Cultures 2 Review

What do strategy games lack today? More naked chicks? 100.000 units slicing each other in real-time? Well, the delightful world of Cultures 2 won't b bringing you all of that I'm afraid. However, this title does have certain qualities that prolong the whole gaming experience and make it extraordinary in a way. Even so, somewhat outdated visuals may drive some gamers away.

Cultures 2 opens up a new chapter in the chronicles and legends of the Vikings. All was peaceful in a humble little Viking village until the harmony was broken with the coming of a dark prophecy, seen in a vision by our hero character, Bjarni. Accompanied by his most loyal Viking men and women, Bjarni sets out on a journey to meet his destiny. Throughout many challenges Bjarni and his companions will travel from the greenish isles of England to the far regions of the east, going through Byzantium Empire territories and all the way to the very outskirts of Baghdad.

At the very beginning of the game you'll observe a few interface changes over the original. Considering how many issues the player needs to oversee during the game, I think that the interface provides you with a pretty straightforward approach to the manipulation of your little Viking society. Anyway, before I elaborate on the gameplay, I have to stress that Cultures is a game that mostly focuses on micromanagement. So, if you weren't acquainted with the original game, there are a few things you should know. First of all, the game emphasizes the importance of single unit experience as well as career evolution. This means that in order to create a thriving society with a strong economy and well-equipped army, you're pretty much gonna have to work your tail off. Each Viking needs to be trained in a certain field of expertise and that takes time. You'll find that there's another thing equally time-consuming; satisfying the basic needs of each Viking. This means that like in the previous game you are obliged to secure a home, regular food consumption, and a spouse for everyone of your citizens. I've mentioned this so that players that are unfamiliar with the first game may know what they'll be dealing with all through the game. In other words, Cultures 2 requires a certain amount of playing time before you get the hang of all the options and features. Luckily, the main interface was redesigned somewhat so as to make micromanaging easier for average gamers.

So, what has changed since the last Cultures game? Not much really. It all looks the same and feels the same - you have to raise buildings, procreate, and look after every single inhabitant. Players who are after large scale real time battles where you send your warriors into action without a worry can rethink before trying this game. Your soldiers won't be in their top form if they are not fed, well-equipped, and entertained. A good addition in this situation is that you can explore the map and search for hidden chests. These chests can bring you a lot of useful things, which can speed your production up. For example, when you open a chest you may get to place a completed building of your choice and that relieves you of the aggravation you usually go through while constructing (looking for the appropriate resources, waiting for the builders to finish their lunch, etc.). Moreover, the developers have included the possibility to upgrade existing buildings. Thanks to this, your village will no longer be clogged with redundant level 1 structures (i.e. you can just advance it right away, thereby saving both space and time). Buildings are not the only thing that's upgradeable. You may also advance the weapons your warrior-Vikings are carrying. Naturally, this will make them more capable in battle.

Your village can also benefit from their mighty hero-characters like Bjarni. Heroes never get tired or hungry, which means they are a good asset for exploration and finding those useful chests I told you about.

The hugeness of each map may entail several hours of gameplay. Players are going to spend a significant amount of time to completing tasks set in vast surroundings that often include enormous sub-levels. The fact that the game has only nine campaigns shouldn't disappoint you because you'll be playing them individually for quite some time (next to the campaigns, there are 8 individual missions as well as 18 multiplayer maps). Also, I was thrilled to see that the developers made the game more dynamic by adding sub-quests. One more advantage is that the game is no longer linear. Players can now choose their allies and enemies; when that happens the scenario can change. In addition, if you wish to avoid hostile conflicts with neighboring civilizations, you can always establish a trading deal by paying resource tribute. It's nice to see a game that offers so many new possibilities.

In the previous game I found it rather irritating that you weren't able to build ships and therefore cross rivers and seas. Well, in Cultures 2 this is finally possible. You can assign a fully-trained carpenter to build a ship, then you can stock it with fresh supplies, appoint a commander, pick a few stout crew members, and set sail.

When it comes down to units acting on their own, you'll find that there will rarely be any problems. Path-finding is solid. Although, your military units won't be losing their way, they will require a lot of attention or they could easily disperse. This should not be misinterpreted as an AI flaw. It simply means that in the middle of a skirmish your Viking-warrior may suddenly drift off or head over to the nearest edible plant. This is realistic(?), but extremely annoying at times. In reference to friendly units, the AI routine is satisfying, making them efficient in any profession you select for them: soldier, scout, hunter, extractor, farmer, and so on. Whereas enemy soldiers will attack using various tactics, flanking your troops or assailing them with archers from a great distance.

As some of you may recall, the first Cultures game featured nice and colorful graphics, abundant details in the environment (almost everything on screen was animated; from bluish butterflies to a willow swinging in the wind). That all sounds pretty good. Unfortunately, none of these visual features were improved to correspond with the many competitive RTS titles of our time. Actually, if there are any noticeable improvements it would have to be the new buildings and the unique architecture style of each civilization. Anyways, if you were happy with graphics of the previous title, then I'm sure you won't be troubled with meager improvements that were made in this area. This however may bother other players. And one other thing that disappointed me is that a slide-show may occur every so often, even on stronger systems (i.e. awful frame-rates).

The sounds are of the same quality as in the previous game. Your units have a lot of remarks to put forth, and the sounds of the natural world are realistic and can be very soothing sometimes - things like the murmur of water, wind blowing softly though the trees and grass, etc.

In the end my advice is that you buy this game if you've enjoyed the original. But, you should save your money if you're longing for top-of-the-line eye-candy improvements. This game requires you to invest a lot of time into the prospect of the individual Viking and it underlines micromanaging and career evolution. As for myself I was never that hooked on games a la Settlers, but this was kinda fun to play. Regardless of what I think, the indisputable fact remains - the game needs more visual improvements.