Dominions 6: Rise of the Pantokrator

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"Dominions 6: Rise of the Pantokrator" is a turn-based 4X strategy game where you play as a powerful pretender god striving for godhood. Choose from a variety of nations and pretender gods, each with unique abilities and dominions. Build and manage your armies, research powerful magic and items, and conquer opponents in single-player or multiplayer modes to become the new Pantokrator. The game offers a vast array of units, spells, and items for a deep and engaging strategy experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,623 reviews

gameplay54 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Dominions 6 offers a vast amount of content with over 100 unique nations and thousands of spells, providing immense replayability.
The new multiplayer lobby system makes it easier to find and join games, enhancing the overall multiplayer experience.
Quality of life improvements, such as auto-search for magic sites and better army management, streamline gameplay and reduce micromanagement.

The user interface is still clunky and can be overwhelming for new players, making it difficult to navigate and understand the game mechanics.
Many players feel that the changes from Dominions 5 to 6 are not significant enough to justify the full price, viewing it more as a DLC than a standalone game.
The AI remains underwhelming, often failing to utilize the game's complex mechanics effectively, which can detract from the single-player experience.

gameplay
225 mentions
24 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Dominions 6 is characterized by its deep and intricate mechanics, offering a steep learning curve that rewards players who invest time in understanding its systems. While the game retains much of the core experience from previous titles, it introduces new features and improvements that enhance strategic and tactical options, though some players find the user interface cumbersome. Overall, it provides a rich and engaging experience for fans of complex strategy games, with a vast array of factions and customization options that encourage exploration and experimentation.
- “I will spend years exploring all of the different cultures available in this game and how they are expressed through its strategic and tactical mechanics.”
- “The gameplay here is ridiculously detailed and in-depth.”
- “On 70 hours of gameplay, I have already realized how deep and versatile the gameplay can be; nevertheless, as I check other units, nations, or spells, the game doesn't stop to surprise me.”
- “If you've no problem with technical and slow-going wargames, you might enjoy this title in the Dominions series, but keep in mind all that you are getting is the same gameplay from previous titles with little to no improvements; enemy AI.”
- “It is, for lack of better words, a complete logistical nightmare where there are so many mechanics, spells, and concepts in it that no reasonable person could remember every single one of them.”
- “But the complexity doesn't really come from the complexity of game mechanics; it's more from navigating the UI and clicking back and forth to try to decipher what a unit can do, what spells it can cast, clicking around between territories, trying to figure out why one unit is available here and not there, and figuring out how the hell to play the game.”
graphics
156 mentions
21 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for being outdated and reminiscent of the 1990s, with many users describing them as minimalistic and clunky. Despite this, some players find the retro aesthetic charming and argue that the game's depth and engaging mechanics more than compensate for the visual shortcomings. Overall, the graphics may deter those who prioritize high-quality visuals, but they do not detract from the enjoyment of players who appreciate strategic gameplay over aesthetics.
- “I want to underline that I love the graphics as it is and I hope it always stays that way; the sprites are a pop-art masterpiece.”
- “If you can tolerate the minimalistic art style of this game, there is a real gem hidden in there.”
- “Dominions continues to prove you don't need graphics to create an amazing game.”
- “The graphics look like something from 1994; the UI takes a good while to become something other than a jumble of weird buttons and indecipherable icons.”
- “This game has very archaic graphics and interface.”
- “World map is very ugly (even by grand strategy standards), not just the literal map itself, but all the visuals - units, troop movement icons, etc. It's understandable that games like this will always have complex UIs and very abstract visuals, but this game takes it to another level.”
music
94 mentions
13 % positive mentions
79 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it less impressive than previous iterations, particularly Dominions 4 and 5. While some appreciate the European folk-inspired themes, others criticize the new tracks as generic and uninspired, expressing a desire for the return of older soundtracks. Overall, the music is described as serviceable but lacking the charm and quality of earlier versions.
- “Finally, a word on sound and the workshop - the music is inspired by European folk music, which is charming - echoes of The Lord of the Rings, Celtic harp music, etc. There are already quite a number of user-created maps to download from the workshop, for example, a large map of the Old World of Warhammer.”
- “The music, lore, and game mechanics all combine to create a unique game experience.”
- “Love the new music.”
- “I'll admit, the music kind of sucks and sounds very royalty-free in contrast to Dominions 5, but nothing unpleasant to listen to and it can be muted if you wish.”
- “Icing on the cake, the music sucks; the soulful performed music of 4 and 5 was replaced with this forgettable Runescape ripoff generic synth slop, and you can't even hear any of the songs until the end and give them a chance because the music switches to the even worse more generic battle music with every tiny encounter.”
- “This is not debatable, music in Dominions peaked in Dominions 4 and the current selection is even worse than its predecessor.”
replayability
35 mentions
46 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with players praising its vast customization options, diverse nations, and deep strategic elements that create unique experiences in each playthrough. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to keep gameplay fresh through procedural worlds and a rich variety of content, making it a standout choice for strategy enthusiasts. Overall, the replay value is described as nearly infinite, significantly surpassing that of other 4X games.
- “This game has nearly infinite replayability: the amount of content, the depth of the simulation, and the ever-changing procedural worlds make every game unique and full of surprising events.”
