Age of Wonders 4 has turned out to be an impressive 4X strategy game. If you are part of the fandom, then you must have the Expansion Pass in your crosshairs but are afraid to pull the trigger. Luckily, we have all the currently available information for the expansions and some thoughts on whether you should buy the expansion pass in Age of Wonders 4 or not.
Yes, the Expansion Pass in Age of Wonders 4 is worth it in light of all the announced content of each expansion, the quality of the current game, the developer’s history of delivering worthwhile DLCs, and the price of the pass itself. There is an excellent lineup of things to be added later on, and shouldn’t be ignored especially if you are a fan.
Let’s take a detailed look at what the Expansion Pass of Age of Wonders 4 is offering with each expansion, and is it worth your hard-earned money or not.
Age of Wonders Expansion Pass – Costing
Before we get into each of the expansions and whether those are worth it, we need to know the pricing of the product itself. This will help you better understand the different values you are getting and brace your wallet for the cash exodus. Prices are subject to regional differences.
Ok, so the base game of Age of Wonders 4 costs $49.99. The Premium Edition of the game which includes all the DLC/Expansions $89.99.
There are 4 expansions in total right now; two of them cost $9.99 and the other two $19.99, totaling around $60. The Expansion Pass which bundles up all the DLCs comes in at $50.
If you end up buying all the individual DLCs later on and the base game right now, your bank will be down $110. Hence if you are really looking to get the DLC and have trust in the developer then go for the Premium Edition. It is the best value as of now.
However, you can always buy the Expansion Pass later on to save the 10 bucks. You can check out the reviews of the expansion and make the right call at that moment.
The Age of Wonders 4: Expansion Pass Includes
Now that we know what our wallet is going to endure, it is time to learn what is actually that we are getting with the Expansion Pass.
Just know that the first expansion is the only one that has been announced with screenshots just to get some more knowledge of what is included. All the other DLCs have very little information right now.
So without further adieu, let’s see what is included in this Expansion Pass:
Archmage Attire
The Wizards of Magehaven dress to impress, representing their grand personalities and ambitions. This outfit pack unlocks a new set of clothing you can wear as a whole or mix and match with other items.
You’ll get this attire as soon as you buy the Expansion Pass. It is an instant unlock and ready-to-wear to brag about your lavish lifestyle. These are just cosmetic items so don’t expect any gameplay additions here.
First Expansion – Dragon Dawn
Embrace the power of the Ancient Dragon Lords, in the Age of Wonders 4: Dragon Dawn Content Pack. From your Dragon Throne, forge empires inhabited by reptilian minions and use draconic magic to evolve your people into dragon hybrids. Includes a new Dragon Ruler type, a Reptilian Form, and New Tomes.
- Included in Expansion Pass
- Release: Q3 2023
- Stand-alone price: $9.99
Looking at the description, there are three pieces of content inside this DLC. A new ruler type where you’ll be able to play as dragons and it is seen in the teaser screenshots. There is a new reptilian form for your armies. Finally, there are new Tomes (yes, plural). Whether they’ll add them inside of the existing affinities giving them more depth.
This DLC has the closest release date so more information is bound to be announced. It is one of the cheaper expansions so that begs the question if the content will even be substantial. Since this DLC has screenshots unlike the rest, we can dissect them to get some more juicy bits.
The interesting things we could find in the screenshots are:
- A majestic Dragon type ruler.
- A new Tome of Evolution.
- Lizardfolk in the customization screen and their Traits.
- A huge dragon alongside its reptilian brethren in a skirmish.
- Vague Resistance and Weakness information.
Second Expansion – Empires and Ashes
The empires of mortals resurge after the devastation brought forth by the Wizard Kings. In the Age of Wonders 4: Empires and Ashes Expansion, players fuse Magic and Steel to unleash devastating war machines to drive the Godir back into the Astral Sea. Includes a new Culture, Tomes, Empire Building options, and Story Realm.
