Got into this game without really knowing anything about it (got it free with a GOG purchase) and i have to say it really surprised me by how much i enjoyed the setting and story elements. In terms of mechanics its basically Heroes of Might and Magic mixed with 'light' RPG, combat and story elements similar to the Shadowrun series and set, intriguingly, during the Spanish exploration of the Americas. You are a Spanish noble with a small (up to 16) party of adventurers trying to make your fortune in the new world. + Two large maps to explore - Hispaniola and Mexico complete with a very interesting camp management system where you need to assign people to various tasks in order to survive. + Nice RPG elements built into the story choices which do affect your decisions. This even extends to your party members including what class they are, their background story and even their traits. Want a group of violently racist, fanatical Christian zealots? Can do! :) + Combat is fairly light but is similar to the turn-based and skill-based format seen in Shadowrun (or XCOM by a stretch). Can be quite challenging at times, but very flavorful. + The story itself is historically correct and detailed, and takes place in a historical period which is rarely seen in games of this type, especially as an RPG. That said, it does allow for fantasy elements to be present as well (the Aztec deities are actually present for example), which is quite nice. The story as well is determined by you and your decisions which allows for some open-ended playing. - As mentioned before, i really wish the combat was a bit deeper and could have been refined a bit more... - Still a fairly short game all in all, took me about 13 hours to casually complete and i was left really wanting more! - The 'complete' end game condition is tough to meet and would involve a fair amount of grinding. That said, overall the 'normal' ending was satisfying enough imho. So all in all a great buy and a solid thumbs up from me - looking forward to the next title in this series, apparently Vikings! :o
