Age of Wonders 4: Ways of War review – monkey ninjas, go!

Ways of War is essentially the East Asian mythology pack

Triumph Studios / Paradox Interactive

Triumph Studios knocked it out of the park with Expansion Pass 1 for Age of Wonders 4 and the second wave of DLC is starting things off on a strong note. One of the key strengths of previous expansions has been their theming – Triumph is fantastic at identifying an engaging, interesting core concept and translating it into Age of Wonders 4, be it visually or mechanically.

Ways of War, the first DLC of Expansion Pass 2, is bringing the flavor of Chinese and Japanese mythology and history to Age of Wonders 4 in yet another bullseye for theming.

Take the two new physical forms for your race included in this DLC – we get Simians and Ogres. Simians, of course, are predestined for a run that sees us roleplay as the monkey king or see us take over the world Planet of the Apes-style. Then there are the Ogres, styled after the Japanese fashion in lieu of Western fantasy ogres, so they are perfect for a campaign embodying evil Oni.

What else is quintessential to this cultural package? Right, samurai, ninja, and martial arts. Goes without saying that Ways of War includes all three aspects – there are new shock troops clad in amazing samurai gear, one of the new Tomes of Magic in the DLC is entirely ninja-inspired (and really fun to use), and another one focuses on elements like discipline and inner peace to bolster your troops in combat – in addition to giving you access to battle monks dishing out damage with their fists and kicks.

This? This goes hard. / Triumph Studios / Paradox Interactive

But the theming goes further than that. Ways of War really digs into the roleplaying aspect of the game by using the samurai fantasy as a basis for the Oathsworn Culture. You can choose from three flavors of this, all strongly rooted in that fantasy.

The Oath of Harmony promotes a peaceful playstyle, rewarding you with powerful auto-heals in combat if you avoid major wars and stand in for stability.

The Oath of Righteousness is the ultimate path for those urging to be the good guy – the more positive your alignment is and the more forces of evil you destroy, the mightier will be the benefits you reap. 

Finally, the Oath of Strife is for those seeking a challenge – and perhaps an honorable death on the battlefield. Declaring wars against mighty foes and winning battles against the odds will yield powerful bonuses for everyone swearing this vow.

All three of these paths incentivize you to fully commit to the bit and perhaps take actions you’d otherwise avoid. I usually have a lot more fun playing the villain, but a run following the Oath of Righteousness offered as much satisfaction – it was quite enjoyable seeing my order-loving Ogre samurai march out on crusades to punish all evil while I picked all the goody-two-shoes options for events. This raised my devotion rating to the oath, in turn boosting the damage of corresponding spells and so forth. Whereas roleplaying was simply for flavor before, Ways of War is giving it mechanical incentives – and this might be quite a big change in the long term, opening the doors for further expansion in future DLCs.

The other kind of date under the sakura. / Triumph Studios / Paradox Interactive

Aesthetically, the new culture comes with East Asian-style cities – pagodas, torii, bamboo huts, and so forth. A new biome style reinforces that, adding the enchanting beauty of cherry blossom trees and bamboo forests to the map.

Additional wildlife units add to the diversity encountered on the map and deepens the thematic divide between good and evil this expansion is centered on: Take the Accursed Trickster, one of the most disturbing-looking units in the entire game. It’s based on the Ōmukade, a mythological giant centipede that feasts on humans.

This thing is cool and disturbing in equal measure. / Triumph Studios / Paradox Interactive

Several dragon types have been added as well, such as the Blessed Dragon (which can even be used as a mount) and the mighty Calamity and Prosperity Dragons. Perhaps my favorite addition is the Radiant Guardian, a bipedal tortoise that can swap positions with allied units, damaging all enemies adjacent to them. Such calamity and prosperity units are unlocked by their respective Tomes of Magic, giving your empire a decidedly good or evil touch.

The final addition of this DLC are the new Intrigue Happenings, a class of multi-stage events. Not only do they provide you with more opportunities to roleplay, they can be political game-changers if you’re willing to get your hands dirty or provide you with powerful new tools for your arsenal. 

What’s more, your decisions in these events may have a very tangible impact on the strategic and tactical maps. I encountered an event that led to entire provinces becoming desolate wastelands and meteors raining down on every battlefield for a while, which really brought a new dynamic into play.

Ways of War not only equalizes the best offerings of Expansion Pass 1 in terms of theming, it already addresses what was my one big criticism of the first wave of DLC – it lacked some of those deeper, mechanical additions you’d want from a major strategy game expansion (which is how I treat an Expansion Pass). The opening salvo of Expansion Pass 2 is already delivering in this regard with the new event type and by establishing a system of interaction between the roleplaying and mechanical layers. This feels like an excellent foundation to work from.

And this doesn’t even go into all the free changes made to Age of Wonders 4 alongside this DLC – a complete rework of heroes, which feels super satisfying to engage with, a neat bounty system that allows you to pick up some side objectives or even create some for the AI, and more. 

If Ways of War is only the appetizer for Expansion Pass 2, a gourmet feast awaits us.

Score: Recommended*

Version tested: PC (Steam)

*We are once again opting to score the entirety of Expansion Pass 2 as a combined offering. Until then, we’ll provide a “Recommended” or “Not recommended” verdict on individual DLC.