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Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization

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6.7 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 32 critic reviews
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Based on 30 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: 2K Games

Developer: Firaxis

Genre(s): Turn-Based Strategy

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: September 22, 2008

Summary

In Colonization, players lead one of four European nations on a quest to conquer and rule the New World. Players are challenged to guide their people from the oppressive motherland, discover the New World, and negotiate, trade and fight with both the natives and other nations as they acquire power and fight for freedom and independence. As a complete reimagining of the 1994 classic, Colonization is a total conversion of Civilization IV that combines Civilization's addictive "just one more turn" gameplay with all-new graphics and features that add more depth to the franchise. New features include brand-new interface, improved diplomacy options and the included modding tools. Colonization does not require the original Civilization IV product in order to be played. [2K Games]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Civilization III Civilization IV Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword Civilization IV: Warlords

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

1UP

What really makes Colonization a classic turn-based game is the amount of distinct character. This isn't just a Civ 4 mod; it's its own beast, with its own rules and its own sense of charm and history, carved out of a New World brimming with native settlements, tobacco, and furs, waiting for your people -- people, mind you! -- to conquer it, plunder it, and/or cultivate it.

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LEVEL (Czech Republic)

Three hundred years of human history refined into the fantastic game of survival, wealth and domination. Challenging management of resources and commodities on one side, great atmosphere and great replayability on the other. [Oct 2008]

Game Informer

The random map generator, several unique factions and difficulty levels, and many approaches to the ultimate goal of independence give Colonization as much replay value as any title you care to name. [Oct 2008, p.112]

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VideoGamer

Civilization IV: Colonization takes a classic game and updates it for 2008, without screwing around with the things that made it great in the first place. Because it does this, we like it a lot. If you like absorbing strategy games, then you probably will too.

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PC Zone UK

Not quite as awesomely mindblowingly epic as "Civ IV," but it's not far off. [Dec 2008, p.78]

PC Games (Germany)

A perfect remake of a true strategy classic. The few things Firaxis changed are sensible and functional. A must-have for every strategy nerd.

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IGN

Like Pirates! before it, Colonization is brilliant, not just for the way that it successfully captures the fun and feel of one of a classic PC game, but also for the way that it brings that design into a new era.

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PC Format

Best of all, Col08 brings multiplayer to the table for the first time, making it even more fun to smash the other European powers in your race to dominate the New World. [Dec 2008, p.99]

Gameplanet

The only criticism I can personally level at the game is that after a few hours of play, I was filled with a burning desire to play some Civilization IV, rather than have another round of Colonization.

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GameZone

Colonization is exactly my type of turn-based strategy. I don’t miss the tech trees, and love the focus on economics and trade.

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YouGamers

The classic gameplay is mostly untouched, so all the grumpy old gamers will feel right at home. On the other hand, anyone who wanted a true sequel might be disappointed by the lack of real gameplay improvements. In dire need of a gameplay balancing patch to sort out the rough edges.

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Gamers.at

To play Colonization once more was like reaching deep into my personal drawer of childhood-memories. My verdict: Colonization is a truly well made portation of the original for the new millennium – but you shouldn’t be expecting and real innovations. [Issue#15]

PC Gamer

If you missed Col the first time around (and most of you probably did), now is an excellent chance to pick it up and dive into the colonial era. [Nov 2008, p.62]

Cheat Code Central

Colonization is far more than a simple mod or add-on; it clearly stands alone as a fully fledged blast from the past. This is one walk down memory lane you'll want to take.

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GameShark

The new Colonization walks the fine line between mod, expansion and remake.

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NZGamer

What is particularly interesting about Colonization, as against the Civ games, is the relationships between the different factions. There isn't, for example, the same emphasis on war.

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GameStar

If you don't know the original game from 1994, you should play at the easiest level to understand the complex economy. There are three other nations competing with you to colonize the New World, the native Indians and, last but not least, the King of your nation in the Old World. The Independence War is one of the most entertaining ways to end a campaign ever seen in this genre. The game may not be perfect, but it's a motivating and challenging strategy game.

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PALGN

While it's unlikely to convert anyone who can't see the fun in slowly nudging swarms of candy-coated numbers in positive directions, Colonization is a great addition to the Civ IV stable. And who needs sleep anyway?

