Dominions 6: Rise of the Pantokrator

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 837 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Dominions 6: Rise of the Pantokrator Game Cover
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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.

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Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 837 reviews
gameplay28 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • Dominions 6 offers a vast amount of content with over 100 unique nations and thousands of spells, providing endless replayability.
  • The game features significant quality of life improvements, including an auto-search for magic sites and a more streamlined UI, making it more accessible for new players.
  • The addition of a new magic path (Glamour) and the separation of mounts and riders adds depth and variety to gameplay.
  • The UI can be clunky and difficult to navigate, which may frustrate new players and detract from the overall experience.
  • Some players feel that the game is too similar to Dominions 5, leading to concerns that it doesn't justify the full price as a standalone title.
  • The AI still struggles with complex strategies, making single-player less engaging compared to multiplayer experiences.
  • gameplay116 mentions

    The gameplay of Dominions 6 is characterized by its deep and intricate mechanics, offering a rich strategic experience that rewards players willing to invest time in understanding its complexities. While the game features a steep learning curve and can be overwhelming due to its vast array of options and mechanics, it provides a rewarding experience with engaging tactical battles and diverse factions. Despite some criticisms regarding the user interface and AI, the game is praised for its depth, customization, and the potential for emergent narratives, making it a standout title in the 4X strategy genre.

    • “The sheer verticality of content is stunning, and as far as 4X strategic gameplay goes, Illwinter is so far ahead of the bell curve it puts scores of AAA titles to shame.”
    • “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.”
    • “The game gives you only limited information on what your opponent has without a battle report; you can't just select enemy units to examine them in detail, and you can't know for sure what the enemy will do this turn. This creates a strong incentive to fight wide raiding campaigns, both to gain territory and to fight small skirmishes to get glimpses of what troops they're using, what spells they've unlocked, and what magic items they've forged.”
    • “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.”
    • “Once you have learned the game system, you realize that most of the challenge in playing comes from the game interface itself rather than the gameplay.”
  • graphics79 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being outdated and minimalistic, often likened to those from the 1990s, which can be off-putting for players who prioritize visual quality. However, many reviewers appreciate the charm of the retro aesthetic and emphasize that the game's depth and engaging mechanics can outweigh its graphical shortcomings. Overall, it appeals primarily to those who value gameplay over visuals and are willing to overlook a clunky user interface and simplistic graphics.

    • “I want to underline that I love the graphics as they are, and I hope they always stay 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.”
  • music47 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, leading to disappointment among long-time fans.

    • “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.”
    • “New factions, better random generation, better AI, fog of war, new GUI, tweaked magic system, tweaked army system, new soundtrack; all around a full upgrade from Dominions 5.”
    • “The new music is worse than the Dominions 5 music.”
    • “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 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.”
  • replayability18 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, driven by its random maps, diverse nations, and complex choices in god creation, ensuring a fresh experience with each playthrough. Players highlight the staggering depth and customization options, making it a standout in the strategy genre, often comparing its replay value favorably against other 4X games. Overall, the combination of unique features and procedural elements contributes to an almost infinite replayability, appealing to both casual and dedicated strategy enthusiasts.

    • “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.”
    • “The sheer amount of replayability makes this game a golden purchase for any strategy game enthusiast!”
    • “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 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 amount of customization and replayability is staggering.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often requiring excessive clicking and micromanagement, especially in single-player mode. While some enjoy the challenge and depth it brings, many feel that it can quickly become boring without the support of an active community for multiplayer experiences. Overall, the game has improved in terms of enjoyment, but the grind remains a significant factor.

    • “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.”
  • story6 mentions

    The story in "Instead Caelum" is rich and engaging, focusing on the internal conflicts and religious divisions among its clans, which leads to a diverse cultural tapestry. In contrast, "Dominons" lacks a traditional narrative, instead offering detailed descriptions of nations and units that create a compelling backdrop, drawing from real-world mythologies to enhance the overall storytelling experience. While "Dominons" emphasizes strategic gameplay over a linear plot, it still manages to convey unique stories through its diverse factions and their interactions.

    • “Instead, Caelum is about the internal tensions and religious schisms between its clans, and the path that the story charts produces offshoots like Nazca and Ragha through cross-pollination with other cultures, making it feel much richer and more satisfying.”
    • “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 have descriptions that can be very detailed and together form a very interesting and comprehensive picture.”
    • “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, making it feel much more rich and satisfying.”
    • “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 enhancing the flavor and storytelling.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has seen significant improvements, particularly in UI and performance compared to its predecessor. While some users report performance issues on certain hardware, particularly AMD GPUs, the game generally runs well and incorporates realistic effects from in-game injuries.

    • “Performance is also pretty good.”
    • “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.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game launched in a notably unstable state, plagued by numerous bugs and graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience. Players have reported issues with balance and a confusing interface, contributing to a frustrating gameplay environment.

    • “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.”
  • humor4 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. Many find the graphics and pricing initially laughable, yet they are pleasantly surprised by the game's depth and polish, leading to entertaining gameplay experiences with new nations and unique matchups. Overall, the humor contributes to a lighthearted atmosphere that enhances the enjoyment of the game.

    • “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.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Users express a strong emotional response to the game, highlighting feelings of disappointment and frustration, particularly in comparison to previous titles. The release is described as having lost its original charm, leading to a sense of an "abusive relationship" with the game, suggesting a deep emotional impact on players.

    • “This release made me feel like I was in an abusive relationship.”
    • “I've seen so many classic titles that were eager to introduce new content and mechanics, but they failed to achieve a well-rounded state, lost their original wholesomeness, and broke themselves.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy has been criticized for lacking microtransactions, loot crates, or additional fees, yet it is perceived as a cash grab due to a $50 price tag for the game.

    • “There are no microtransactions, no loot crates, no DLCs, no subscription, no Game of the Year edition for €90, and zero extra fees.”
    • “Instead, they chose to cash grab their community for $50.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with reviewers noting its epic quality and rich lore, which contribute to a unique and immersive experience that is considered rare in the gaming landscape.

    • “The atmosphere and lore are both impressive and engaging.”
    • “An outstanding game series that offers an epic atmosphere, which I personally find rare in games.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Dominions 6: Rise of the Pantokrator

Play time

168hMedian play time
257hAverage play time
70-700hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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