- Included in Expansion Pass
- Release: Q4 2023
- Stand-alone price: $19.99
The second pack will be released this year in 2023 and this one is likely to be meatier given it costs twice the price as the previous standalone pack.
The war machine infused with magic and steel sounds very interesting as a concept. O course we have nothing to back that so we just have to wait. There are no screenshots for this one so we can only speculate for now.
It will include a new seventh culture to the game which will likely have some culture-specific options like extra unit types. More Tomes will be added. The Empire Building options allude to additional buildings and staying on the theme of this unique infusion, we can expect some intriguing things.
Age of Wonders 4 doesn’t have a traditional campaign as such like some other strategy games. It does have those Story Realms that tell the story and the lore of the world and they are quite enjoyable.
A newer Story Realm will also be added in this expansion which sounds awesome if it has the same level of quality.
Third Expansion – Primal Fury
Channel Nature’s Spirits in the Age of Wonders 4: Primal Fury Content Pack. Create races using new beastly forms and a primeval culture. New Tomes of Magic tap nature’s hidden powers and the Fey realms. Your surroundings contain new forms of wildlife, creatures, and bountiful resources.
- Included in Expansion Pass
- Planned release: Q1 2024
- Stand-alone price: $9.99
We’ll kick off 2024 with a bang with Primal Fury, the third and smaller (considering the price) DLC pack.
If we unpack the description, then it is obvious that we’ll be able to create new races using two things; beastly forms (new race form?) and a primeval culture (a new culture?).
Again, we’ll be getting more Tomes, perhaps nature inspired. Fey Realms would probably be leaning into the existing and quite powerful Nature Affinity.
Lastly, there is a hint at changes to the map. The living things on it, the enemies we fight in the world, new forms of wildlife creatures, and all manner of resources as well. Extra diversity on the map and customization revolving around nature will be the theme for this expansion.
Fourth Expansion – Eldritch Realms
The Age of Wonders 4: Eldritch Realms expansion opens portals to realms filled with arcane marvels and unspeakable horrors. New forces threaten the rule of the Godir of Magehaven. New story content, strange monsters, new racial forms, magical realms, and locations bring a new dimension to the game.
- Included in Expansion Pass
- Release: Q2 2024
- Stand-alone price: $19.99
This is the second larger expansion pack keeping the price in mind. The description of this expansion truly makes our imagination wander.
At face value, we’re receiving new story content which has been focused around Realms currently. Strange monsters could mean new forms of creatures on the map, to fight or potentially control. And new racial forms, a concept we are familiar with.
Magical Realms and locations would appear to be hinting at realms maybe or maybe places on the map. However, the “bring a new dimension to the game” bit is where wild speculation could come in. A new dimension could potentially be something as extreme as a new layer to the map. As we have the underground and the surface world, maybe there’s a third space. A new dark or astral dimension filled with marvels of arcane magic or unspeakable horrors.
We should save ourselves from going down this rabbit hole and wait for what is in store for us.
Is The Expansion Pass Worth It?
A part of me doesn’t sit well with the announcement of the expansion pass right out of the gate. This is a concern for a small part of the game’s community.
The game should be given some time to iron out its existing issues, which the developers have, and then the future should be discussed. It portrays a greedy mindset, rendering some members of the audience cautious.
Nevertheless, Age of Wonders 4 is turning out to be one of the best grand-strategy game recently released, if not ever. If the developers put a fraction of the same love into these expansions, it would totally justify the price.
The description of all the expansions and the little information about the Dragon Dawn DLC does suggest some high-quality stuff waiting for us. This developer has a good track record also. They have made their previous games even more amazing by adding meaningful content.
In conclusion, I would say the expansion is somewhat worth it. If you are already loving the game, plan to spend considerable time in it, and simply want more of it then the answer is quite trivial.
The expansion pass of Age of Wonders 4 sounds worthy. If you are going for it, then why not just buy the premium version, which will save you some bucks? Or if you are on the fence, then wait for the upcoming expansion, check its reviews, and make an informed decision.