Triumph Studios’ second major expansion for its space 4X strategy Age of Wonders: Planetfall is now available. Invasions introduces the Shakarn, a new violent faction that are hell-bent on conquest (and use holographic disguises to imitate enemies). A new NPC race has also been added with the Therians who have combined their DNA with animals and can either fight with or against you.

In terms of campaign missions, players will have two new maps with one seeing the Shakarn invading the Egalitarian League of Planets. New World Events have also been added in the form of catastrophes like superstorms, solar flares and even pirates. You’ll also have to contend with a new late-game threat – the Voidbringers.

Capable of traveling between dimensions, the Voidbringers can send numerous armies at you at a time. You can either halt their advance or pledge yourself to the void, as it were. Finally, there’s the new Conquered Worlds multiplayer mode where several players must team together to fight a single player with a large empire.

Though perhaps not as well regarded as its predecessor, Age of Wonders: Planetfall continues to receive updates and paid DLC to further expand its brand of sci-fi strategy. The latest DLC, Invasions, releases on May 26th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC and introduces the Shakarn along with a new NPC race, the Therians. Check out the trailer below.

While the Therians are all about combining their DNA with animals in strange ways, the Shakarn are the antagonistic kind of species. They live to conquer and have arrived on the planet to do just that. New campaign maps will be available and there’s even a new mode where several players can team up to take on a single superpower ruled by another player.

But that’s not all. A new end-game threat, the Voidbringers, is also included along with solar flares, pirates and several other world events. Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Invasions is only the second DLC for the title. A third DLC is out this Fall. Stay tuned for more details on both in the coming months.

Triumph Studios’ Age of Wonders: Planetfall made a pretty decent impact at launch but has somewhat fallen off over the months. Fortunately, the new Tyrannosaurus update is here to spice things up, granting more customization for difficulty settings, new features, improvements and more. Check out the release trailer below.

Some of the game settings that can be changed to increase (or decrease) the difficulty include the activity of rival players, spawners and NPC factions. Each can be tweaked to be more aggressive or passive, depending on the experience you want. A new mode called No Colonizer has also been added which prevents players from building new colonies outside of the pre-existing settlements on the map. You’ll need to manage your military more carefully as a result.

Visit Sites have also been revamped into Exploration Sites and will now grant a buff to a colony’s units when linked to it. You’ll also receive a bonus to your economy. Other nice changes include enemies that will beg for mercy if their stack is weaker than yours (while more powerful armies will accept bribes to go away). Along with the update, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is also 50 percent off on Steam so it might be worth checking out.

Triumph Studios’ first paid DLC for Age of Wonders: Planetfall is now available with Revelations. It adds some new mechanics, two new campaigns revolving around Heritor Secret Technology and much more. Those who owns the Season Pass should be able to access the DLC. Check out the release trailer below.

The two new campaigns concern the Heritor’s descendants rising up along with the Es’teq dynasty awakening. Over 10 hours of new content is promised but you also get the new Tomb world Scenario (one where more players can join in for the quest). New Anomalous Sites can be explored which contain different enemies and traps for interesting rewards.

Then there’s the Heritor tech itself which can drain an enemy’s essence and be used to summon new allies or potent skills. A new content update is available for all current players, free of charge, where Imperial Defenses can be taken over and then accompanying Operations used to strengthen colonies.

For more information on Age of Wonders: Planetfall, check out our review for the game here.

Triumph Studios’ Age of Wonders: Planetfall will receive its first paid expansion Revelations on November 19th. Announced at PDXCON 2019, the expansion will feature new campaign missions, some new gameplay mechanics and the introduction of the Heritor Secret Technology. Check out the announcement trailer below.

The Heritor are interesting for their use of Entropy weapons which excel against machines. The tech can also be used to drain essence from foes and bring new units to the fore. Other new features include Anomalous Sites, which consist of over 30 different sites containing traps and enemies but which also house significant rewards.

