Civilization IV: Colonization
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Civilization IV: Colonization
Civilization has been one of the cornerstone games of the strategy game genre for almost twenty years. While the core gameplay has never changed the game has evolved in to a bigger and better version with each and every release. Now we have a stand alone expansion to the last Civilization game, Civilization IV which takes place during a key few years in world history, from 1492 to 1792 basically the discovery of North America and the exploration of the new world.
While the game is built on the stellar Civilization IV engine, the game is not just a simple expansion but a different game in its own right and worthy of any strategy fans attention. Just be prepared for some deep and complex gameplay if you are new to the series or are jumping from the great console game Civilization Revolution to the PC series.
Gameplay wise the game is just as solid as all of the previous Civilization games, but it feels much more daunting and complex then it should be for gamers who are newbies to the civilization series. A better tutorial system than what is already offered with the game would have been nice but it appears that the developers like to throw new and old gamers alike directly into the game and hope for the best.
Civilization Colonization is at its core a complete turn based empire building game, but it already comes with an empire to support you. The empires in the game are the English, the Dutch, the Spanish and various others. You start out near the New World and begin by building a new colony and exploring the land. When exploring you will come into contact with the locals (natives) and other colonist nations who are out to become the next big super power and it is up to you to make friends or wage war in your own way. With plenty of ways to play the game the only question on your mind will be is how to manage your colonies while dealing with your leader back home, who are usually lazy and ones to want all of your hard earned gold.
You will notice that the game is very linear each and every time you play it, even though there is some randomization involved with maps and the content on the maps. The only way to win the game is to defeat the other invading European forces which is a sad fact because the ability to set up other goals would have been nice.
The user interface is very well done, but there is one major issue which took me by surprise and that was I accidently clicked one of the buttons on the UI and removed all of the units on the screen. It took me a few moments to realize what I did and that the game was not screwed up or my video card was melting. This is another part of the game where a real tutorial instead of simple tips would have been appreciated.
Colonization has some great graphics, even on the lowest settings. But if you play on the highest settings the world is detailed and great looking with swaying trees and crashing waves, deserts to the tallest peaks and the native villages to the colonies you build are all looking fantastic and in great detail. The menu and user interfaces are also done very well in a clean and easy to read manner.
There are a couple of graphic gripes I do have and they include some stiff animation and the character models of the important in game people such as the Kings just do not look or act very naturally but in a cartoonish manner. They are also very ugly and in the end I would have preferred more realistic models in what is potentially a realistic learning game. Perhaps they will do this in Civilization V, or at least we can hope so.
The music is repetitive but very inspirational and stirring through out the game as you try and have your little revolution in the New World, but the repetitive music does become a bit of a bore if you end up playing a marathon session. The rest of the audio is excellent and fits every way, great voices and environmental sound effects range through the entire game from the user interface to sea from shining sea.
If you like Civilization Colonization it will offer a huge amount of replay value in both the single player and multiplayer arenas. With up to four player multiplayer the matches can be very long and fun if you are playing with people who know the game.
If you are a big fan of Civilization IV you probably will enjoy Colonization even though it feels like a rushed attempt at expanding Civilization IV. Only buy if you are a serious fan of the series and Civilization IV is no longer enticing you to play.
Pros
+ Decent graphics
+ Sound effects are good
+ Very deep gameplay
+ Lots of replay value
+ Single way to win the game… good and bad idea but it works
Cons
- Some of the animation is stiff
- Audio is repetitive
- Not as fun as Civ IV or Civ Revolution (Console)
- Difficulty is all over the place at times
- No real tutorial
Final Verdict
Here's a small guide to help you understand our evaluation of games.
PRESENTATION GRADE
Can be from the game's box to the contents of the booklet, and even the game introduction. (Intro, menus, options, etc)
GRAPHIC GRADE
Up to what point the graphics have been worked on my the developper. The design type, the effort used for textures and environments, as well as animations and framerate.
AUDIO GRADE
Is the soundtrack a good match to the game's style, he ambient sounds keeping with the gameplay and the sound effects clear and convincing?
GAMEPLAY GRADE
Placement of the controls and the inferface that the player with be using during the game.
REPLAY VALUE GRADE
The most important factor in the evaluation of a game. It identifies the lifespan of the game and the fun of coming back again and again.
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