Yes, the graphics are dated. Yes, the soundtrack is limited. Yes, it can be a bit unbalanced and janky. Those things, however, are completely overshadowed by the game play, which is why it gets four stars. One of the things that I love about this game is how much your tech choices matter. Unless you are playing a Creative race like the Psilons (and it's quite the costly perk), being able to pick only one tech at every level of each discipline completely changes the research game, and even in high player count games, it is entirely possible for some techs to never be discovered at all, by anyone. Turn based tactical combat is kinda my jam, and if a game with deeper potential ship customization has come out... ever... I haven't heard of or played it yet. The host of different leaders you can employ (or rescue...) add another layer of depth to decision-making. MoO2 is not a perfect game, but it is an excellent one, even all these years later and well worth the asking price, especially on sale.
I never played the original Tomb Raider, or any of it's sequels. I always thought that all it had to offer was "big boobs polygon girl", and I just wasn't interested. But a while ago, I picked up this Anniversary re-release, and today, for the first time, I booted it up (I have quite a game backlog). Wow, was I impressed! Even making it into the first real area of the game felt like a small achievement. The controls are a tiny bit janky, but considering other titles from the era that I have played, they feel tight and responsive for the most part. The environments are beautifully rendered, the platforming and exploration are fun, and the combat sequences are suitably tense. If ever there was a reason to internalize the lesson "don't judge a game by its cover", Tomb Raider: Anniversary is it. If, like me, you've been sleeping on this franchise, I highly recommend you jump in, and I highly recommend that you make this the first title that you play. If you're at all a fan of puzzle platforming or action games, it's likely to be right up your alley.
This game isn't perfect, but even after all of these years, it delivers a fun, challenging experience. The graphics are clearly dated, but the heavily stylized look actually serves it well, I think; it's not going to age nearly as poorly as something that makes more of an attempt at being "realistic-looking". The setting is beautifully realized and the sheer variety of things to do could easily overwhelm a new player, but the Apprentice mode that the game starts you in by default does a really good job of introducing the various mechanics of the game in an easily-digested way. The gameplay itself is fun and goes at a decent clip, though there IS a bit of a problem... the trade winds blow all year round, it seems, so trying to backtrack to the east once you've sailed west is invariably slow. Still, there are things that you can do to speed it up, and there's sure to be lots of adventures to have and plunder to take along the way. Overall, this is a very solid game, and probably the best single-player pirate-themed game that I have played to date. Especially considering how inexpensive it usually is, don't hesitate to grab it; it won't disappoint.
This game doesn't break any new ground; it's mechanically and thematically in line with many other city builders. On the other hand, it works the basic formula of the genre very well for the most part, and it's worth picking up on sale for a bit of traditional fun.
