Age of Wonders Shadow Magic

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Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is the third game in the fantasy strategy series, offering an empire-building, role-playing, and tactical combat experience. It introduces the Shadow World and new races like Nomads, Shadow Demons, and the necromantic Revenants. With a new campaign, 19 stand-alone scenarios, and improved race features, this game provides diverse landscapes and endless strategic possibilities.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 319 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

One of the best turn-based strategy games of all time, offering deep gameplay and a wealth of content.
The game features a charming art style, engaging music, and a variety of races and units that enhance replayability.
The combination of strategic kingdom management and tactical battles provides a satisfying and addictive experience.

The game suffers from technical issues, including frequent crashes and problems launching on modern systems.
AI behavior can be frustrating, with instances of biased RNG and poor tactical decisions that detract from the challenge.
Some players find the campaign difficulty spikes to be unfair, leading to moments of frustration during gameplay.

gameplay
58 mentions
29 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic" is praised for its depth and variety, featuring engaging mechanics that blend empire management, hero leveling, and tactical combat. The introduction of new races and the shadow realm adds fresh dynamics, while the game maintains a nostalgic charm despite some outdated graphics and interface issues. Overall, players find the gameplay addictive and rewarding, offering hours of strategic fun, though some note that the difficulty can stem more from the game's mechanics than from actual challenges.
- “Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic continues to delight fans of the series with its superb gameplay and exciting new additions.”
- “The new shadow realm adds a fresh dynamic to the gameplay.”
- “It combines the best of empire building, hero leveling, combat, and detailed empire customization, while streamlining the bureaucracies and preparation to reduce the aspects that make gameplay feel like homework.”
- “Counter-intuitive, messed up interface, subpar graphics (game looks like 1996 at best, screens are misleading), very arbitrary game mechanics (all your units are blind and miss most of the time), the game is fairly simple, turn-based strategy.”
- “Difficulty comes from fighting against the game UI and game mechanics, not from there being any actual challenge during gameplay.”
- “For me, the outdated graphics and gameplay along with it only enlarging not scaling up to fit today's screen, and the audio balance issues (if you can hear voice over sound effects blow out speakers, and if sound is sane you can't hear the talking), just made it a non-starter in my book.”
story
35 mentions
17 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The story in "Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic" revolves around the emergence of shadow demons and the syron races, offering a mix of traditional gameplay and new narrative elements that engage players. While some reviews highlight the plot as simplistic and the voice acting as lacking, many appreciate the campaign's flow and the depth added by new units and mechanics. Overall, the storyline is seen as a solid enhancement to the gameplay experience, despite some criticisms regarding mission length and detail.
- “The graphics are nice, the storyline interesting, allies, neutrals and foes have plenty to say, lots to find on each map, and at times, it can be quite hard.”
- “Shadow Magic is an Age of Wonders II expansion, but it's so large they made it a standalone game, which is cool because the added races and storyline really do add enough to the game to call this a standalone.”
- “The story is simplistic and usually consists of traditional gameplay, except you get some voice acting.”
- “[*] weak story with bad voice acting”
- “The main story focuses on a new threat, the shadow demons, as you play as so-called 'wizards' in an attempt to stop this alien-like threat.”
graphics
35 mentions
34 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, classic pixel art style that has aged reasonably well, evoking nostalgia for many players. While some reviews note that the visuals can appear dated and occasionally suffer from glitches, the overall aesthetic is still appreciated for its vibrant colors and artistic fantasy design. Despite the graphical limitations, players find that the engaging gameplay and immersive campaign experience compensate for any visual shortcomings.
- “Whether you're playing the campaign or a generated map, the world is beautifully detailed in a classic pixel art style and scored with an iconic orchestral soundtrack.”
- “I must also mention the beautiful old-school hand-painted sprite graphics.”
- “It is somewhat old, but the graphics have a very artistic fantasy aesthetic to them that I really enjoy to look at; also, this game has a campaign and randomly generated scenarios which allows for high replayability.”
- “Sadly it seems to run on my machine only without Direct3D activated, which means you lose a lot of graphic quality.”
- “The graphics aren't great but this isn't a remaster version and the game is old, so it's expected.”
- “For me, the outdated graphics and gameplay along with it only enlarging not scaling up to fit today's screen, and the audio balance issues just made it a non-starter in my book.”
music
15 mentions
47 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its orchestral soundtrack, which enhances the beautifully detailed pixel art and immersive gameplay. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's variety and emotional depth, often considering it one of the best aspects of the game, despite some noting it doesn't quite match the quality of the original. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's engaging atmosphere and is enjoyed both during play and as a standalone experience.
