57 people found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 15.4 hrs on record (0.9 hrs at review time)
Posted: 2 May, 2021 @ 7:51am
Updated: 4 May, 2021 @ 12:55am

THIS IS A SERIES WORTH SUPPORTING MADE BY DEVELOPERS WHO CARE!

If you were initially cautious about "missing out" on new features and tried to figure out which game would be the most bang for your buck out of the Age of Fear series, it's actually a lot simpler than you'd think. I'll explain below.

I suggest either buying the whole Age of Fear series or specifically the one whose story/characters draw you the most, because...

- The series backports new updates and features to older games in the series. This means that, for example, if a new feature is implemented in, say, Age of Fear 4, it will be ported back to 1, 2, and 3 before long. That way, if you don't like the playable factions in 4 but do like the factions in 1, 2, or 3, you can enjoy this new feature with your preferred playable faction without having to miss out, just because you like necromancers more than dryads, or any other number of reasons.

- Despite the connectivity in mechanics between games, the storylines aren't connected any more than being mentioned or briefly encountered in one another's campaigns. This means that you DO NOT have to play through the games before your preferred game to understand what's going on, aside from a simple, brief cameo or mention of previous protagonists' names. Pick which one interests you, and go for it!

- If you're unsure of which game's factions interest you and would like a trial run, there is a FREE TO PLAY sandbox game for Age of Fear called "The Free World"! Use this to give the factions a try and determine which game will ultimately be the most fun for you to play! If you like the gameplay of The Free World, you are guaranteed to like the gameplay of 1, 2, 3, 4, and the upcoming 5, as they are nearly identical in gameplay. Their storylines, main characters, and playable factions/playstyles are what set them apart from one another.

Ultimately, I consider the bundle very much worth it, but your mileage may vary. I haven't regretted my support of this series so much as once, and I can be quite picky! If the series interests you, I wholeheartedly suggest that you give it a try, at the very least!

Sidenote : The developers are very well behaved, in my experience, and have been a pleasure to keep up with. They're positive, respond regularly, and even go out of their way to get refunds back to people who are displeased and went past Steam's refund 2-hour limit.
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