This is a personal favorite of mine. It holds a slight edge over the first reboot, but primarily because of the fan Mods which make it a better game. Please note, however, that some instructions say you must add "ActivateMods" but the CORRECT code for the Config file is "ActiveMods." This causes some confusion, so please note that correction when you read instructions, and it will save you a headache. Thanks GOG for bringing it to your store. I will probably buy it hear someday, but will wait until it is on sale as I already have the Steam version.
First, let me say that I wanted to like this game. It is essentially Mass Effect in the XCOM world. As such it could have been awesome, but in reality is mediocre. My critique is as follows. 1. The game engine is okay, but not great when compared to Mass Effect 2 and 3 which its game engine was obviously modeled after. Somehow it didn't feel polished. It is not a game breaker at all, and probably is the strongest element of the game, but it doesn't stand apart from better game engines of its kind. 2. The characters are shallow, unlikable, and I really don't care about any of them. Yes, this does not effect game play per se, but plot and story and characters are part of what made the first three Mass Effect games so replayable and enjoyable. 3. Replayablity. Again, Mass Effect had tremendous replayability due to a well developed story and characters. This had very little replayability. Yes, you could choose from a few different companions but most are generic with no built in story line, and the others offer nothing really new to the gameplay. 4. Different endings? Well, sort of. In this day and age, different paths can be a terrific bonus for a game, but we have come to expect more than a few generic paths. No matter what choices I made (and there are only a few limited choices) I feel like the story was essentially the same. This again goes to limited replayability. 5. Short game length. They were probably expecting to add many add-on packs but the game was not successful leaving a rather short game. Admittedly, the game is not tiny, but compared to its predecessors the game comes and goes too quickly, so consider this a factor, and buy only if it is on sale. Do I regret buying the game? No. It is a pleasant diversion with a 50s sci-fi feel which I loved, but I was very put off by the rude jerk I was playing, and the shortcomings of the game that I have been unable to replay it. Three stars I think is fair. Good, but don't expect too much.
I found myself playing this Settlers far more than any others. It was criticized by some of the original Settlers fans for being too much like Age of Empires, but it featured some unique changes to that game including the "hero" based system with special powers. Each map has missions and a plot which make it more than mere resource management and conquest. More importantly, it allowed the player community an easy way to create and play their own maps which made for countless free maps which are still available to this day at www.settlersmaps.com. In fact, some new maps are still being made, although much fewer. The game is not perfect, but it is unique and with ample maps (both in game and user made) which I have been playing now for years, even after Settlers 7 came out. Definitely my favorite of the series.
