Civilization IV is a superb strategy game, almost unparalleled in its field and packing a level of polish and depth few competitors could even hope to achieve. Colonization, the stand-alone successor, builds upon the firmest of foundations and brings a fresh twist on the tried and tested formula. Does it live up to the lofty expectations and construct new experiences, or fall short of enhancing this most prestigious of franchises?
Confusingly it somehow manages to fall in the middle, simultaneously feeling familiar and safe while also forging new ground. The core gameplay remains ostensibly unchanged and is still as addicting and enthralling as ever, providing nigh endless replayability and enjoyment. Managing units, gradually expanding your empire, focusing down to the most minor of municipal issues and then pulling back to the whole frontier is still amazing. And fun.
I am not American, so for me this game is equal parts history lesson as it is entertainment. In that regard, it manages to include all the delicious detail and accuracy that has been a hallmark of the Civ franchise since the whole thing began. The units all reflect reality, the geographical layout can range from small to continent-wide scale and the plethora of technologies and enhancements all feel coherent and accurate. Clear and simple goals are laid out to you at all stages, presenting an escalation of gameplay that manages to stave off the boredom and repetition of the Civ endgame while also keeping the pace high and the action varied.
Founding America, as it turns out, is just as impossible and frustrating as it was in Civilization IV (which usually revolved around never going there at all, because Montezuma just killed my Pikemen with an F-18 Raptor). Colonization has taken what could be a dozen turns in its predecessor and zoomed in on them and stretched them over an entire game. In all aspects, this title expands upon what came before, enriching the creation of the United States with a sense of effort and toil. This is not merely a battle for resources, but a fight for survival and a struggle for recognition. Turns pass and you cling to the scant resources you have acquired, picking your battles extremely carefully, developing your homesteads and thinking about each move with extreme focus. It feels as if they have intentionally made the level of difficulty slightly higher to reflect this, making expansion somewhat slower, and each city you found an important focal point for nearby AI. A much harsher mistress than Civ 4, the fine line between failure and success here has been reduced to the breadth of a musket shot.
Similarly, you no longer manage things on a global scale, putting more development and emphasis on a mechanic first pioneered in Civ 4 with important social figures. Here they are colonists, who can enhance and improve settlements and also forge new territories. Protect these guys; they are the lifeblood of your empire, giving bonuses and new technologies, improving farming or trade as well as a multitude of other crucial tasks. As well, with the overarching theme of the game on the microscopic rather than the macro, you can take a firmer grip on the economic aspects of your cities, with control over imports and exports, shipments from Europe and trading between factions. It all feels like you are laying foundations for something though, constantly feeling like a stockpiling effort. The calm before the storm as it were. The ‘getting ready to kill some fools’ montage in a Stallone movie. And it is leading somewhere.
Once your uppity American forefathers eventually overcome this hostile country and become wealthy and powerful enough to lord over the banks of the Potomac, your sovereign nation (such as the English or Spanish) will become jealous, sail across the Atlantic and ruin your party, sending wave after wave of their own troops at you in a merciless and climactic battle for independence. This creates a frenzied continent wide war zone that throws the calm and sedentary endgame into an immense chaos of sieges and pitched battles. Use everything you have learned thus far, employ historical precedents to overcome them. That city in the mountains that took you eighteen turns to capture a couple of hours ago? Use it as a stronghold. That particularly developed trade route you cut-off previously? Pump resources into it to fund your defense. It’s a well thought out development that allows you to feel powerful and experienced.
Colonization is a textbook example of an ‘if it ain’t broke’ situation. There is little to be said of this game that can’t also be said of Civ 4. There are both exceptional in construction, easy to play, hard to master. Comprehensive in historical detail and dynamics, while featuring some of the most balanced and varied gameplay seen in a strategy game. A different flavour of experience than Galciv 2, Colonization is one of the best strategy games to come out for a long time. You might say it can be seen as simply Civ 4 in a new coat (a shiny new Yankee coat), but ultimately it adds just the right amount of character and distinction to be considered among the greats. As someone who played and loved the 1994 original so long ago, this is a testament to how far game design has come, and how effortlessly Firaxis have surpassed what many consider a gaming milestone.
Colonization is unquestionably excellent, though the one complaint you could raise is that, while offering a different spin on Civ 4, it is so similar as to sometimes feel restrictive in scope compared to its epoch spanning bigger brother. Nevertheless, this feeling soon fades when you realize the depth of gameplay is staggering, and to attempt more at this level would be foolish. At times nostalgic, at others fresh and exciting, Colonization is polished and refined in every area. Essential.