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Meristation

For a small price, those who have not yet experienced Colonization can enjoy it now for what it is: a real classic in the 4X genre; the experience is more or less the same and the mechanics are as clever now as they were in the original one. For those who experienced it, it's a nice update with a well put interface, a good way to keep playing it without the mandatory use of DosBox.

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GameSpy

Building a thriving economy from scratch is immensely satisfying, and it'll take several games to really master the nuances of the elegant ruleset. Colonization might not appeal to everyone, but it'll definitely hit a sweet spot for many strategy fans.

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GameSpot

Colonization is a more focused and linear Civilization experience that nevertheless offers the depth and rewards of the classic strategy series.

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Eurogamer

Apart from mild annoyance at some automation hiccups (occasionally pioneers, ships, and wagon trains, seem to forget what they're supposed to be doing) and slight disappointment at the unit art (more could have been done to distinguish the four civs) I've been horribly content these last few days.

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3DJuegos

Once again Colonization returns to demonstrate the strengths of the Civilization saga. Deep and full of gameplay variants off and on-line, this is a title that that will be very interesting for the fans of the turn based strategy.

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G4 TV

Colonization adds a great layer onto the Civilization IV gameplay. If you like Civ-style games but also enjoy the trading and exploring aspects of games like Pirates! or, erm, Pirates of the Burning Sea, this is a game for you. However, if your strategic tendencies lean more toward building large armies than building thriving economies, just keep on sailing past this one.

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GameFocus

If you are a big fan of Civilization IV you probably will enjoy Colonization even though it feels like a rushed attempt at expanding Civilization IV. Only buy if you are a serious fan of the series and Civilization IV is no longer enticing you to play.

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PC PowerPlay

Most will stay for the joy of new discoveries, even if Colonization doesn’t have the same long lasting appeal as the more extensive Civilization series. [Dec 2008, p.71]

PC Gamer UK

Still a remarkable strategy game, and for newcomers it's proof that trading doesn't mean tedium. Unfortunately, it's not quite the grand resurrection that Colonization deserves.

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Computer Games Online RO

The new Colonization manages in some weird way to capture that conquistador feeling that its 1994 ancestor made popular. But you need to play fast, if you don’t want to lose in one way or another, and a big chunk of feeling is lost when the game itself pushes you onto dark alleys just to finish it.

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Worth Playing

If you remember the original fondly, then you have nothing to fear; it hasn't been broken. If you're not a hardcore strategy gamer or if you were weaned on them in this century, you may find the archaic mechanics and limited scope a little on the disappointing side.

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Total PC Gaming

Our American cousins will really enjoy this and, begrudgingly, so will we. [Issue#12, p.60]

Gameplayer

So while it’s a nice nostalgia trip and makes for an interesting twist on the Meier formula, it’s people who have either never played Civlization IV before (we’ve been told they do exist) or those who have played it to death and want a bit of a change who will get the most out of this title.

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Play.tm

This game may be cheap but it often feels even cheaper. It's not just the simplistic mechanics at work but the rough edges which begin to cut once the initial lubrications of happiness at replaying a classic title have worn away. From icons that shift slots on the UI to redundant information screens being favored over the existence of useful ones, Colonization 2008 feels more like an intern project than a game that should be sold to the public.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 30 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

K S gave it a3:
The good news is that this is a remake of Sid Meier's amusing non-Windows Colonization. The graphics are much improved. The bad news is that overall, this game is worse, and far less fun. There is much tedious detail in play and less care was spent on the manual. You'd be better off starting with the beautifully done manual from 15 years ago! Critical assumptions aren't spelled out. For example, in the original there was a way, after angering the king about trade, to buy your way back into favor. Not here. The lack of a comprehensive manual is particularly painful, because as usual with Meier's games, the computer doesn't play by the same rules. So, first, your rules aren't explained, and then, once you've figured them, out, the computer follows other ones. For example: one of your units leaving a ship to open shore cannot move that same turn. The computers' can. But you may not find that out until many hours, and hundreds of turns have passed. Surprise! Another fun (and more realistic) aspect of the original was that developing virgin forest was an exploration. Something, or nothing might be found. Instead here, everything is laid out from the beginning, adding to the very complex planning process that a player needs to use soon into the game. Overall? A failure, except for those who will do anything to relive a few of their fond memories from a far superior game 15 year old.

Scott m gave it an8:
A very good game. However, don't expect to play this for 20 turns and be good at it. Simply put, it takes some getting used to. Once you do learn however, managing your colony is one of the funnest game mechanics I'v played in a long time. This is not really Civilization, it's its own beast entirely.