A new Scenario will also be available with “Tomb World” along with a new NPC faction called “The Forgotten.” If that weren’t enough, Reapers have emerged to target any and all races. Those who don’t pick up the expansion will have some free content to look forward to Imperial Defenses for enhancing one’s colony and Orbital Relays for transporting units quickly between sectors. Stay tuned for more details en route to the expansion’s release.

Buckle up and get ready to hit surface-side – Triumph Studios’ Age of Wonders: Planetfall is now available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Published by Paradox Interactive, it’s a follow-up to the developer’s turn-based strategy series but with a sci-fi setting. Check out the release trailer for more information.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall starts with the mysterious collapse of the Star Union, which leads to six different factions emerging. Players can control one of these factions in the campaign or scenario mode, exploring the surface and expanding their colon. The signature turn-based combat returns but it now incorporates deeper gameplay aspects like cover and overwatch.

Other substantial improvements include a proper diplomacy system as you win other leaders over and form an alliance, and revamped economics. Each faction also feels much more distinct and Secret Technologies throw a bunch of other gameplay wrenches in to diversify each playthrough. For more information, check out GamingBolt’s official review.

"Aesthetics are nice but each faction offers a different gameplay experience as well."

The answer can be seen in Age of Wonders: Planetfall. Departing from the medieval fantasy worlds of its predecessors, Planetfall sees the Star Union collapsing and six factions emerging from the wreckage. Players can take control of the Vanguard, a race of humanity that employs military technology like tanks, walkers and drones. Alternatively, there’s The Assembly, a race of cyborgs who can repair themselves with the remains of their foes, reassemble fallen allies and specialize in Arc weapons. Then you have the Amazon who gain bonus Morale when fighting in forests and can use genetically altered creatures to wreak havoc. And so on and so forth with the Dvar, Kir’ko and Syndicate.

Each race and their units look incredibly distinct. The Vanguard is standard sci-fi military with options for capes and Big Boss-esque eye-patches while their units comprise of tanks, gunbird and assault units. The Assembly, on the other hand, are appropriately nightmarish with their cybernetic augmentations – the Inspector is three heads connected to a floating drone, for instance. Aesthetics are nice but each faction offers a different gameplay experience as well.

The Vanguard can use combat drones and turrets while excelling in ranged battles (making them especially deadly when sniping). The Assembly boast Arc resistance and reap more rewards from successful fights. Secret Technologies further mix up the action in crazy ways. Want to infect your enemy with a deadly virus that converts them into bio-organic weapons? Take the Xenoplague. Those infected units can then be evolved into greater monstrosities.

"Objectives are standard 4X, turn-based affairs – go here, gather resources, annex sectors, defeat NPCs guarding a location, colonize different parts of the map, etc."

Interested in temporal clones and units that teleport away from danger, preventing any potential Backlash attacks (or, alternatively, teleporting the enemy to throw off their positioning)? VoidTech has you covered. The sheer range of choice when customizing your commander also allows for tons of replay value. Perks like Martial Tradition refill all action points for your commander when kills are scored while Vices like Stubborn reduce the Colony’s Knowledge but expands resistance to status effects.

When entering a campaign as a specific race though, your Secret Technology is locked for story-telling purposes. Aside from the tutorial, three campaigns are available from the outset for the Vanguard, Dvar and Kir’ko but completing these will unlock more, and let you really delve into each faction’s story following the Collapse. Objectives are standard 4X, turn-based affairs – go here, gather resources, annex sectors, defeat NPCs guarding a location, colonize different parts of the map, etc. Two kinds of research – Military and Society – can be decided upon for additional technologies, colony developments, mods and whatnot. Taking technology to create temporal clones to add +1 to all resources, equipping cloaking devices for your units and such are just the tip of the iceberg.

Like Age of Wonders, you can queue up different kinds of buildings and units for production. Building a colony up doesn’t require building up districts like, say, Endless Legend but you can designate a greater focus on certain resources, specialize in certain structures and upgrade any annexed sectors. If you need more Energy, assign more colonists to that, though being able to manually select and allot colonists as opposed to messing around with a toggle would have been appreciated.

