Golden Age

Golden Age in this browser base game puts us into the Middle Age and combines real-time strategy with some drops of fantasy. If you bring into the bucket some RPG content and nice visual then you get a cake shaped as our game today.

Feeling that you are going to play a strategy game which looks differently and offers much more then these days average is very real. When I was working on my new account and deciding which side I will join (there are three – more powerufl attacks, defense or production), my brain was searching for several browser strategy games and tried to match Golden Age to some. Through the game experience this thoughts and thinking started to disappear.

The first steps lead into Sanctum Palace where you find out that you’re only a subject to the king but you bear the title Sir. There you get and receive quest and tasks from the king and other subjects or ordinary people around. It’s something like hub for quest. The pleasant thing was travelling outside to the street where you find more NPCs. As the game progress and you climb the ladders the story changes form “conquer a village” into “conquer the world”. The number of quest is huge and they don’t often get boring.

When you get out from the castle you enter the world that is separated into three zones - your nation, city and the unfriendly wildness. You can visit them but that problem of the future and later game. The main think is your castle and the surrounding.

The city development belongs to the classic style. There are building (in digger numbers) for the production of stone, iron, wood and food. Then you build houses for inhabitants, barracks, main square, walls,… well the feeling about playing something very original disappears. The people may be living their lives and you can see nice animations but that’s nothing so interesting. The same thing can be said about the research, training soldiers, etc.

The map of the whole world is better. You can meet bonus mines, farms, villages for more cities and many players. The movement of the armies can be seen in real-time. Conquering opponents’ castles is very easy and you can begin immediately when the beginner’s protection falls down.

Interestingly uninteresting battles

The whole fighting system and style is something what most of you may know. When you start fight in Dungeons, PvE and PvP then all turns into the world of collecting cards. But you don’t choose them or use them. The two facing armies are represented with soldiers and they are put on the cards. The only thing you can do is watch them and hope you will win. The result means success or losing the whole army (luckily, you can heal most of the soldiers). There are some limits, like size of an amry, but that’s all what you can say about strategy and I take from this part very unsatisfied feeling.

Pay-to-win

One unpleasant fact is clear and you can be sure with it. Those who want to have bigger chance in surviving, good rank or even visiting one high-end area then they must pay. Exactly these players who are willing to invest into the game gain big advantages. Let’s say it’s quite normal but the different is really felt. When two same composed armies clash mostly the winner side is the guy’s who has VIP shining over his avatar. One example is generals. There is 8 epic and so the best but you can forget hoping you get one. If you play long enough and you can yourself a lucky person then you can get better basic.

I really don’t wish to tear of Golden Age. The game has some really great and cool moments. The graphics is nice with many details and fulfilling quests is fun. The number of NPC, running among them and chatting is good and the game could be entertaining for females as well. But there are two big cons – the battles are boring and the paying players are winners. If you are lucky enough you will last long but if not, you should start looking for another browser strategy game.