Age of Wonders 4: Rise from Ruin

The main pros of the game

• Unique Nomadic Culture: The new nomadic culture introduces innovative mechanics, such as moving cities and resource extraction, which offer a fresh gameplay experience.
• New Tomes and Environmental Features: Players appreciate the addition of new magical tomes and environmental challenges that enhance gameplay variety.
• Creative Mechanics: The cataclysm mechanic and spell backfiring add strategic depth and complexity to the game.
• Visual and Thematic Elements: Many users enjoy the new aesthetic elements, including the fractured deserts and new creature designs, which contribute to the overall atmosphere of the game.
• Ongoing Development: Players express optimism about the developers’ commitment to adding content and improving the game over time.

The main cons of the game

• Content Limitations: Several reviews highlight a perceived reduction in content compared to previous expansions, with fewer tomes and units, leading to feelings of disappointment.
• Balancing Issues: The new mechanics, particularly the damage resistance system and the cataclysm victory conditions, are criticized for being unbalanced or feeling unfinished, making gameplay less enjoyable.
• Reused Assets: Users express frustration over the presence of recycled assets and a lack of originality in some new units and features.
• High Price Point: Some players feel that the cost of the DLC does not justify the amount of new content, especially when compared to earlier expansions.

The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users

• More Unique Content: Players wish for additional unique units, tomes, and cultural traits that would enhance variety and depth in gameplay.
• Improved Nomadic Mechanics: There are calls for more robust mechanics for the new nomadic culture, as some users find the Scavengers less viable compared to the Conquerors.
• Neutral Nomad City-States: A desire for the inclusion of neutral nomadic city-states was noted, which could add more strategic options and diversity to the game.
• Quality Control: Users express a need for better quality control and more thorough testing before releases, citing crashes and bugs as significant issues affecting the gaming experience.

Summary

• Overall, while the expansion introduces some exciting new features and mechanics, there are notable concerns regarding content depth, balancing, and quality that players hope will be addressed in future updates.

Summary generated on: April 6, 2026