"It’s not reinventing the wheel as far as 4X titles go but being able to foster these kinds of relationships – though they can be damaged by doing quests for their enemies – goes a long way towards a more flexible, replayable experience."

Expanding your colony and garnering more resources is key so you’ll want to start annexing sectors. Each sector has its own benefits like Resources, Energy, Research and whatnot. However, paying close attention to the terrain type is key – depending on the terrain, different technologies must be taken to exploit those resources. For example, annexing some Arid sectors to your colony may provide some bonuses to production (depending on structures near them). However, you need to research technologies like Arid Exploitation to completely utilize them. On the other hand, this gives you something to work towards in mid-game, as more production is spent on the heavier hitting units like Tanks and Walkers.

The other problem is that you might not always have enough colonists. You could choose to make a forward base, which has the benefit of healing armies in the vicinity and fending off invading hostile parties. Besides, it also presents a nice bargaining chip when dealing with other races. This already makes Age of Wonders: Planetfall a big improvement over its predecessors. Depending on the races encountered, you can compliment them, insult them, become their vassal, lord over them, exchange map information, go for a non-aggressive pact, etc. You can also take on factions quests for different rewards or if you don’t have the resources to meet their demands. Garnering reputation will allow you to afford different units from other factions, which is a nice sink for your Influence.

Faction commanders will also react to your exploits across the world. Build a good relationship with your neighbors and they’ll be more amicable, perhaps even complimentary to you. Become a war-monger and they’ll threaten you with oblivion. It’s not reinventing the wheel as far as 4X titles go but being able to foster these kinds of relationships – though they can be damaged by doing quests for their enemies – goes a long way towards a more flexible, replayable experience.

"What does set Age of Wonders: Planetfall apart from its competitors is the combat."

I had fun being on good terms with the Automatons and living in peace, going to war with the Growth – which earned me some goodwill with the Vanguard – and then subsequently betraying the Automatons. Even the campaign provides a good amount of freedom in the decisions you can make – ally with Michael Valentine, completing his arbitrary quests, or crush him to advance forward. Just be careful that the Paragon don’t view this with disdain.

Though the campaign has the benefit of more exposition and character interactions, many of the quests still fall into the same pattern. Go here, collect or kill this within “X” number of turns, provide this many resources to a faction, etc. Again, nothing that’s going to break the mold when it comes to other 4X titles but it’s all handled incredibly well. It will inevitably force you to decide whether going out of your way to exterminate that Pirate Lair is worth it for the Syndicate when you could be fulfilling a major storyline quest instead.

What does set Age of Wonders: Planetfall apart from its competitors is the combat. Age of Wonders 3 had a fairly robust turn-based system where the number of action points consumed by a unit per turn influenced their actions. So if you moved very little, then a specific unit could attack three times in one turn. Planetfall expands upon this with numerous mechanics like grazing, which deals half damage for missed shots, and overwatch where you can hold your ground and attack an enemy that gets too close. Flanking an enemy is also important since you’ll deal increased damage but remember your positioning – it’s easy to get out-flanked and suffer heavy losses. There’s a definite XCOM-like feel to it all, as your units move from cover to cover, focusing and isolating certain foes. Then there are the different Operations which can be used for things like garnering more Influence from a quest to calling down a concentrated laser strike on your foes.

"It doesn’t take long to get the hang of everything and the game’s notifications are helpful enough to remind you of what’s going on without clogging up the interface."

It can be a little daunting at first but still completely manageable. Just be warned that bum-rushing an enemy who has the positional advantage and more firepower is often a bad idea. Auto combat is a good route to go if you don’t want to play out every single battle. Being told which battles are safe or low to high risk is nice, though some occasions may require direct control – like protecting a Syndicate agent who could immediately even if your firepower doubles that of the enemy.

Last but not least, the presentation in Age of Wonders: Planetfall is great. The worlds themselves have a stunning amount of detail while remaining streamlined and easy to parse. Units animate as well as they look and performance is very smooth with no hang-ups. The soundtrack is also well done, capturing that balance between a sweeping majestic adventure and sci-fi atmosphere. Voice acting was more hit than miss, thankfully, though some lines do come off a bit oddly.

