Dominions 3: The Awakening - What They're Saying

REVIEWS!

Computer Games Magazine

BEST OF 2006!
16th Annual Computer Games Awards

"There are very few games that show you as much as you'll see here- a nearly infinite variety of rising gods and dying empires and a fat man with a magic belt- and no games that do it with the focus, depth, and extraordinary economy of Dominions 3."

Strategy Game of 2006
Dominions 3: The Awakening
CYBERSTRATEGE Magazine

"There's a lot of detail here. In fact, the amount of detail is almost absurd. For instance, it tracks the age of each hero and will even afflict elderly heroes with diseases and infirmity. There are stats for each unit, and dozens of ways for these to be modified, from spells to magic items to morale to injuries to home court advantages. But Dominions is made so that you don't necessarily have to drill down into all of this to enjoy the game."

--Giles Bird, Yahoo! Games

PC GAMER
83%
Excellent

"Mad, bad, and dangerous to know, Dominions 3: The Awakening frustrates, then hooks, then becomes a threat to your health and sanity through sheer addictiveness."

"If you want great depth and bang for your buck, you can't go wrong with Dominions 3."

--Brett Todd, PC Gamer

"If you like your strategy deep and detailed, Dominions 3: The Awakening
is a gift from the heavens."

"Third time's the charm. Second time wasn't bad, either. Come to think of it, Dominions was pretty special right out of the gate."

"...Illwinter opens up a deep and detailed world, rich with derivative fictions."

--Tom Chick, Computer Games Magazine

(If you like good reads, do yourself a favor and pick up the January 2007 issue of Computer Games Magazine. Mr. Chick has created a review that is just fun to read! -- Tim Brooks, President, Shrapnel Games, Inc.)

"Dominions 3 is a complex, deep, and incredibly rich strategy game that will reward those willing to invest in it with an almost unlimited variety of play."

"The sheer breadth of options and approaches, combined with decent artificial intelligence, makes Dominions 3 a great single-player game. But to truly appreciate the ultimate experience, you need to play online. You'll have no problem finding a multitude of online games that will welcome you, no matter what your level of experience, and an online game with 20 other players, divided into opposing and shifting alliances of nations, can provide an epic feel unmatched by many prettier but shallower games."

--Jeff Lackey, GameSpot

8.7

"...the AI is quite good on its own, and it has trounced me completely in each game I’ve played. I just don’t quite have the hang of things yet, and I haven’t found the perfect Pretender to suit my liking. However, there are countless combinations to try yet, and I’m sure I’ll get it right eventually. And I’m having a blast in the mean time."

--Tyler Sager, Gaming Nexus

"Dominions 3 excels as a strategy game. A lot people point to the variety of options. Dozens of races, hundreds of spells - how could you not fall in love with that? For me, though, it’s not really about the size. It could be a lot smaller and still not lose its central charm. The design beauty in Dominions 3 is the same, in many ways, as the design beauty in something as simple as Civilization or as fast paced as Company of Heroes: When do I make my move?"

--Troy S. Goodfellow, Flash of Steel

Editors Choice!

94/100

"This is what's it all about: multiplayer. Dominions 3 is the undisputed
king of the fantasy-themed strategy genre... The game has depth, that makes the word 'massive' feel light and over used... The 300-page manual is superb and easily worth the extra price."

--Mikko Rintasaari, PCpelaaja-magazine

9.0

"Whether you use military might, eldritch power, or subterfuge (or more likely, a combination of all three) every turn is about options. Recruit troops (more than 1,500 units found in the game), assassinate the enemy, scout territory, research magic (600+ spells and 300+ magic items), perform rituals, do a blood hunt, storm a castle, construct, pray, forge - the list goes on."

"I rarely even open up a manual unless I get stuck on a game but this time I found it to be as useful of a tool for playing the game as owning a computer to play it on."

"The musical score was absolutely great with a medieval flare. You can toggle off the music if you do not feel the same."

"Though it carries a hefty MSRP of about 50 bucks, It is very unlikely that any game will be exactly the same. There is just too much content for that. A game that welcomes customizations rarely collects much dust."

--Kevin “BIFF” Giacobbi, GameZone.com

9 out of 10

"Dominions 3 is to 4X strategy as Magic: The Gathering is to card games. On the surface, it appears to be a run of the mill turn-based fantasy game, where you invest in your province, research spells and build up your army, but if you peek under the skin, you’ll find one of the richest strategy games ever devised, thanks to its diversity and wild flexibility in gameplay."

