Dominions 2: The Ascension Wars
Release Date: November 13, 2003
Strategy, fantasy, turn-based, multiplayer, singleplayer, internet, LAN
Continuation of the turn-based fantasy strategy entitled Dominions: Priests, Prophets & Pretenders. The player's task is to play one of the gods of the game world and lead him to the final victory, i.e. to remain the only ruler of the presented universe.
Dominions 2: The Ascension Wars is an epic turn-based fantasy strategy game unlike any other fantasy strategy title that you’ve ever played. On the surface it may seem familiar; after all you’re raising armies, conquering enemy lands, and wielding powerful spells. Scratch deeper though and you’ll soon find that Dominions 2 introduces a depth that will satisfy even the most hardcore strategy gamer.
Acting as a pretender god leading one of seventeen different nations, players will strive to become the one true god through the power of spell and steel. As both the grand leader of your nation and their god you will seek to spread your dominions across the known world with divinely inspired priests, with masters of the arcane, mages, and of course with armies that grind your foes to dust before them. Use awe-inspiring magical items or craft your own, create new prophets to spread your gospel, and build up your defenses with new castles. On the field of battle you’ll fight with legions of bizarre creatures and truly heroic heroes, as the best in the world will be rewarded for their deeds with newfound powers.
Features:
- Epic turn-based fantasy gameplay. Up to seventeen people can play at once thanks to the simultaneous turn structure. For those who would rather play solo the computer opponents put up fierce competition for those 3 AM gaming sessions.
- All new graphics in the sequel. The interface has been overhauled and streamlined, the map looks like it could be found in the front of your favorite fantasy novel, and the battle scenes are now in three-dimensional glory.
- New map filters that help players instantly assess the world situation. Easily locate fortress locations, temples, or how far your dominion stretches. Additionally, the map is zoomable.
- A nice twist on mercenaries: mercs up for recruitment are available to all players and will only end up fighting for the cause of the highest bidder.
- While every fantasy strategy game has the concept of heroes in Dominions 2 heroes really need to depend on being heroic. The top ten commanders will enter into the Hall of Fame, where they will be bestowed various heroic abilities. The longer they can stay in the Hall of Fame, the more kudos are awarded.
- Taking the sword to your opponents is similar to a good wargame. Morale losses can lead to routs and assassinating the enemy commander is a nicely proven formula for success. Magic and the power of your would-be god also plays a huge part in battle and you can even commit battlefield summonings.
- A cornucopia of creatures, items, and spells. The item manual weighs in at 71 pages, while the spell book is a massive 88 pages long.
- The amount one can do in one turn is staggering. Just check out these phases in the turn: recruit, research, empowerment, forge, rituals, magic battles, search, prayers, blood hunt, luck, assassinations, friendly movement, movement, storm castle, enchantments, magic items, sneak, build, special orders, income, starvation, upkeep, dominion, site effects, heal, mercs, and scouting.
- More nations to play than the original Dominions! More units, more monsters, and more spells!
- Less micromanagment than the original and helpful pop-ups that describe the various gameplay mechanics makes Dominions 2 an easy game for new players to get involved with.
- Easy to grasp, gamers will enjoy creating new maps for the game with the included map editor.
- Playable on all the major operating systems: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris.
Last updated on August 14, 2015
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Dominions 2: The Ascension Wars Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows
Developer: Illwinter Game
Publisher: Shrapnel Games
Age restrictions: none
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Dominions 2: The Ascension Wars System Requirements
PC / Windows
Recommended: Processor 600MHz Intel/AMD, 128MB RAM, graphic card 4 MB, 250 MB HDD