It goes on …

Empires & Ashes is not the first expansion for Age of Wonders 4 - the content update Dragon Dawn - but the addon from November last year offers six new tracks by composer Michiel van den Bos in addition to a new ruler type and a new victory mechanic. These in turn are less innovative, but continue the trend of the main game.

Like the main game, the album is a mixture of laid-back guitar strumming (The Avian Plight), string relaxation (Gloriosam Occasum, Soar, Thrive) and subtle tension (Empires & Ashes, Trials of Fortitude II – The Retrial (Ambushed)). Although this corresponds to the typical background sprinkling of a laid-back 4X strategy game, those who crave the epic fantasy sounds of Total War: Warhammer will not be able to satisfy their hunger in this addon either.