Press Coverage

Reviews, Interviews, Previews & Press Releases

Computer Times Online Edition: Age of Wonders II Review - September 18, 2002
Age of Wonders II is a turn-based strategy game that will fill your days with fantasy and wonder.

The music of the game is wonderfully atmospheric and remains fresh even after playing a four-hour campaign.

Age of Wonders II is not for the impatient. But if you overlook its dated graphics and steep learning curve, you will play one of the most compelling and engrossing turn-based strategy games of the year.

Well Rounded Entertainment: Age of Wonders II Review - August 28, 2002
And while eye-candy means less in strategy games than other genres, it's worth noting that the spell effects are about as good as you can expect to see in a turn-based strategy. The sounds are nice and sharp too. You'd be hard pressed to find a better looking tile-based, strategy game.

Because the focus of AOW2 is more on capture and conquest than empire building, it has a certain war game feel. Without the empire building aspects of Master of Magic, it's hard to see AOW2 as the true heir to that legacy.

That's irrelevant, though, as Age of Wonders 2 has moved the series from being an "also ran" fantasy strategy clone to becoming a great game in it's own right.

GameSpot Australia: Age of Wonders II Review - August 16, 2002
This is not a particularly original production, but it looks good and plays well, a rare combination in the world of gaming. Age of Wonders lacks the addictive properties of Civilization and the history of Heroes, but is so well done that its creative license can be forgiven. Warlords IV is still a long way away, making this the best new game of its kind on the market. Fantasy and Strategy enthusiasts will find it a game well worth their time and money.
SpotScore: 8.6/10

The Wargamer: Age of Wonders II Review - July 30, 2002
Age of Wonders II adds many features to the original game but these features are not merely chrome thrown into the pot. Magic, cities, resources and combat are woven into a comprehensive thread that demands equal attention to all four elements. In some systems, so many balls in the air could lead to micromanagement nightmares. So skillfully are they intertwined that players are absorbed and challenged, instead of being drained. To say that this game begs for "one more turn" is an understatement; it begs for "one more week."

GameSpy: Age of Wonders II: Postmortem - July 28, 2002
Looking back on their achievements, the AoW II team notes the highlights and pitfalls of working such an ambitious project.

The Adrenaline Vault: Age of Wonders II Review - July 26, 2002
Age of Wonders II is an extremely well put together package. Everything from the graphics to the gameplay has sky-high production values, and the title is simply a ton of fun to play. It's one of those games you can start playing one evening, and then the next time you look up it's three in the morning. I don't think that it's going to bring lots of new fans to the strategy genre, but it's one that even the most casual strategy fan will get a lot of fun out of. The developers at Triumph Studios have packed an immense amount of gameplay value into Age of Wonders II, and anyone who picks up a copy should get many hours of enjoyment.
Overall: 4/5 Stars

Gamers Pulse: Age of Wonders II Review - July 21, 2002
Age of Wonders 2: The Wizard's Throne is a phenomenal game. It's going to be on my personal top ten list for 2002, unless some amazing things happen in the flurry of fall releases. Fans of the TBS genre have no excuse not to pick this game up, and if you haven't broken into the genre yet, there's never been a better reason.
Rating: 46-50 Seal of Excellence

The Armchair Empire: Age of Wonders II Review - July 8, 2002
Age of Wonders II: The Wizard's Throne does a good job with the turn-based conventions. There's a big list of spells, many details to track, loads of different units to recruit, train, and summon, a good level of challenge, an interface that doesn't get in the way of playing the game, and a very intriguing end-game sequence. If you're into the turn-based fantasy genre, you'll find it's probably money well spent.
Score: 8.2/10

Game Revolution: Age of Wonders II Review - July 2, 2002
Age of Wonders II turns out not to be a wonder at all. It's bland food that is only slightly improved by the huge portions. For starving fans of the genre, there's plenty to eat here, but the rest of you should save your money for a spicier meal.
Revolution Report Card: B-

Gamers.nl: Age of Wonders II Developer Chat - June 29, 2002
Gamers.nl hosted a chat with the developers on thursday 27:th. This is the log from the chatsession.

