Age of Wonders 4: Giant Kings review – More depth in all the right places

Age of Wonders 4 can deliver an immensely broad range of fantasy experiences and Triumph Studios expanded that variety with the first chapter of DLCs for the turn-based strategy game. The only criticism one could reasonably levy against that initial run of expansions is that for all their shiny content, very little mechanical innovation took place — and that feedback definitely struck a chord with the developers, because the currently ongoing Expansion Pass 2 has been putting more effort into this aspect of the game. 

Giant Kings, the latest DLC for the game, feels like the result of this change of direction. Though providing a generous amount of additional content to play with, these additions pad out different areas of the experience and increase the depth of certain gameplay aspects.

Exploration is one of the four key components of 4X games and should feel extra rewarding in a fantasy world full of treasure and magic, but maps were not one of Age of Wonders 4’s strong points until now. They always looked great, but aside from Ancient Wonders and strategic goods, they didn’t contain a whole lot of features worth braving the unknown for. Landmarks change the equation. These special regions not only command attention with their visuals, but provide buffs or special recruitment options to empires taking control of the areas around them — and this is done in such a way that it becomes a tough competition for real estate, making these regions a potential catalyst for conflict.

Taking control of a Landmark requires a nearby settlement to own a certain number of regions bordering the special province, creating a race for control when two or more empires are in the vicinity. This does not only incentivize exploration, but provides organic points of interest where settlements and conflicts might flourish.

There is the flavor factor as well — and Triumph Studios seems to be utterly incapable of a miss on that front. Whether it’s impossibly majestic waterfalls, the skeleton of a giant dragon, or giant underground ruins, the fantasy vibes are off the charts.

Speaking of fantasy vibes: dungeons. Giant Kings comes with two additional Tomes of Magic, one of which is entirely centered around creating massive dungeons around your underground cities by allowing you to construct special province improvements. These change the cavern visuals into something more dignified for underworld rulers and even unlock new units. These additions go hand in hand with major updates to underground gameplay that are available for free, such as the fact that lava provinces can now be annexed and exploited – they are juicy sources of gold and mana – and some units can even traverse the hot substance, building a road over it for less resistant troops. Together with other tweaks, this greatly elevates playing below ground and further reinforces the fantasy aspect. Appropriately, the Tome of Geomancy allows your empire to further attune with the earth and become an elemental race that derives bonuses from whatever its surroundings are, putting even more of an emphasis on terrain.

Maps get filled with even more useful stuff thanks to another DLC feature, wandering traders. Every now and then merchants will set up shop in some of your provinces, offering goods you can either purchase with surplus gold or – if you so desire – rob by attacking the shops. What seems like a nice little gimmick at first can become a massive game changer for your empire. The Beast Wrangler, for example, has a deal that allows you to recruit mounted infantry units while he’s in your empire, which can transform the nature of your armies substantially. I was always glad to welcome the Drill Instructor in my empire as well, as he offers hero equipment and skills to bolster your characters’ prowess.

Age of Wonders 4’s procedurally generated provinces have also been reinforced with regions handmade by the developers and featuring tons of new visual effects and assets. These areas get interspersed with the ones created by the map generation, making things more interesting.

Another new area type, Fated Regions, not only come with unique visuals, but have their own little quests going on that you can complete for extra rewards and more of that RPG fun. 

Giant Kings further enhances gameplay by adding a brand-new type of NPC faction, the Crystal Dwellings. Empires can vie for their favor and attention in various ways, such as completing their quests or providing them with resources, which unlocks better and better trade options. This will allow players to purchase artifacts, equipment, special units, and other useful stuff.

In short: The map feels more alive, more fantastical, and more impactful than ever before, which makes exploration so much more satisfying and rewards interacting with the world a lot more.

A pretty major update to the Feudal culture will come as part of the free patch, allowing you to create a more monarchist or a more aristocratic realm — the latter even features noble houses, in case you’re down for some Game of Thrones vibes. The DLC itself only comes with a single addition to the faction-builder, but it’s one not easily overlooked: the titular Elder Giants.

You can choose between Storm, Rock, Fire, and Ice Giant as your ruler, providing you with a pretty strong flavor for the campaign right from the start. Giants are quite powerful, as you’d imagine: They can craft unique equipment using ancient runes and terraform their domains, which can turn out to be super potent in combination with the right Tomes of Magic. Literally being able to shape the battlefield to your advantage is a handy talent to have.

Mountains are not the only thing these Giants can flatten, though. Be it a magical obelisk, an enormous axe, or an immense warhammer, a Giants’ primary weapon leaves no enemies in range standing. In addition to area-of-effect melee attacks, they conjure animated weapons, throw boulders and other materials, or simply stomp on any opposition before them. They also benefit from unique signature skills that are independent of your empire’s affinities, making the Giants an especially versatile ruler type.

There is once again much attention to detail here to enjoy as well: Giants are so massive that they simply stick out of the sea during naval battles or on the world map — they don’t need to board a ship.

While having fewer shiny additions to greet you with immediately on the faction-building screen than previous DLCs, Age of Wonders 4: Giant Kings is exactly the type of expansion I’ve been patiently waiting for. We can finally unleash all those handcrafted power fantasies on a world that has the flavor and style to match our creations.

Score: 9/10

Platform tested: PC