It’s important to remember, should you live in a fantasy universe, that things often aren’t what they seem. Yes, you might be living in a land of unicorns and rainbows, dancing with faeries, but there’s always something lurking in the shadows waiting to get you. In Age of Wonders 4 those shadows are quite literal and its brand new expansion is all about whether you fight them, or embrace them.
The Umbral Abyss is the not-at-all terrifying name for the location of this new DLC, titled Age of Wonders 4: Eldritch Realms. If you couldn’t tell by the name (and the preamble) this is a dark expansion, unleashing a new map to explore and conquer in fine 4X game fashion. This purple land is devoted to destroying anything that comes tainted with the light, and that includes most of your forces who will take damage the longer you stay. You either choose to fight this corruption, or embrace it by changing your troops to something more sympathetic to this tenebrous zone.
The unveiling of this new area has also brought forth a barrage of evil magics. If you decide to be seduced by the powers on offer you become an Eldritch Sovereign, a nightmarish lord of the night who dominates the minds of lesser creatures and twists the flesh of your creations in unholy ways. New tomes are available for you to study, where you can learn both corrupting powers direct from the Umbral Abyss as well as spells designed to bring light to dark places, helping keep eldritch abominations at bay. There’s even a load of new events that will integrate into the game, the completion of which will allow you to transform a hero into a terrifying monster.
The Eldritch Realms expansion also coincides with the release of the game’s next patch, the Mystic Update. The Mystic Culture has received a total rework, with three new schools of magic introduced that should give greater flexibility and more options for spellcasters and battlemages. You can start a new game in a shrouded unknown realms mode, with all traits starting hidden and only being discovered through the game. Or take control of your AI allies in battle, waving goodbye to frustration caused by the AI deciding to do something you desperately don’t want it to do. Check out the full patch notes over on the official site.
Age of Wonders 4: Eldritch Realms is out now, and the full game is currently 30% off until Monday, June 24 so expect to pay $34.99 / £29.39. Both are available on Steam right here.
You can also take a look at our recommendations for the best strategy games you can play, as well as our guide to the best fantasy games out there right now.
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