As far as the user interface goes, it’s incredibly easy to use and navigate. Some quality of life features – like having a search tab for locating specific techs or control-clicking on a missing technology to go straight to it in the research tree a la Endless Space 2 – would have been great. But it doesn’t take long to get the hang of everything and the game’s notifications are helpful enough to remind you of what’s going on without clogging up the interface. The overall pacing also feels just right as the game slowly but surely ramps up in complexity as you progress.

"If you’ve been waiting for a game to fill the void left by Endless Legend or just want a Heroes-esque gameplay experience with many more diplomacy and economic options, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is definitely worth checking out."

Once you’ve finished the numerous campaigns available, there’s a Scenario mode for launching different matches across several types of planets – from the war-torn to the Xenoplague-infested. While custom scenarios with their own dedicated stories would have been neat, Age of Wonders: Planetfall does enough with its gameplay systems to ensure that each match is a new experience unto itself.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall may not have the lore of the Endless universe. It’s not even a game where you exploit the heck out of specific technologies and go on a tear through the galaxy like Stellaris. It is an utterly compelling 4X title with some great combat, playing to its strengths while offering some excellent visuals, unique gameplay and streamlined mechanics with exceptional depth. If you’ve been waiting for a game to fill the void left by Endless Legend or just want a Heroes-esque gameplay experience with many more diplomacy and economic options, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is definitely worth checking out.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Madden NFL 20

The latest in the Madden series promises a bevy of new features for long-time fans. A new story mode called Face of the Franchise: QB1 is being introduced which sees player-created characters going from playing quarterback in college football to the NFL. The Pro Bowl will also be making a return but gameplay-wise, perhaps the most intriguing new addition are the X-Factor abilities. Each player will have their own signature talents and abilities which can tip the scales – like having an increase on maximum pass distance. Madden NFL 20 releases on August 2^nd for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall

Triumph Studios is back at it again with another turn-based strategy title. Except this time, Age of Wonders: Planetfall takes the series’ style of expansion and conquest into the sci-fi genre. The Star Union has collapsed and six factions – each with their own units and traits – vie for supremacy. Battles are turn-based and employ some new mechanics like grazing where shots missed will still deal 50 percent damage. However, the developer is also looking to introduce more destructible environments, more complex economic and diplomatic choices, and more varied gameplay. Age of Wonders: Planetfall is out on August 6^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC so we’ll see how well it fares.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD

Cult-classic Metal Wolf Chaos is finally coming to the West for…some reason. The remaster Metal Wolf Chaos XD is being handled by General Arcade and will have an improved resolution, better graphics and improvements to the gameplay. As for the story, it’s about Michael Wilson, the president of the United States, jumping into an overpowered mech to stop a coup led by the vice president. What more can we say? If you’re interested in third person mech shooting with corny writing and lots of customization, Metal Wolf Chaos XD might be worth the wait. It’s out on August 6^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Remnant: From the Ashes

Gunfire Games is known for the Darksiders series but will be presenting something completely different with Remnant: From the Ashes. This third person shooter (with co-op support) sees players battling a powerful inter-dimensional evil. The key to defeating it is to travel to other dimensions, scavenge whatever resources are available, upgrading weapons and so on while investigating the enemy’s origin. Levels are dynamically generated with different encounters and events, and there are a number of bosses to battle on the way. Remnant: From the Ashes is out on August 20^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey

Ancestors is very different though – it’s a survival game where players control an ape clan as it evolves through the ages. That means exploring new areas, hunting, bonding, controlling other clan members and of course, evolving (with various skills unlocked in the process). Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is out on August 27^th for PC via the Epic Games Store.

