Age of Wonders II: The Wizard's Throne

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"Age of Wonders II: The Wizard's Throne" is a fantasy turn-based strategy game, offering both single-player and multi-player options. As an immortal wizard in the Circle of Evermore, your mission is to restore balance to a world teetering on the edge of ruin, through empire building, role-playing, and warfare. This sequel to the award-winning original promises an invigorating strategy experience.

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Age of Wonders II: The Wizard's Throne screenshot

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 208 reviews

story7 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game offers a deep and engaging turn-based strategy experience with a variety of magical spheres and races, allowing for diverse gameplay and strategies.
Despite its age, the graphics and sound design are still enjoyable, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of classic strategy games.
The campaign is lengthy and challenging, providing hours of gameplay that can be rewarding for those who enjoy strategic planning and tactical battles.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes and resolution problems, particularly on modern systems, making it frustrating to play.
The AI is often criticized for being overly simplistic or cheating, which can detract from the overall challenge and enjoyment of the game.
Many players find the combat mechanics to be heavily reliant on RNG, leading to frustrating moments where strategy feels undermined by luck.

story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
8%
The story in Age of Wonders II has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it less compelling than its predecessor, Age of Wonders I. While the narrative features intriguing elements, such as the wizard-centric plot and character interactions, it often relies on generic fantasy tropes and lacks a cohesive timeline. Overall, the campaign is seen as engaging but not as epic or well-structured as the first game, leading to a varied experience among players.
- “The story of Merlin, as it is told, is intriguing, and the interactions he has with other characters, some of which are well known to the player from Age of Wonders 1, are neat.”
- “The gameplay is extremely smooth, there are no balancing issues that I have experienced, and the story of the campaign is one of the extremely few that I can truly say is epic.”
- “In short: I love the 12 races; I love 6 of the spheres of magic; I love the gameplay; I absolutely adore the story; and I have bought this game three times to prove it.”
- “Then there is the story... nothing worthy to write about.”
- “Aow2 does something aow1 did not do – and that is have issues with its story.”
- “Whereas its predecessor had everything laid out nicely and sensibly, Aow2 fails to establish a proper timeline for the events preceding it, and fails to explain how the entities that are most important in its story failed to show up during the events of Aow1.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
70%
11%
"Age of Wonders 2: The Wizard's Throne" offers a rich and evolved gameplay experience that builds on its predecessor, featuring a variety of mechanics, including a unique spirit element and an emphasis on magic. While the game is praised for its enjoyable and smooth mechanics, some players find the learning curve steep and the user interface confusing, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, many appreciate the depth and charm of the gameplay, making it a classic strategy title.
- “Age of Wonders 2: The Wizard's Throne is a worthy continuation of the legendary series that successfully evolves the mechanics of the first part, offering players a deeper and more diverse gameplay experience.”
- “Gameplay-wise, The Wizard's Throne is similar to the first part but emphasizes magic.”
- “The gameplay is extremely smooth, there are no balancing issues that I have experienced, and the story of the campaign is one of the extremely few that I can truly say is epic.”
- “The only things that detract from it being a stellar game are the sometimes confusing moving options and mechanics.”
- “Don't waste your money on this; very confusing and inaccessible UI and gameplay.”
- “It's got solid mechanics, but it can just be mind-numbingly difficult at times.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
60%
16%
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated, with many reviewers noting issues such as black screens on startup and poor compatibility with modern monitors. However, some appreciate the distinct art style and vibrant colors, finding them pleasant despite the technical limitations. Overall, while the visuals may not impress, they are often seen as acceptable for a game of its age, with some players enjoying the nostalgic charm.
- “The art style is pretty nice though, and I enjoyed looking at the distinct biomes of the maps which also change depending on global spells used.”
- “The game offers some pleasant graphics and really vibrant colors, although there are some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same.”
- “With beautiful graphics, a smart AI, and a dragon’s hoard of replayability, Age of Wonders II is a winner.”
- “Graphics: pretty old and nothing to admire.”
- “The graphics aren't great but this isn't a remaster version and the game is old so it's expected.”
- “This is an old game and the graphics and interface and general game design are clunky and difficult to use till you learn how.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise it as excellent and immersive, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere, others find it repetitive and forgettable compared to previous installments. Sound effects are noted to be decent, but the voice acting varies in quality. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for its fantasy feel, though it may not leave a lasting impression for all players.
- “The music alone is worth the purchase.”
- “Stunning background music, good balance.”
- “Soundtrack is god-tier”
- “The music in this game is stupendously forgettable, and the voice acting is either simply alright or a little bad.”
- “My only complaint is the music is much more repetitive than in AOW1.”
- “Music/sound: sound is decent while music gets pretty repetitive after a while.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of Wizard's Throne to be tedious and often mind-numbing, leading to a sense of boredom that can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the nostalgic format, the repetitive nature of gameplay can make it feel overly drawn out and frustrating.
- “Due to its similarity with Age of Wonders I, and the fact that I was somewhat aware of how to play, the Wizard's Throne became tedious far more quickly.”
- “In fact, it became so tedious and mind-numbingly boring at points, due to the insane nature of how one wins, that I considered ending my run with it.”
- “Everything seemed tedious and cheesy.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Overall, users report that while the game has nostalgic appeal and vibrant graphics, it suffers from various bugs and glitches that detract from its stability. If these issues were resolved, players believe it could significantly enhance the experience.
- “If it were bug-free, it would be great so far.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it really enhances the overall experience.”
- “The adaptation for modern PC is a bit buggy, but I couldn't resist.”
- “Although some ugly glitches appear here and there, the game offers pleasant graphics and really vibrant colors.”
- “The game has a lot of nostalgic elements, but the stability issues detract from the overall experience.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized, with users recommending running it in compatibility mode for Windows XP (SP3) and disabling fullscreen optimization to improve performance.
- “Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows XP (SP3); a bit further below, you'll also need to select fullscreen optimization off.”
- “God forbid this game be optimized.”
- “Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows XP (SP3); a bit further below, you'll also need to select 'Fullscreen Optimization' off.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
"Age of Wonders II" is praised for its significant replayability, attributed to its beautiful graphics and intelligent AI, making it a standout title that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “With beautiful graphics, a smart AI, and a dragon’s hoard of replayability, Age of Wonders II is a winner.”
- “Massive replay value.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Reviewers highlight the game's nostalgic atmosphere, enhanced by its original soundtrack (OST) and a charming old-school aesthetic that evokes fond memories.
- “The OST and the old-school atmosphere bring back so many memories.”
- “The immersive environment really draws you in and makes you feel part of the world.”
- “The haunting visuals and sound design create an unforgettable atmosphere.”
- “The OST and the old-school atmosphere brought back so many memories.”
- “The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it feel disjointed and uninspired.”
- “Despite the interesting setting, the atmosphere feels flat and fails to engage the player.”