The "Age of Wonders" series is growing up fast. Though not quite a full-fledged sequel, "Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic" is much, much more than a stand-alone expansion pack.

Dawn of the new age

The "Age of Wonders" franchise puts heavy emphasis on those mainstays of high fantasy: kingdoms, creatures, and magic spells. Gameplay is a hybrid of "Civilization" and "Heroes of Might and Magic." The first game was rough around the edges, but it showed promise. "Age of Wonders 2" further polished the design. "Shadow Magic" plays like a "player's choice" edition. Its many changes and refinements make it more playable and enjoyable than its predecessors.

The game's most obvious new feature is its new playable races. They play a prominent role in the game's lengthy and very challenging campaign. Triumph Studios also rebalanced the old playable races, giving each one new high-level structures and units.

There's a lot of content, both old and new, but players new to the series won't have any problem jumping in. The campaign is prefaced by an excellent three-part tutorial that goes over almost everything you need to know.

Mucho magic

There are plenty of other changes to the game. Your wizard has access to a new roster of spells, including several combat-enhancement spells. When they're used properly, they can turn the tide of battle in your favor. You can also distribute items to your heroes, giving them a boost in battle. And if you're facing a hopelessly one-sided encounter, you can surrender before engaging in battle. This keeps the game moving along.

There are many more changes under the hood. Enemy AI is considerably beefed up. The computer is much more aggressive, especially at the higher difficulty levels. Hero units are less powerful, helping balance out use of the item forge.

But the computer AI still occasionally behaves erratically. Some concealment abilities are useless, because the computer seems to know the location of everything at all times. And we never saw the computer use the pioneer, a unit that repairs structures and builds new cities. Still, we were impressed by the advances in AI, and by the overall challenge in the single-player games.

Wonderful graphics

The attractive visuals haven't changed much from "Age of Wonders 2." Spell effects are still the highpoint of the game. They're bright, colorful, and very animated. They make you feel like you're wielding great power.

Unfortunately, it's sometimes very difficult to tell the exact position of your units during combat. This is very annoying during large battles, when all you see is a big cluster of units in the middle of the map. A way to rotate the map would do wonders.


Saving the best for last

After years of whining, we finally have a random map/scenario generator. This feature is mysteriously MIA in the "Age of Wonders" and "Heroes of Might and Magic" series. Now that "Age of Wonders" has it, this series is beginning to look like the true successor to the venerable "Master of Magic." Old fuddy-duddy gamers should be very pleased.

Triumph Studio is on the right track with this series. Each game significantly improves on the last. And though there are a few interface and gameplay quirks, "Shadow Magic" is immensely satisfying. Whether you're new to these games or a grizzled veteran, "Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic" will keep you playing late into the night.
"Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic" (PC)