Control

Step into The Oldest House, a surreal location that serves as the headquarters for the Central Bureau of Control. An entity called Hiss has overrun the facility and killed the acting director. As a result, Jesse Faden, a woman with supernatural powers, must take up the shape-shifting Service Weapon and fight back. As players explore the constantly shifting walls of The Oldest House, they’ll come across different side quests and NPCs, learn new abilities and even unlock different secrets. Control arrives on August 27^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Life is Strange 2: Episode 4

Dontnod Entertainment’s epic saga of Sean and Daniel Diaz is slowly winding down with Life is Strange 2: Episode 4 releasing on August 22^nd. The duo have come a long way since the horrific incident in Seattle and have met a range of challenges. While the final episode releases in December, Episode 4 might be a good time to hop in for the appropriate amount of tears and cliff-hangers.

Hunt: Showdown

Originally Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age, Crytek restructured this title into Hunt: Showdown, a co-op PvEvP game where bounty hunters embark into the Louisiana swamp to hunt monsters. The catch is that after snagging a monster’s bounty, you become marked by other hunters in the area and must successfully escape to reap the benefits. With support for up to 10 players, solo queue and new monsters since first entering early access, Hunt: Showdown is shaping up to be a unique experience when it launches on August 27^th for Xbox One and PC.

Astral Chain

PlatinumGames is known for its combination of genres but Astral Chain is on another level. Taking place in the future in the last bastion of humanity Ark, the story sees the forces of Neuron using Legions to battle evil. There’s a bit of everything here – investigations, exploration, side quests, NPC interactions, puzzle solving…and that’s not even mentioning the combat. Players use a variety of Legions in battle to quickly attack, bind foes or execute powerful sync attacks. Astral Chain releases on August 30^th for the Nintendo Switch and we can’t wait to see what else it holds.

Blair Witch

Bloober Team’s Blair Witch is a first person horror title that takes place a few years after the first film as former police officer Ellis and his trusty dog Bullet investigate the Black Hills Forest in Maryland. The developer’s penchant for reality-warping environments and horrors in Layers of Fear and Observer could the Blair Witch mythos well. Then again, this could be yet another horror title that fails to capture what made the first film great. We’ll have to wait and see how when Blair Witch releases on August 30^th for PC and Xbox One.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan

The other major horror offering next month is The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan from Supermassive Games. It sees five tourists traveling to the South Pacific Ocean and encountering a ghost ship. Obviously fun and happy times ensue. Much like the developer’s previous horror game Until Dawn, players can partake in different quick time events and ultimately decide who lives and dies. There’s even co-op and four-player support, making the journey for survival that much more perilous. Man of Medan is out on August 30^th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

Triumph Studios’ Age of Wonders: Planetfall has received some new fetching screenshots. They showcase a fair bit, from the leader customization of factions like the Vanguard and Dvar to combat. Check them out below and ogle at how far the visuals have come since Age of Wonders 3.

Taking place in a sci-fi setting, Age of Wonders: Planetfall starts with the collapse of the Star Union. Out of the ashes emerge six different factions, all fighting for control of the planet. The tactical combat of previous iterations has been expanded on to allow for taking cover and “grazing” an opponent – which means missed shots deal half damage.

However, the development team is more work into the game’s economics and diplomacy. Fighting for control of smaller sectors and using them as bargaining chips with other factions, for instance, is viable. Each faction will have its own unique units and play-style so if you want to lean harder into genocidal warfare, there should be an option available.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall releases on August 6th. It’s coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

If you’re hankering for some 4X strategy goodness and can’t wait for Age of Wonders: Planetfall to release, then you might want to check out its predecessor. That’s because Age of Wonders 3 is currently free on Steam. If you go to its store page and claim it by July 15th, 10 AM PST, it’s yours to keep forever.

Even better is the fact that owning Age of Wonders 3 will net you a 10 percent discount when pre-purchasing Planetfall. It’s a good way to try out the gameplay of the third game and if you like it, avail of a reduced price on the sequel. Of course, with its medieval fantasy setting, six RPG classes and six races, excellent combat and more, Age of Wonders 3 is worth playing in its own right.

Furthermore, the DLC packs Golden Realms and Eternal Lords are available for 50 percent off. They offer new campaigns, new races, new units, and much more to sink your teeth into. As for Age of Wonders: Planetfall, it’s out on August 6th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.