Colonization, released in 1994, is one of my favourite games of all time so you can imagine how excited I was at the prospect of an updated version being released.

When I think of the original, which I was very much addicted to back in the day, I think of how deep it was when compared with other games at the time.  It is true that the game was quite a basic affair at heart but the deepness for me came from how intricate each little colony appeared to be, so much so that I genuinely cared about losing my colonists.  The dreaded, and seemingly random, raids by the irate natives claimed the lives of many a fine Carpenter and Tobacconist, and I actually cared.  I remember watching on in horror as my greed forced many a Scout in search of treasure only to find them vanishing from existence before my very eyes.  In case you hadn’t noticed, that little game still means a great deal to me.

Along comes Civilization IV: Colonization and I expect so much from it.  I expect it to bring those fond memories I have back into focus.  I expect this game to make me feel the same as the original had done all those years ago.  I expect…so much more than this update actually provides, and this saddens me.  Don’t get me wrong here, I am not suggesting that this is a bad game because that’s not true, it’s just not as good as it should be, and it’s certainly not as good as the original.

I love Colonization so much that I once sat down and thought hard on the reasons why I adore it.  One of the reasons I kept coming back to is the music, because, and this is true even to this day, I couldn’t get those addictive little tunes out of my head, nor did I want to.

The musical offerings in this update aren’t bad, but they are not the same, they are not the ones I love so much, those catchy little tunes which mean the same to me as the theme from cartoons such as The Dreamstone or Family Ness.  And, in an instant, this game finds itself in the land of mediocrity.  This might seem a little harsh but I don’t think I’m the only fan of the original title who adored its music, those fantastic little leitmotifs when the restless natives attack your wagon or your ship returns to Europe with trade goods, it’d be like remaking Star Wars and leaving out Darth Vadar’s theme each time he appears on screen.

This game comes complete with obligatory updated graphics, which makes it much nicer to look at than the original, but I don’t feel that this adds much to the experience, in actual fact, I would argue the opposite.  I never felt that the 2D graphics of the original hurt the game in any way, however, I did welcome the idea of a makeover, but only if the updated graphics didn’t adversely affect my enjoyment of the game.

My main problem with the shiny 3D graphics is that their inclusion results in the game slowing down for me and not just because it runs slower on my ageing computer than I’m comfortable with.  A good example is when your ship returns from Europe and you see it near the edge of the map.  In the original game you could easily command your ship to sail to a specific port or you could easily drag it over to a specific point on the map.

In this version you can only see a limited section of the map at any one time which results in you either taking baby-steps or swinging to a different part of the map which, since the cursor has a default speed of super-sonic, is no easy task.  You do of course have the option of zooming out but if you come out too far you can no longer click on your units so you will regularly find yourself zooming in and out as though you’re taking part in some sort of drug-induced waltz.

In many ways, and not just in graphics, this game has had the Civilization treatment.  Once you decide which Nation you wish to control you are presented with a choice of two leaders who come with their own individual advantages.  On the face of things it is nice to have such a choice but, when you consider that neither choice is likely to affect things in a huge way, it makes little difference to the game and feels tacked on just for the sake of it.

The one major change to the game, which I actually find to be an improvement, is in the act of declaring independence.  In the original version, when you declared independence from your chosen nation you suddenly found yourself unable to trade with Europe.  Your tactics would then fall to one side and you entered into a waiting game to discover if the army you built up was strong enough to hold off the attacking forces until which time you could regroup, overthrow the scum, and claim a much deserved victory.  In this version, when you declare your independence, you now have the ability to choose the type of government you want for your people.  If you choose Monarchism you will be able to continue trading with Europe which should help you feel more in control of your destiny and less like you’re on the school playground desperately trying to protect your face from the fists of a kid who is more than twice your size.

This game has its pluses and minuses and opinions will certainly be divided with as many fans hailing this as a modern classic as those who see it as a missed opportunity.  I personally can’t help feeling that this game will appeal far more to new fans of Civilization IV than nostalgic fans of the original Colonization which leaves this game feeling much more like a Civ IV Mod than a loving recreation of a classic.

7/10

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