Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't listen to the critics!, 21 Jan 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
I bought this game with a lot of doubt and uncertainty as I had read so many reviews telling me it was only half done, how the King's forces were too powerful, and how it was impossible to win (even on the easy level) without some sort of cheating strategy. All in all those who like me loved the original game were in for a massive disappointment!
Well it isn't true. This is a GREAT game!
So why the all the criticism? Why are so many people dumping on this game? Well let me give you my humble analysis.
First this isn't like any other Civilization game. In fact it's very close the the original Colonization and requires a whole different strategy to win. In many ways it's far superior to Civilzation because of the way the game has a solid and unambiguous ending. Your declare independence, the King's forces attack ... and you win or loose the battle that follows.
But it does mean you can't just grow your civilzation willy-nilly without worrying about how the king is reacting to what you do. If you get too much Rebel sentiment too early the King will build up his forces and come down on you with a massive army. You have to play this game like it was meant to be played in the original ... with an eye on the King and how he's reacting to what you do.
But secondly to those people who (like me) played and loved the original game, although there are many changes (especially in the combat format) they do NOT in fact detract from the game, if anything they in make it far deeper and more interesting.
Yes the King's forces outnumber you when you declare Independence. Yes his Artillery and his Men-of-War are stronger than anything you can make. But the game is designed to be played like the actual Battle for Indepedence was fought. The King is a rich European ruler with a huge army and lots of experienced Generals. Your meager force cannot expect to beat such troops in a head-to-head battle. If you hold up in cities and stack your Soldiers and Cannons behind the walls and hope he's gonna smash himself to bits then you're asking for trouble. In fact he's gonna run through you like a dose of salts!
But if you look closely you'll see all the defence bonuses you can get for fighting in the woods and hills. If you spread your cities out (with some inland) and you ambush his forces as they march overland the picture sudenly reverses. Your raw Dragons and Soldiers suddenly find they can tear the King's troops apart. Hit and run, retreat your men when you're loosing a city and fight in open country, and before you know it this massive 'unstoppable' army is suddenly dwindling to nothing!
There are other strategies too you can employ (like divding his troops by allowing them to capture some of your coastal cities which he then has to defend) but I'll leave you to discover them for yoursef.
The only other point I want to make is how the new combat system and the advent of 'Leaders' allows you to make armies, and how as a result you really do start to feel like you're running a revolutionary force.
As I said there are many significant changes to the way the original Colonization worked (one important one is how guns and tools are no longer 'used up' by performing actions), but if you approach this game with an open mind and be patient enough to learn how it works, you might find that 'Civ: Colonization' is actually more like the orginal 'Colonization' (in spirit anyway) than you ever dared imagine.
Either way this is a complex and absorbing game which I heartily recommend!
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65 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
WARNING - SecuROM issues, 1 Oct 2008
Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars
I was looking forward to playing this game so much that I pre-ordered it. After installing it I was really disappointed to discover not only have I installed the game but also this instrusive and malicious piece of software called Securom, which treats me like a common thief and refuses to load the game, because it has decided that the game is a copy. This sort of software is disgraceful. I have paid money for this game but now I can't play it.
The instructions to overcome the problem on SecureRom's website are overly-complicated and long-winded. I am quite technically minded but couldn't understand what to do. And anyway, why should I? Maybe I could suggest that the idiots that thought this was a good idea to read Lynne Truss's book, "Talk to the Hand" and in particular the chapter called "Why am I the one doing this?. I'm the customer, I don't work for these people,I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to make a piece of software work on my PC that I have payed my hard-earned cash for.
I have de-installed the game and I am going to send it back to Amazon for a refund. I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone, because the DRM software is instrusive and malicious (i.e: it stops you playing the game you have paid for and bought a license to use). I am extremely disappointed with Firaxis/2K Games for treating their customers poorly. I will think twice before buying another game from them, which is a shame as I have purchased every Civ game in the franchise.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thanks Sid!, 1 Nov 2008
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
I wasnt even aware this was coming out until I stumbled on it in Zavvi. So, it was kind of an impulse buy. I loved the orginal which I had for my Commodore Amiga, so an update was an exciting prospect.
Firstly, this installed with absolutely no problem on my machine (as has Red Alert 3 and Fallout 3) and plays a treat.
Ok, it's Civilisation at the core, and an update of an old idea, so it's not breaking new ground, but it's been done really well, looks lovely and in my opinion is more fun than Civilisation. For simpletons like me, i found it really easy to get into, but not overly simplified as some other recent games (e.g Sim City Societies and RailRoad Tycoon which I confess I havnt actually played).
Anyway, if you have a hankering for a bit of Colonization, a desire for a slight change on Civ 4 or just want a good quality strategy game, give it a go.
Finally I'm not getting this SecureRom hysteria. It would be really helpful if people pointed out if games were any good on here, rather than endless complaining about copy protection. Fair enough, the protection issue is important, but its really unhelpful basing a whole review on it.
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