--David Kidd, atomicmpc.com

"With fifty playable nations to choose from, this is probably the widest arching game in terms of sheer gaming experience that we’ve ever seen."

"This is for the gaming elite, and for them, Heaven has arrived."

--Kim Kaze, entertainmentwise.com

9/10

"Still the game is significantly cooler and more accessible. Without reinventing itself, Dominions 3 is a beautiful evolution from Dom II, that is, a huge game !"

--Pocus, Cyberstratege Magazine

"...this time things are a lot easier, because Illwinter got Bruce [Geryk] to write the manual; and boy it’s a Doozy. A huge 300 page spiralbound monstrosity, it’s not only informative, but it’s also entertainingly written. It’s top grade bathroom reading material."

"The randomly created maps look great, just like a hand-crafted one (unlike other games where it becomes blatantly obvious the map is random). This is a feature that was heavily requested by the Dominions faithful, and it's great to see it finally in action."

"It'll be one of those games that will never leave your hard drive. Until Dominions IV."

-- Derrick, The Bovine Conspiracy

8/8
"Buy it now"

For gamers who enjoy deep, strategic gameplay, Dominions 3 is really sweet. Sheer complexity does not always translate into a good game, but all of the spells, units, and other options definitely works towards Dominions 3’s benefit. And if all the default content isn't enough, the game includes extensive support for mods as well. This game is great because, unlike most strategy games, it supports almost an infinite number of viable strategies for victory.

--James Allen, Out of Eight PC Game Reviews

Dominions 3: The Awakening is a must-have game for any community of strategy gamers, offering a deep turn-based multiplayer strategy experience.

--Kyle Ackerman, Frictionless Insight

"The game comes with a 300 page printed manual. So a tip of the hat to Ilwinter and Shrapnel for not making me fire up a PDF reader to find out how to play their game."

"Most games that are too big feel like they are designed by committee. Dominions 3 on the other hands, feels like a story grabbed hold of its two Swedish developers, and just wouldn't let go."

"The designers made the game that they really, really wanted to play. And that is somehow infectious."

--peterb, Tea Leaves

"Back in a third edition, this fantasy wargame has everything but the kitchen sink!"

--Dr. Matt J. Carlson, GamerDad

8.25
out of 10

"Usually a review would not put a whole section on the manual, but in this case it is justified. At a whopping 300 pages this manual is a beast. Obviously it tells you how to play, but it also has charts of every single spell in the game. It also tells you what you can forge at what level. This is a very handy resource that I usually leave open beside me as I play."

"If you like deep strategy, then this game is definitely for you. It might overwhelm first-time players, but if you can get past that first step, you won’t be able to put it down."

--Remi Stebenne, Inside Mac Games

FROM THE FANS!

"...The game rocks. By extension, you <developers> rock.

My wife, on the other hand, now wonders what exactly I am doing at the computer at 4 AM on a weekday... And I have totally disrupted our dogs sleeping patterns.

But the game is terribly excellent and addictive (even though I suck at it).

Thanks, a lot."

--AMF, in the Dominions 3 Forum

"This game is awe inspiring. It sells a fantasy world that is rich and complex. Yet easy to enter. It is a sign of how jaded some players are that they don't just sit back and go "wow" sometimes."

--Forrest, in the Dominions 3 Forum

"This stupid game is cause of many hours of sleep deprivation and failed exams. I wonder if I can weasel a lawsuit out of it ..."

--KissBlade, in the Dominions 3 Forum

PREVIEWS!

"Fans of Dominions 2 will rejoice at the coming of this long-awaited sequel, which contains many new features while still keeping the same atmosphere. People who are looking for something that will work the brain instead of the fingers should definitely take a look at this massive yet fun game. I can't wait for the final version to be released; I can't stop playing the preview version I have and it will be the same for the final version. I keep saying one more turn and then I notice a few hours have passed!"

--Remi Stebenne, Inside Mac Games

"Dominions 3 does a wonderful job at finding this balance. There's still enough micromanagement to make all you Spazmos out there happy, but it's neither tedious nor does it overshadow the other parts of the game."

--Tacticular Cancer

"Believe me when I say that this is possibly the largest, most detailed, and feature-packed strategy game to be developed in the past 10 years. The amount of options is astounding, and there is certainly so much to see and do that you'll have to play through several times before you discover it all. Without a doubt, this is a strategy title that should have anyone who is interested in the genre drooling on themselves."

--WORTHPLAYING

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