Cultures Review

The Funatics Development team, from Germany is reaching for recognition with its resource-managing Settlers-like game - Cultures! Look out, 'cause little Vikings are coming at ya! They're miniature, but brave Vikings that intend to find their missing six firestones, which are supposed to bring back the Sun and warmth, and enrich the otherwise cold and infertile land. The Chief of the tribe has decided that the unknown lands of the far west must be inhabited in order to find the rest of the missing fire-stones. These lands are the Northern parts of the American continent, which are mostly inhabited by the Eskimos and, of course, the native Indian tribes. Most of these Indians have hostile intents towards newcomers like the blonde, red-bearded Vikings; 'no dim-witted Odin freak will ever enter the holy redskins domain! Of course you know this means WAR, you stupid burgundy-skinned, smoke-puffing plumage-wearing suckers!

Existing in this kind of area would require developing a strong settlement that will ensure the future of the Vikings. Following the main goal of each mission (which is establishing trade routs and trade demands, in most cases) you are obliged to take care of every single Viking in your little village. Whenever a little blue-face is born, his mother must buy him some pampers and chocolate Nesquick cereals, this means providing food and home, later a job and a wife etc etc. All of these tasks sound very simple, yet they are more complicated than you would imagine. Providing food can be accomplished in all sorts of ways: by picking fruit (Fruit Workshop - building required), by fishing and hunting (like in Settlers). Of course, making bread is the most certain way of prevailing. But first you'll have to pass through quite a few evolution processes - any Viking can become a farmer, but in order to become a baker he must first conquer the art of flour making. This is a good example for civilization progress in this game, and it is the most common method of acquiring daily chow.

Pay heed and guarantee the life of every Viking by looking after his vital-statistics, energy scales, which include food, sleep, entertainment, and religion. If you forget any detail concerning the welfare of a single citizen, then it's goodbye sweet world and hello Valhalla. Still, you don't have to panic, because little Vikings can look after themselves to a certain extent. Their energy can be low, but they will keep on working and living in the nice ambiance. Except, you can make things much easier by building them houses and dwelling tents; of course this will only avoid sleep deprivation. For food you have to secure a nice and loving wife, who can, by the way, give birth only if she has a dwelling tent. So there will be no delivering babies under cherry trees and so on. Dealing with every day problems signifies the starting point for this game. If you don't enjoy making a society and watching it prosper, then Cultures is not for you. But I imagine that even the biggest Settlers despisers will like this small life simulation, because it has so many unique things to offer.

The game visuals are very impressive and the graphics are colourful and highly detailed. Everything looks beautiful, from the blossoming flowers and growing wheat, to the various kinds of trees and plants that shift in the soft spring wind. You will find yourself, forgetting all of your troubles and just falling a sleep at the gentle sound of birds singing and the pleasing humming of the wind. Details, like these, were the crucial elements which made me realize that you can have fun simply by creating a world of your own and observing its growth. Fighting, smashing, and clashing with enemy tribes becomes more interesting after you've attained a recognizable settlement; you worry about every resident whom you raised since he was a little nipper, watching him grow up and turn into a man, and finally fight. The women are vital to your village. Although they can never become fighters and swordsmen, your Vikings would parish without their loving support. Having to deal with common every day problems, in such an original way, is quite noteworthy! The nonexistence of the optional game-speed settings will surely disappoint people who don't have the patience for civilization advance. In this sense, the game does lack vibrant events, which could increase its addictiveness.

But let's get back to the units. Anybody in the village can become somebody. Some people are intellectually, spiritually, and yes even sexually limited during their short lives. This was slightly fixed with the entertainment and religion scales; not everyone is a good conversationalist, or a priest. Even so, you have the alternative to spread experience points to each of the character's life necessities (kind of like a FRP). If points are added to the character's entertainment range, then he/she will be a better orator and a cool individual who won't bore people to death. Such a person can get a job more easily than any other, and he/she will develop into someone with a great reputation and status. More importantly, that someone can achieve more professions than before.