Recent reviews by hanus_amos

a nostalgic romp that still delivers despite more than a few rough edges

a lot of grinding but little meaningful challenge awaits once you figure out the UI and keyboard commands

Game possesses a certain charm, but Stoneshard's stingy inventory and save systems are a needless pain and five years of EA just doesn't pass the smell test. Was shocked to find custom characters remain unavailable, let alone the campaign.

Can feel overwhelming at first but there's some excellent community guides and AI opponents tuned to Easy will make for forgiving (ha!) tutors. I've barely scratched the surface.

fun little auto-battler but a little shallow, I recommend picking this up on sale

Engaging strategy with a lot to teach you about the politics of the era

Well-crafted blend of tower defense and old-school RTS gaming

Not much of an improvement over M&B tournaments and those are only a small part of a larger game. Some large-scale fights approximate the feeling of simpler M&B battles that don't use cavalry or ranged troops. Enemies go full tilt and effortlessly absorb hits before rag-dolling at the killing blow. Found myself fighting with the camera controls when fighting multiple opponents, which happens regularly. Would have liked to see more obvious debilitation, visible wounds, and GORE from the character models. Sword-and-sandal aficionados should wait for a sale.

Space fauna is yet another "feature" that automatically gets turned off

I have bounced off this title several times. Even as a veteran of the series, the many innovations made to the strategic and diplomatic layers have caught me off-guard. AI settings are not graded for vanity; it is punishing to learn how your own and other factions play on normal difficulty. Battles can be autoresolved but you will slog through several to gain an appreciation for the hundreds of spells, traits, and abilities on offer.

Aside from my personal skill issues, the game looks beautiful but the campaign narrative leaves a lot to be desired. Every map is its own separate world and there is little by way of connective tissue between scenarios or the people who populate them. Previous titles avoided this by taking place in different regions of the same world. AOE4 factions have no history and worlds are not places to live in or grow attached to but puzzles to solve with all the drama and depth of a chess match.