- “Whether you're playing the campaign or a generated map, the world is beautifully detailed in a classic pixel art style and scored with an iconic orchestral soundtrack.”
- “Hugely fun and innovative yet simple game with a fantastical musical score that will keep you entertained for hours.”
- “With its highly varied gameplay, mesmerizing atmosphere, gorgeous soundtrack, and overall polish, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is a hypnotizing game so absorbing that it made the world around me dissolve away.”
- “The music is nowhere near as fine as in the original game, which is unfortunate but it happens.”
- “All bound together in a generic, D&D-inspired high fantasy setting (dwarfs and elves abound) imbued with a sense of weight and drama thanks to a soundtrack far better than it has any right to be.”
- “Then restart the game and listen (in case you get a black screen but can hear music that will be fine, so force close the game once again this time..).”
replayability
9 mentions
67 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with features like extensive customization, random scenarios, and mod support contributing to near-infinite replay value. Players appreciate the random map generator and various campaign options, which enhance the experience and provide diverse gameplay opportunities. Overall, it stands out in the turn-based genre for its rich content and replayability.
- “It has near infinite replayability.”
- “Endless replayability.”
- “A random map generator will give you some decent replay value as it works great.”
- “There aren't a lot of turn-based games that can outdo this game in terms of content and replayability.”
- “Additionally, the random map allows for additional 'layers' (underground and shadow realm) that maximize some of the races' inherent abilities, adding more options and replayability.”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to progress, which can feel overwhelming. However, the game compensates for this with a rich world full of exploration and discovery, despite some tedious elements like navigating between cities. Overall, while grinding can be a chore, the engaging environment helps mitigate the frustration.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Switching between cities is tedious (there's no 'next' button), making the grinding experience feel even longer.”
- “The grinding aspect takes away from the enjoyment of the game, as it feels more like a chore than an adventure.”
optimization
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game's optimization is solid, with fluid performance and no crashes, contributing to an enjoyable experience. However, some players suggest adjusting full screen optimizations in the compatibility settings if they encounter launch issues.
- “AOW 3 is a pleasant game to play with fluid performance, and it doesn't feel monotonous or tiring. Well done, Triumph Studios!”
- “If you're still running into issues during the launch of the game's intro, you might want to check the box: 'Full Screen Optimizations Off' in the compatibility settings menu (advanced users).”
- “The game has never crashed either, which speaks volumes about its optimization.”
- “Aow 3 is a pleasant game to play, but the performance could be improved. It doesn't feel monotonous or tiring, but there are still some optimization issues that need to be addressed.”
- “(Tip: you might want to check the box: 'Full Screen Optimizations Off' in the compatibility settings menu (advanced users) if you're still running into issues during the launch of the game's intro.)”
- “The game has never crashed, but the overall optimization leaves much to be desired, affecting the fluidity of gameplay.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while it features vibrant graphics and engaging gameplay, users report occasional glitches and freezing issues that can disrupt the experience, particularly in multiplayer settings.
- “The game offers some pleasant graphics and really vibrant colors, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
- “Sure you can break that spell, but it'll set you back, so maybe don't and hope someone else will before everything freezes.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic" is described as sublime and mesmerizing, enhanced by a perfect random map generator that ensures each scenario feels unique. The game's polished presentation, captivating soundtrack, and engaging AI contribute to an immersive experience that draws players into its enchanting world.
- “The atmosphere is sublime; the random map generator is perfect. Every single scenario feels totally different, the AI plays incredibly well (and cheats a lot), and it is ready to exchange spells or forge alliances.”
- “With its highly varied gameplay, mesmerizing atmosphere, gorgeous soundtrack, and overall polish, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is a hypnotizing game so absorbing that it made the world around me dissolve away.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “Despite the potential, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to immerse players in the world.”
- “The overall ambiance is dull, and the environments feel repetitive and uninspired.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted as a secondary feature, with one reviewer humorously suggesting that it might only be worth recommending to those who haven't experienced its predecessor, Age of Wonders 2.
- “It was originally an expansion pack to Age of Wonders 2, and the funny thing is that I would only recommend this if you haven't played that.”
- “The humor in this game is absolutely delightful, with witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions that keep you laughing.”
- “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments that make the gameplay even more enjoyable.”