The golden age of the Star Union has passed and the sun is rising from a cosmic dark age. The worlds under the former Star Union have been left to their own devices. Some civilisations have perished, others adapted, whilst others find what is left. By taking the role of the remaining governing bodies, you are tasked with finding out the hidden secrets and fate of the former galactic empire and of how time has treated the worlds it possessed.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall, much like it’s previous titles in the Age of Wonders series, is rich with overarching and sub-plot stories and lore. From the rise and fall of the empire that once stood proud and strong, to the write ups about sentient plant life that now inhabit the worlds you explore, it is all their. And so, your decisions make an impact on how your handle such information, molding the future of the world into your making.

If you crave oodles of story and love reading through discovery logs then this is definitely a game that ticks that box!

Being a 4X title, picking the faction for you is very important. Yes, 6 might seem small in comparison to other titles in the genre but, what Planetfall lacks in quantity they by far make up for in character, diversity, and unique feel. These factions are the militaristic Vanguard, the dinosaur riding Amazons, the space Dwarves called the Dvar Consortia, the faithful insects known as Kir’Ko, an undead cyborg race referred to as The Assembly, and a ruthless merchant faction called The Syndicate.

Each one of these factions has their own base abilities, strengths, weakness, and bias. But, it doesn’t stop there. Once you have set your mind on a faction, you can flesh them and your commander out. These include background traits, supplements for your colony, and equipment for your commander. You can even give them a vice giving them an additional weakness but allowing you to pick more perks. Secret tech is also on the table that you can employ during the game to give your faction a big advantage if you can successfully implement them.

So, building a faction from the ground up on a foundation of an idea is a very exciting and enticing prospect. Pick a tick in this box if you love that idea too!

4X, being Explore–Expand–Exploit–Exterminate, is a genre that is an excellent endevour for empire building. This also comes with a plethora of decisions with every step you take on your journey to success. This even means deciding what success means to you. Do you want to win by eradicating all that stands before you? Or are you more of a merchant establishing a complex ecological ecology welcoming all into your prosperous arms? If not, what about religion and giving faith and meaning to others that you contact? There are goals to be crafted and pursued for every commander.

Along the path that you choose, maintaining your colonies, armies, and relations is vital. Focusing on agriculture to expand quicker but also conscripting additional soldiers to protect your growing empire is a very simple example. But, looking deeper shows that social pressures on your colony increase and may have consequences if not monitored. Trade with neighbouring minor factions for crucial resources can help fill in the gaps. But, wait, they want protection in return? The web gets being with more things that can get trapped in it too.

Crafting your legacy is always attractive pursuit. Immortalising this in an empire is even better. Gaining complete control on what policies, construction focus, militaristic upgrades, and diplomacy or war options to take is a sign of true power. Another tick in the box?

With story campaigns for each of the factions played out on a randomly generated world, it is easy to see the longevity of the game. Especially when you consider the faction customisation before you make planetfall. No two games are every going to be the same. Even if you pick the same faction customisations, the variables in the world and situations that emerge will always keep you guessing.

A few more aspects to think about are difficulty settings, world variables, and world ecology. By tweaking the difficulty to fit your preferences, the A.I. will be adjusted and respond accordingly. If you like challenge then there is definitely a setting to test you. As for the world, the randomness can provide interesting world geography that make you adopt different tactics and strategies. Not only that but the ecology of the world will have make decisions on whether to save a species of fauna or eradicate them to increase production for example.

Gaining a bit of excitement for a colossal amount of hours you could pour into Planetfall? Then give yourself another tick!

Simply put, Age of Wonders: Planetfall will be coming to PS4, XBox One, and Steam. It is awesome to see more strategy games such as this one come to consoles and is made available to more platforms. Gaining new audiences and growing a passionate community provides more warming experience. Sharing the stories you have experienced with others and gaining new companions along the way is great!

Speaking of companions, playing this game with your friends multiplies the possibilities of experiences for the title. Human players are less predictable that A.I. in games and playing strategy titles with your friends or even online can create some very interested and fun scenarios. It can also increase your skills dramatically as adapting to new situations will keep your mind trained.

So, itching to play with or against your friends and others? Throw strategy in the mix, oodles of lore, faction customisation and you have a very personal, unique, and fun experience. One more tick, yes?

And that is your lot. For more information on Age of Wonders: Planetfall and options for purchase please visit their official website. Which faction will your be playing first? Let us know in the comments below. Stay tuned for more news, reviews, and guides. Until next time, smile and game!