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SSI, $49. Requirements: PowerPC, 32MB RAM, System 7.6+, 4x CD, 100 MB HD.. For more information, visit SSI at http://www.imperialism2.com.
Review by Dave Price
In Imperialism II, the sequel to the strategy game Imperialism, you are placed in the position of absolute monarch, ruling a Great Power during the Age of Exploration. You must successfully plunder and conquer the New World to build up your mighty nation and, in turn, conquer the Old World. Your goal is to make yourself the biggest and the baddest ruler in all the known world. Old Imperialists should feel right at home when preparing upon conquering the New World.
The basic ideas are the same as in the original; you must develop and transport raw materials, produce manufactured goods in your capital, sell the goods or use them for expansion, and, use diplomacy to accomplish your goals abroad. A notable change from the original game is the difference when supplying food to your people. You can no longer trade for food, so you are left to rely solely upon the grain and meat your nation produces, a very realistic problem in this time without canning. Not only must you supply food to your labor force, but to your army and navy as well, greatly increasing the difficulty of maintaining a large army and navy. An additional new naval challenge is you must now use the cargo capacity of part of your navy as the merchant marine to transport or trade your goods over seas.
Control over your empire is spread between six different areas: the main map, the transport orders screen, the industry screen, the trade screen, the diplomacy screen, and the technology screen. Each of these areas allows you to exert and implement your strategies to maintain your nation's superiority. In the main map, you move your armies and navies, and build rails, roads, farms, forts, mines, etc. The transport screen then allows you to transport materials from the far-flung reaches of your empire to your capital city. Following that, the industry screen allows you take the raw materials you just transported and turn them into manufactured goods, which you may sell in the trade screen or use to build up your infrastructure. The diplomacy screen allows you to conduct business with the other nations. You are able to establish trade consulates and embassies, declare war, offer peace, pacts, alliances, and send foreign bribes. Of course, when diplomacy fails (and it will) be ready to send out some of your 12 ship types and 29 army types to defend and expand your borders. Just be careful not to allow a major disruption in your economy; devastation in one region under your control can have far-reaching effects throughout your whole empire.
Just make sure you have lots of food, both meat and grain, to feed your massive army, navy and workforce. In order to succeed later in the game, you will have to have explored and subdued the New World. At the same time, you will need to be researching new technologies to keep you ahead of the other powers so your forces can be victorious. However, if war doesn't suit you, you can always be polite and diplomatic and simply invite everyone to join you, not that they will.
The new artwork in Imperialism II is certainly an improvement. The interface is similar, as is the overall map view, except enhanced. To suit some of the new commodities such as sugar, tobacco, fur, diamonds, and many others, new graphics have been created. The distinctive graphics immerse you in the 1700's during the high Baroque period. Adding to the atmosphere, the CD contains about 20 minutes of original, Baroque-styled music to enhance your reign.
What is important in turn-based strategy games are the game play and the AI (Artificial Intelligence). Imperialism II also offers multiplayer, so that you may even beat your friends into submission, instead of the AI beating you! The game play is just as enjoyable as the original Imperialism, if not moreso. The addition of new challenges, a more complex AI which [slightly] irritated me a couple of times, when I was allowing my armies to rest a turn before invading two provinces in the New World (Those Spaniards took the provinces right out from under me!). The improvement and expansion on existing features, like exploration and the more complex technology web, make this a good fun-to-play game.
You want to rule the world? I'll tell you how as soon as I figure it out for myself. Until then, play Imperialism II. |