The Last Federation's biggest problem is that it can't get out of its own way for long enough to just let you play the damn game. It's like that guy who hovers over your shoulder when you're trying to learn to use a new computer program, ready to grab the mouse out of your hand and say 'No, this is the way you do it...' when you just wish he'd leave you the hell alone for five minutes. Honestly, this is the first time I've ever wanted to punch a tutorial. There is a core of a good game in here that tries to put a cool twist on the 4x genre. But a good 4x strategy game provides a framework and then lets the player play in it, so that by the end, s/he's created a new universe. The Last Federation instead has a universe that has been rigidly designed from the outset by the developers. Its races interact in hard-coded ways. Big chunks of the tech tree don't open until hard-coded points in time, no matter how fast you research. So what would have helped here? In my opinion: Customizable races, customizable maps, a more abstract tech tree, and better starship upgrades. That would have been a game I'd play again. On the whole, the game reminds me less of MOO 2 and more of Long Live the Queen. You're navigating through a universe, not creating one. Maybe that appeals to some people, but if you're looking for a 4x game, look somewhere else.
Banished is a solid city builder with few if any bugs (which is honestly a huge achievement). The graphics are quite nice but on mid-to-older machines, the game starts to chug once the population starts getting into triple digits, and there doesn't seem to be any way around this. My main complaint with the game, aside from the slowdown, is that it's simply too easy. The first few hours can be touch-and-go, but once you've got the nucleus of the town running, the only real way to kill yourself is to overexpand so that you run out of food or firewood. But then, there's no real reason to expand beyond 200 people or so except to earn achievements. There's no pyramid that needs building. No barbarians that need conquering. There's no ... goal. In short: Neat concept. Decent execution. Pretty graphics. Good for 10 hours of fun if you like a challenge, but ultimately unsatisfying.
Gothic gets 1/5 stars from me, only because 0/5 isn't an option. The control setup was so horrifically clunky, counterintuitive, and downright unusable that I couldn't force myself past the five minute mark. This game might be the cat's pajamas when it comes to an open and immersive world, but sadly, I'll never find out for myself. The interface is simply that bad. Gothic was far and away my most disappointing purchase on GOG to date.
King's Bounty is sort of interesting on the surface, and while the concept is interesting, the execution is mediocre at best. There are balance issues, UI issues, a tremendous amount of backtracking, and a steep and inconsistent learning curve. That said, the battles can be fun, and some of the writing is pretty funny. On the whole, there's simply not a lot to recommend it.
Seriously. I know it's dated. I know a couple of the races are broken. I know the graphics are 8-bit VGA or whatever. None of that chances the fact that this is honestly the best game ever made, and any strategy fan owes it to himself or herself to play this one. Over and over and over and over and over. A good strategy game ins't complicated. A good strategy game is involving and well-crafted. This is both. You cannot go wrong with Master of Magic. Period.
I really wanted to love this game, because it has all the fantasy stuff that I love on top of all the civilization stuff that I love, but somehow this game turned it all into a boring, mediocre-at-best trudge. I suppose it's not bad for an afternoon, but there's nothing gripping and replayable like Master of Magic.
