Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic Critic Reviews

With its highly varied gameplay, mesmerizing atmosphere, gorgeous soundtrack and overall polish, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is a hypnotizing game so absorbing that it made the world around me dissolve away.

SM's grandest new feature is its random map generator. It works, it's terrific, and as much as I wish I could grouse about it so I don't come off as a fanboy, I can't.

Probably the pinnacle of turn-based strategy titles to date.

A perfect place to jump into the Age of Wonders series. It's "Age of Wonders II," only sporting a few refinements and a lot of extra content.

The largest maps, which have three different levels of land, can provide dozens of hours of gameplay.

The amount of additional features, characters, and units, is so impressive we don't have the space to get into the details. Suffice it to say, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic displays a commendable variety of content that brought the franchise to new heights and effectively improved upon the excellent gameplay of the previous title.

Despite the recycled graphics engine and undulating difficulty, Shadow Magic offers outstanding gameplay with unlimited playability in a variety of gameplay modes.

Shadow Magic carries on the Age of Wonders series' tradition of fine turn-based strategy gameplay, and the changes introduced by the game should please both Age of Wonders veterans and gamers new to the series.

Does a great job of improving on its predecessor's shortcomings and offering deeper, more-balanced gameplay.

Provides a lot of bang for your buck; it's loaded with additional features, tweaks, and is simply a more balanced game from top to bottom.

There's lots of new stuff to play with, many new units, many new spells, plenty of campaign scenarios, single scenarios, and a random map generator that actually works like it's supposed to.

The new races added to Age of Wonders already fantastic fantasy world and a host of customizable campaign and level editors means that fans of turn-based strategy will never have to play the same missions twice.

The instruction manual is lacking and the controls can be a little confusing. But with all of the different gameplay elements, Age of Wonders is an excellent addition to anyone’s library.

The focus on wizards adds far more of an edge than Heroes of Might and Magic’s army action, and the increased level of tactics puts Disciples to shame.

A fine game in its own right, a throwback to old-school epic strategy at a time when turn-based games are starting to feel like a dying breed.

A random map generator will give you some decent replay value as it works great. It's almost like acquiring a new expansion pack every time you use it.

Though there are a few interface and gameplay quirks, "Shadow Magic" is immensely satisfying. Whether you're new to these games or a grizzled veteran, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic"will keep you playing late into the night.

This quasi-expansion pack/sequel doesn’t really light any fires, but it does play well. Unfortunately, it lacks that compelling reason to continue playing.

Like an unexpectedly good BLT. It’s based a little too heavily on "Heroes of Might and Magic," making you long for the days of the "Armageddon Blade," but with some nice crisp bacon and cool fresh lettuce, it still makes for a satisfying sandwich.

But don't be fooled. The new content isn't overwhelming, and Shadow Magic plays almost identically to "Age of Wonders II."