
One of the most interesting things to come to Golden Realms is the “Mystical City” upgrade system. Much like the original AoW III, there is a campaign exclusive to this expansion that follows the tale of Ernest Thistlewood, a Halfing Warlord out to make his way in the world. Even their units express their want for a life of jocularity, with Halfing Jesters being their ranged ground unit and their support unit being the Brew Brother. The Golden Realm offers up Halfings, happy-go-lucky (literally!), clever, and peaceful demihumans who just want a tranquil existence. You work for every victory, and I love every moment of it. The game doesn’t slack nor does it give quarter. Age of Wonders III is no walk in the park and the expansions are proof of this.

It will ultimately offer more replay value in the scenarios and online multiplayer. Each race feels unique and special, and not a generic reskin of each other, which is a credit to this style of game. Plus with the forthcoming expansion, Eternal Lords, two races from prior Age of Wonders games (Frostling and Tigran) are coming back for another go around.

It’s challenging, but always offers a nice broad world to explore and dozens of ways to accomplish your goals.
