Age of Wonders: Planetfall will drop into your life and steal your heart
Nothing quite revs my engines like the promise of epic science-fiction battles in some vast expanse of an unknown galaxy. Wrap all that promise in a nifty 4X strategy tortilla and you can bet your sweet seat meat I’ll be throwing my money at it and giggling like a prepubescent schoolboy.
I get it, the 4X strategy scene has all but faded save for a few independent titles and often obscure PC releases appealing to the most diehard armchair generals. Yet there is still a reason to cling to the great standbys of ten years ago with the latest run into the Age of Wonders franchise. This time it’s a foray complete with ugly cyborgs, wacky insectoids, and dinosaur-riding warrior women!
Triumph Studios have had some generally favorable titles in the high fantasy genre of strategy games and, to be honest, none of them really captured my attention. There is only so much you can do within the Tolkienesque boilerplate that hasn’t been rocked by the Warhammer franchises, which overshadowed the Age of Wonders games for compelling content. Nevertheless, AoW still had a few cool gimmicks and story elements to encourage playing around with.
Now Triumph has dropped Planetfall right into our laps with a fresh take on a dated strategy trope and has actually pulled it off. Make no mistake, AoW: Planetfall is heavy 4X strategy at its core with a mix of Civilization, XCOM and Alpha Centauri thrown in—and it’s everything you could want in a strategy game.
There are six distinct races with unique units, perks, vices, and customizations. A feature I really like is the custom tweaks you can apply to your chosen commander. Decking out your hero in fantastic duds before dropping them into a procedurally generated world full of angry natives and strange alien technology feels wholesome on a fundamental level.
Currently, I’m stalking around the alien landscape with the Vanguard, a marooned Heinleinesque troop of human space explorers for the starting campaign. The art design is pretty much standard in the way of science fiction with some cool nuances that harken to great science fiction works like Frank Herbert’s “Dune”, “The Hyperion Cantos”, and “Ender’s Game”. You will feel like you’re uncovering vast and colorful novel covers from some of the classics turn by turn.
The outstanding hook that AoW: Planetfall offers is in the way combat is carried out. This takes the god-view civilization big game and scales it down into a tactical slice where you dole out orders and stack your units against cover. It rolls out like an XCOM mission in turn-based bouts centered around strategic planning and utilizing cover where you can.
The skirmishes have other tactical layers that can be researched over time, such as airstrikes, healing buffs, and void technologies that allow your troops to phase through solid objects. Sending a squad of combat engineers with flechette shotguns through enemy cover for a flanking assault never felt so satisfying.
I’m eager to further explore each race to see how they play out. Considering the substantial upgrades and tactical choices presented early on, it’s evident that this game begs to be enjoyed gradually over time.
For beginners looking to cut their teeth on a 4X strategy title, this may be a tough nut to crack…but the payoffs for patience can be huge. Those of us familiar with the one-more-turn game hook are going to be in comfy territory as we pick up on the little details that make this game such a gem.
As a special note: this game even plays well on the console. I know, I’m speaking blasphemy here, but somehow Triumph Studios has managed to port a 4X turn-based strategy game to a console and it not be total garbage. Cycling orders is a snap, reviewing diplomacy options and research trees doesn’t induce rage, and before long you will be marching armies and building colonies with ease. It takes some getting used to but it’s worth the time to figure out.
AoW: Planetfall oozes ample charm, although it may be the swan song of the aging 4X variety of strategy games. To be honest, it’s quite the sendoff. With such a lore rich sci-fi universe to explore and exploit, it’s sure to be one of those collectors’ titles that will grace the shelf alongside GalCiv, Civilization, and Sins of a Solar Empire. Prepare yourself: you’re in for a slick adventure, one turn at a time.
When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.