ELiTeD: Age of Wonders II Review - June 28, 2002
Overall the gameplay is addicting, you can honestly lose hours of sleep playing. I have not run into any bugs thus far which is a rarity these days. The graphics are beautiful and add to the enjoyment. Even the well characterized AI found in AoW2 are hard to defeat. AoW was a hit, and with AoW2 being an improvement from the first I can only see it surpassing others. If you enjoyed Disciples 2 you are going to love Age of Wonders 2.
Overall: 87%

The Electric Playground: Age of Wonders II Review - June 28, 2002
Age of Wonders II: The Wizard's Throne attempts to be the "Jack of all trades" of the fantasy genre; it does a bit of everything, but excels at nothing.
Score: 8/10

PC Gameworld: Age of Wonders II Review - June 26, 2002
Highs: Plenty of depth to be found; high replayability; PBEM option; great lookin’ and great playin’.
Lows: Some of the sound effects could be better; the AI can be tough.
Verdict: One of the best turn based games this year, and a boon to any strategy gamer.
Score: 95%

ZenGamer: Age of Wonders II Review - June 25, 2002
Well, if you thought the latest installment of Civilization had too much complexity, and what you really wanted was something where you could get right into the combat and focus on it + a streamlined version of city management, then Age of Wonders 2 might be of interest (provided they prefer the fantasy milieu rather than realistic). For anyone with a liking for turn-based strategic combat, ditto. For anyone who enjoyed the first one, this is a no-brainer: just get it. With two demos out and a low price-tag if you do a bit of searching (30 bucks!), the gameplay and longevity in Age of Wonders 2 make it a keeper.
Overall (not an average): 9/10

Games Domain: Age of Wonders II Review - June 25, 2002
Pros: An excellent sequel. Near perfection for tactical turn-based strategy. Wonderfully presented with great interface.
Cons: Graphics are muddy when zoomed in. Won't draw in any casual gamesplaying crowd.

Gaming Illustrated: Age of Wonders II Review - June 25, 2002
Final Word: For strategy and fantasy fans, AOW2 will answer why the Age of Wonders series is regarded as games that remains on one’s hard drive as other games come and go. Despite flaws, it’s the best turn-based strategy game this side of Civilization III. Those who prefer more visceral action may enjoy the AOW2’s tactical combat feature, but the game is essentially a turn-based think-fest, and therefore is unlikely to convert those who are more addicted to real-time strategy’s frantic pace!
Overall Score: 88%

The Trades: Age of Wonders II Review - June 24, 2002
This is a great game for people that love fantasy role playing AND games like Civilization. Other than a few quirks that could possibly be corrected in later patches, this is a solid game that will provide a great deal of enjoyment.
Grade: A-

Gamezilla: Age of Wonders II Review - June 24, 2002
Buy this game if you like this genre or if it appeals to your interests; specialty title or narrow focus.

GameSpy: Age of Wonders II Review - June 24, 2002
The Lowdown: If you like turn-based fantasy this is a must buy.
Pros: Streamlined gameplay better than the original; aggressive A.I.; superb visuals; ships with a map editor; multiplayer is a joy.
Cons: A few A.I. quirks; interface is a bit cumbersome; no random maps.
Score: 89 - Excellent

ActionTrip: Age of Wonders II Review - June 21, 2002
Highs: Great and clean turn-based strategy fun with an exciting plot, loads of realms to explore, spells to use, and enemies to ice. Impressive AI. Clear-cut UI.
Lows: Perhaps a lower learning curve would be in order. Some units need more sounds. The graphics appear a bit dated, though that's not much of a con in a turn-based strategy.
Rating: 87 - Very Good

Gamersclick: Age of Wonders II Review - June 20, 2002
Pros: Beautiful graphics.
Cons: Steep learning curve for players new to the series.
Overall: 82% - Verdict: Superb

GameZone: Age of Wonders II Review - June 17, 2002
Age of Wonders II: The Wizard’s Throne is visually delightful, though a somewhat average turn-based strategy game
GZ Review Rating: Overall 7.4

GameSpot: Age of Wonders II Review - June 17, 2002
Though it may seem difficult for beginners, Age of Wonders II sounds good, looks great, plays terrific, and improves on every aspect of the original game.
GameSpot Score: 8.8 - Great

Blue's News: Age of Wonders II Demo - June 14, 2002
The official demo is released!

GameSpot: Age of Wonders II Impressions - June 11, 2002
With 37 new screenshots!