- “The combinations of units, maps, and nations make this game ultra replayable.”
- “The sheer amount of replayability makes this game a golden purchase for any strategy game enjoyer!”
- “The game is so massive in terms of features, combinations, and replayability that it will take nothing smaller than a book of a few hundred pages to explain it in general and then maybe another few volumes of similar sizes to deep-dive into the specifics.”
- “The random maps and replayability, along with the complexity of choices with your god and the many nations, keeps it fresh for a long time.”
grinding
14 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often requiring excessive clicking and micromanagement, which can lead to a boring single-player experience. However, those who engage with the active multiplayer community may find the experience more enjoyable and less grindy. Overall, while the game offers a sense of power and strategy, it demands significant effort and knowledge to navigate its complexities effectively.
- “If that sounds like boring, tedious work, it is.”
- “But it's very tedious to play... a million clicks to do anything.”
- “Note that single player will become grindy and boring pretty quickly; there is a reasonably large active Discord community; join one of those discords for multiplayer games.”
story
11 mentions
18 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The story in Dominions is minimal, lacking a central narrative or clear objectives beyond domination; however, the detailed descriptions of nations, spells, and units create a rich tapestry of lore inspired by real-world mythologies. Each nation feels unique, contributing to an engaging backdrop that enhances the gameplay experience, despite the overall focus on strategy and resource management. Players can explore internal conflicts and cultural interactions, adding depth to their conquests.
- “The graphics are simple, the combat is somewhat hands-off, the balance can be hit and miss... but each game will tell an interesting story.”
- “There is no story per se and no real goal other than 'crush everyone'; however, each nation, each spell, each creature, and each simple soldier has descriptions that can be very detailed and together form a very interesting and comprehensive picture.”
- “The nations are mostly based on real-world mythologies and histories, and while there are similar themes and a few shared units between some of them, each one feels like a unique nation, with the aforementioned similarities being an enhancement of the flavor and storytelling.”
- “Instead, Caelum is about the internal tensions and religious schisms between its clans, and the path that story charts produces offshoots like Nazca and Ragha through cross-pollination with other cultures, and it feels so much more rich and satisfying.”
stability
10 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game launched in a notably unstable and buggy state, with numerous glitches and a chaotic interface that detracts from the overall experience. Players have reported significant graphical issues and imbalances among nations, contributing to a frustrating gameplay environment. Overall, the stability of the game has been a major point of criticism.
- “The game released in a dreadful, buggy state.”
- “With that said, 6's launch has been very buggy with a lot of nations left behind in terms of balance.”
- “The interface is still a mess, and I get graphical glitches that flicker and twitch, all of which are very unpleasant to look at.”
optimization
9 mentions
22 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has seen significant improvements compared to its predecessor, particularly in UI, game mechanics, and balance. However, some users report that performance can still be inconsistent, especially on certain hardware, with lingering issues affecting gameplay. Despite these concerns, many players find the performance satisfactory overall.
- “Performance is also pretty good.”
- “- Performance is worse than Dom5 on the same hardware, but it doesn't arbitrarily perform poorly on AMD GPUs anymore either.”
- “Performance fix when?”
- “- performance is worse than dom5 on the same hardware, but it doesn't arbitrarily perform poorly on AMD GPUs anymore either.”
- “Greatest of them strategy games and a massive improvement in UI, performance, game mechanics, balance, random map generation, and many other aspects compared to the previous iteration.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its charming sprites and amusing sound effects, which have garnered positive reactions from players and reviewers alike. Initial skepticism about the graphics and price quickly turned into admiration, with many finding the game unexpectedly polished and entertaining. The introduction of new nations adds to the humor through unique playstyles and comical matchups, enhancing the overall experience for both veterans and newcomers.
- “The sprites have a lot of charm and the sounds are funny.”
- “I saw a YouTube review that started with someone laughing at the graphics and price point, only to be blown away and declare this a guaranteed top 5 game for 2024.”
- “The new nations in this game are definitely worth checking out for veterans and newcomers, as they allow for a whole new playstyle and funny matchups with the new magic path and their weaknesses and strengths.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to this release is mixed, with some players feeling a sense of disappointment and frustration, likening their experience to being in an abusive relationship. Many express concern that the introduction of new content and mechanics has detracted from the original game's charm and integrity, leading to a loss of its wholesome qualities.
- “But this release made me feel in an abusive relationship.”
- “But I've seen so many classic titles that were so eager to introduce new content and mechanics that they failed to achieve a new well-rounded state, lost their original wholesomeness, and broke themselves.”
monetization
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game features a straightforward monetization model with no microtransactions, loot boxes, or additional fees, but some users feel it still represents a cash grab at its $50 price point.
- “There are no microtransactions, no loot crates, no DLCs, no subscription, no Game of the Year edition for 90€, zero extra fees.”
- “Instead, they chose to cash grab for $50 from their community.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game series is highly praised for its epic quality and rich lore, which many players find to be a rare and standout feature in gaming. Overall, it contributes significantly to the immersive experience.
- “Outstanding game series that provides an epic atmosphere that I personally find rare in games.”
- “Atmosphere and lore are also pretty good.”