a robust package for 4X players who want to test themselves against a more in-depth combat system than is typically found in the genre. It suffers a little from its sci-fi setting making things just that little bit harder to relate to than, say, actual human history, but it compensates by creating a cast of fictional alien civilizations that are worth getting to know. It might not quite feel like home at first, but you'll quickly settle in.

With every new installment, Age of Wonders continues to drift away from the concept of the original game in the series by trying to blend in with the 4X crowd. So far, the result is not that impressive.

Despite issues with AI and a level of complexity that will likely frustrate new players, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a well-rounded experience with stunning visuals and extensive replay value.