The event queue on the right side of the screen stands out as an elegant way to ferry players through significant moments that require their attention, from research results to diplomatic missives. Many of the controller buttons function similarly to hotkey-style shortcuts for PC players, allowing for rapid navigation of the various menus for city management and army control. There’s a common belief that complex strategy titles don’t have a home on console, but Triumph Studios has done a remarkable job in adapting their Creator Engine from Age of Wonders 3 into a console setting. As far as I’m concerned, this is a significant trade up for the franchise, as I will happily exchange elves and dwarves for, well, just about anything. This is where the Age of Wonders series has made its mark for twenty years and, with the recent release of Planetfall, the series transitions from the Tolkien-esque territory of its first four installments into the cold unknown of outer space. Of course, the speculative settings of high fantasy or science fiction can offer a reprieve from the more immediate sociopolitical ramifications of this dirty work. Even in more cerebral takes on the formula like Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, the player is signing up to enjoy all the indulgences of power through empire. 4X players explore, expand, exploit and exterminate their enemies (get it?) in pursuit of one form of global conquest or another, and they do so under the guise of capital-P Progress. Let’s just say it up front - there may not be a genre in gaming that glorifies the imperialist violence of colonialism more than 4X strategy. WTF The “succubots” slapping their own butts as idle animation. LOW Rough tutorial, inconsistent AI, unstable multi, minor UI bugs. HIGH Spectacular combo of grand strategy and tactical combat.
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