Civ IV: Colonization
Recently I picked up a copy of Civilization IV: Colonization, a remake of the classic 1994 Sid Meier game of exploration, conquest, and revolution that I spent many, many hours playing as a teenager. It's part of the reason for my lack of posts here lately.
I'm not one to give game reviews, especially since my tastes tend to differ from many other people, but this is a great game. I've been surprised at the depth, as it's near impossible to just skirt by to win, even at a lower difficulty. This adds another level to the game that wasn't required in the original: resources must be managed, not just from production within your cities but also through trade routes between your cities.
Back in the original, I remember I could mostly ignore the wagon trains, which handle resource transport between cities. I could win by focusing on city production alone, which led me to build massive armies and destroy everything, including the Redcoats (nothing against the British).
But this game is different, and as a result of repeating my old strategy my first play ended in crushing defeat. I like that. It's challenging, it's different. It's not just a remake - it's an entirely new, well-designed strategy game.
If you haven't played it yet and have any interest in good strategy games, then do yourself a favor and get a copy. It's relatively inexpensive ($29.99 USD) and doesn't even require that you own Civilization IV.
Filed under: Games
