There’s no doubt that we are in a bit of a golden period for console-based strategy games. Whether that be Crusader Kings III, or either Age of Empires II or Age of Empires IV, fans of the genre should be delighted with what is on offer. When you throw Age of Wonders 4 into the mix too, then excitement levels should reach all-new heights. Especially when you consider there’s the new Empires & Ashes expansion available too.
A new Age of Wonders 4 expansion
Available right now across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC is Age of Wonders 4: Empires & Ashes. This should be seen as a major expansion for the game that released earlier in the year, adding in a ton of content as it comes.
Running a suggested retail price of $19.99/£16.99/€19.99, Empires & Ashes will allow players to fly in the face of tradition. See, Paradox Interactive and Triumph Studios have added in a new avian physical form to the game, alongside an industrial culture of war, a new victory condition, more Tomes of Magic, mounts and missions.
It comes as you get the chance to combine magic and steel with all-new techniques in order to create the most mighty of war machines. See, the Reaver culture is hellbent on driving society forward through industry, and by unlocking the Seals of Power, players can claim a new kind of victory and control the Astral Sea.
“Age of Wonders 4 continues to evolve with ongoing development and community feedback. To add new and different elements to our fantasy world, we’re adding a new culture into the mix that will help shape new stories,” said Lennart Sas, Co-founder of Triumph Studios and Director of Age of Wonders 4. “We will add many features on top of this industrial warfare, like the Avian Form and Seals of Power victory condition, alongside one of our biggest free content updates, the Golem Update, which we built based on direct community feedback. Together with our players, we have many more worlds to explore!”
Key expansion features
The Age of Wonders 4: Empires & Ashes key features are pretty solid in fact. You’d do well to check them out below.
- Reaver Culture: Push progress forward at any cost in the Reaver culture, whose industrial might is fueled by conquests and raids. These expert engineers have mastered the art of binding magic to technology to achieve unparalleled power and dominance.
- Avian Form: Hatch your most cunning strategy yet with the new Avian Form, complete with a set of traits and customization options.
- 4 New Tomes: Sharpen your anti-magic prowess, unlock the secrets of transmutation, and muster legions of machines and automatons. Bring forth magical mechanical wonders and dominate the battlefield like never before.
- New Seals of Power Victory Mechanic: Locate and claim the Seals of Power to control access to the Astral Sea – and hold them long enough to control the realm in a fan-favourite Age of Wonders victory condition!
- 2 New Story Missions: Fight alongside Laryssa in order to stop the rampaging forces of Chaos from destroying the Astral Sea.
- A New Ancient Wonder and Infestation Location: Unearth a new hidden wonder and explore infested derelict workshops. Harness the power of ancient relics and clear the path to greatness!
- New Wildlife Units and Mounts: From bear mounts to scrap hermits, ready to heed your orders, or fall before your might.
- 6 New Music Tracks: Let 6 new tracks transport you to a world of fantasy and adventure!
And a Golem Update too!
And further to that, a new free content update should be found accompanying the expansion. This adds in new game features to all players, with the Golem Update focusing on…
- Item Forge: Create new equipment for your heroes and march into battle with unparalleled power and style
- War Coordination: Give specific instructions to your vassals to aid you in times of war
- Form Trait Rework: Design your race’s inherent physical abilities with new levels of freedom
- New Events: 25 new in-game events to encounter, themed around war and conquest
- Improved Water Gameplay: Graphical and mechanical improvements to sailing the seas on the world map and in combat
- New Spell book Interface: Browse your available spells from a proper Wizard’s tome
Grab the expansion now
If you’re an Age of Wonders 4 player, we’d suspect you’ll want the Empires & Ashes expansion included in your game. It’s available individually (£16.74 from the Xbox Store) or is found in the Expansion Pass for the game. If you previously purchased the Premium Edition of Age of Wonders 4, you’ll find it all included.
Should you wish to know more about the base game of Age of Wonders 4, check out our full review.
Age of Wonders 4: Empires & Ashes is now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC.
DLC Description
Fuse magic and steel to create mighty weapons of war in the Age of Wonders 4: Empires & Ashes expansion. Ravage the realms of the Godir with the brutal Reaver culture, and besiege cities with cannons and war machines. Seek a new kind of victory by unlocking the secrets of the Seals of Power to conquer the Astral Sea!