Jonathan S gave it a7:
As a big fan of the original Colonization, I had high hopes for the remake. For the most part, these were met: they kept most of the basic mechanisms, including allocating workers. The graphics are very pretty, especially the water effects, and the music is good too. It's absorbing, like almost all Side Meier games it's very hard to put down! I do have some peeves, including a couple of big ones, that keep this from being a near-perfect game. First, as near as I can tell, the only realistic way to victory is Time. The King's forces are freakin' VAST, and each unit is more powerful than yours. Go ahead, put five or six soldiers in every city. A fortress, sure; cannons, why not; hundreds of muskets stockpiled. All you'll do is slow him down for a few turns. Even on low difficulty, achieving independence seems to be impossible. Related to that, attacking the natives doesn't seem to be a viable strategy either. In the original, you could take your starting soldier and start burning villages on turn 1. It was risky, one unlucky fight and you're toast, but it was an option. You could do quite well as the Spanish with this strategy. Now the natives have large armies and they grow over time to be even stronger. My final peeve, which for now has me giving up in disgust: in two separate games now, my "pleased" native allies have turned on me for no reason, BURNING MOST OF MY CITIES TO THE GROUND IN ONE TURN. No chance to mobilize defenses, no explanation for their sudden viciousness. Just game over. Has no one playtested this game?

Bob gave it a6:
I am a fun of the original colonization. One of the greatest game by its time (more than 10 years ago). This version has improved the graphics and that all. It sticks with the original with no improvements in the game except better graphics. It is not worth money, I seriously expected much more than that. Technicallly the interface is awful, buttons respond too slow or not respond. The AI simply doees not exist and just make random and stupid decisions. The trade system is terribly bad conceived with some serious problems and bugs. The automatization of units make too stupid decisions. So, it is a great mod of Civ IV, but it is not the kind of game that you expected to pay off.

Dziban M. gave it a5:
This game doesn't draw me in as much as Civ IV did. I get bored with it after 20 or 30 minutes of play; with Civ IV I would (and still do) play for hours and be angry about having to sleep so I can function at work the next day. Colonization doesn't offer very compelling gameplay. AI makes some strange decisions in putting your colonists to work (Master Ore Miner growing crops, even with an ore mine outside the settlement? Meanwhile a Master Farmer is fishing?) which requires lots of micromanagement. AI also misses some great industry growth...a settlement near a tobacco resource should be growing tobacco and making cigars, but the AI decides on cotton instead and doesn't bother putting settlers to work making coats. Interaction with your home country is irritating and can be as strange as the AI (King asks for 2500 credits on the 3rd turn of the game?) Trade route system is cumbersome. Growing your settlements while trying to create Liberty Bells (to attract Founding Fathers), building structures, and making money is difficult to achieve...which is the point, I suppose, but the "reward" for playing just isn't worth it. I'll stick with Civ IV and its expansions.

Bill H. gave it a5:
This game has critical design errors in gameplay mechanics and many half-finished features. It's hard for me to say it's a product of laziness on the part of Firaxis as they have clearly upped the ante of the graphics for the Civ IV engine, however, it seems like that was their main focus, as they then failed to smooth out too many rough edges to make it worth mentioning in this review. I've played it through to victory for over a week straight, something in the neighborhood of 92 hours. My feeling is that they screwed up many gameplay aspects that needed to be updated to such an extent that it would've been better to leave it the way it was in 1993. It's great first, but as you continue playing and realise the many many small problems add up to a deeply flawed game, you find yourself cursing Sid Meier for sucking at the tit of another incomplete cash cow. My hope is they patch many of the problems as they did with Civ IV, but I'm not holding my breath on it. Another running problem I have with the Civ games is they have removed the capacity of Artillery/Cannon to bombard units and cities in the realistic fashion present in Civ II-thru-III. This is just a personal pet peeve and would've been forgivable if it were not simply one more problem in a sea of problems with this game's design, but I really do wish game developer's could get their head's wrapped around how you use Arty and why you would want it in the first place, rather than making it into an infantry unit that charges the front lines.

Pedro D. gave it a5:
Is it too much to expect that 'some' changes be made to a classic game to evolve it into 2008 standards. I loved the classic version and to be honest there's not much different, the graphics are nice but the trading system and ai i think have moved backward. This got about 30 mins of excitement and by now I'm ready to give up.

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Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization

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