GameSpy: Age of Wonders II Spells: Part IV - June 7, 2002

GameSpy: Age of Wonders II Spells: Part III - June 3, 2002

GameSpy: Age of Wonders II Spells: Part II - June 3, 2002

GameSpy: Age of Wonders II Spells: Part I - June 4, 2002

GODGames: 5 Desktop Wallpapers - May 21, 2002

GameSpy: Preview - May 20, 2002

GameSpot: Preview - May 17, 2002

Games Domain: Preview - May 14, 2002

PC.IGN: Preview - May 9, 2002

GameSpot: Screenshots - May 1, 2002
3 new screenshots added

Wargamer: Beta Demo Review - April 23, 2002

Lidium: Beta Demo Review - April 20, 2002

ActionTrip: Interview - April 13, 2002
Interview with Lennart Sas

Gamers.nl: Interview - April 10, 2002
Interview with Lennart Sas

IGN: AOW2: Behind the Magic #4 - April 10, 2002
The wizards Nekron, Tempest and Serena are presented!

HomeLan: Interview - April 9, 2002
Interview with Lennart Sas

Evil Avatar - April 3, 2002
3 screenshots

IGN: AOW2: Behind the Magic #3 - April 3, 2002
The wizards Mab, Karissa and Anon are presented!

Worthplaying.com: Age of Wonders 2 - Overview and Screens - April 3, 2002
New very high resolution screenshots, story and information!

IGN: AOW2: Behind the Magic #2 - March 27, 2002
The wizards Arachna, Nimue and Marinus are presented!

IGN: AOW2: Behind the Magic #1 - March 20, 2002
The wizards Yaka, Artica and Fangir are presented!

CG Online: Preview - February 20, 2002
New Screenshots!

Nextgame.it: AoW2 Preview in Italian - February ?, 2002
New Screenshots!

Multiplayer.it: AoW2 Preview in Italian - February ?, 2002
New Screenshots!

GameSpy: Preview - February 8, 2002
New Screenshots!

GameSpot: Preview/Interview - February 3, 2002

GameSpot: GameSpotting - January 29, 2002

Computer Games Online Desktop Wallpaper - January 18, 2002
Julia as a wallpaper, 5 different resolutions.

GameSpot Preview - December 17, 2001
Preview with 41 screenshots!

IGN Preview - December 17, 2001
Preview with 32 screenshots!

Planet of Wonders Interview (alt) - November 27, 2001
The site closed down, but still presents Gamemania's last interview with Lennart Sas, Triumph Studios.

Best of E3 Awards, The Wargamer - June 11, 2001

Preview by Nordramor, Stratos Group - May 29, 2001

The Best and Worst of E3 according to StratosGroup - May 25, 2001

Preview by Nordramor, posted at the AoW Heaven Forum - May 21, 2001

Interview by Danc, posted at the AoW Heaven Forum - May 20, 2001

G.O.D. Games E3 Preview - May 2001
Six new screen shots released in anticipation of the 2001 E3 Convention

Computer Strategy Games: E3 2001 - Age of Wonders 2 - May, 2001

6 screenshots, Prophecy - May 18, 2001

Preview by Dexter, posted at Planet of Wonders - May 17, 2001
Unfortunately this interview disappeared together with the Planet of Wonders site.

Preview (new screenshots), GameSpot - May 17, 2001

Preview (new screenshots), GameSpy - May 17, 2001

Preview (new screenshots), IGN - May 17, 2001

Preview (new screenshots), at Gamespot - May 17, 2001

Screenshots and E3 plans, The Adrenaline Vault - May 10, 2001

New Screenshots, at Gamespot - May 10, 2001

New info and screenshots for the coming E3, GOD - May 9, 2001

Info and 9 screenshots, PC Gameworld - May, 2001

Action Trip Interview - March 12, 2001
Interview with AoW 2 Programmer, Josh Farley, about some of the features of AoW 2.

GameSpot Interview - February, 2001
Interview with AoW 2 Project Leader, Lennart Sas, about new features and races (6 screen shots)

Gameport Screen Shots - February 20, 2001
3 new AoW 2 screen shots (Russian site)

G.O.D. Announced Age of Wonders 2, at DaGameBoyz - jan 26, 2001

GameSpot Announcement - January 26, 2001
First official announcement that "AoW 2: The Wizard's Throne" is being developed.
   First interview (with 6 screenshots)

Triumph Studios, Official Press Release - January 26, 2001
Detailed list of projected game features. Predicted release date: Spring 2002

Same news at Blue's News (with discussion)

Same news from The Adrenaline Vault

Evil Avatar was (one of the) first with the news about AoW2. - jan 4, 2001
There's a discussion below the article
   First Screen Shot (actually it's a blurry scan of a printout of a screenshot)