The Settlers VI: Rise of an Empire
he
Settlers: Rise of an Empire may be the prettiest medieval city-building
game that we've ever seen. Of course, this is a genre that's occupied
pretty much by just The Settlers in the first place, but that doesn't
change the fact that Rise of an Empire will have you building
realistic-looking medieval cities, as opposed to a haphazard collection
of buildings.
At its core, Rise of an Empire is about building up
a complex medieval economy that's able to supply all the various and
sundry needs of a populace. That includes food, protection,
entertainment, goods, and more. The idea in Rise of an Empire is to
make these processes come alive like never before, so the camera has
been moved a lot closer and the beautiful graphics let you see every
tiny detail, from the butcher hacking apart meat in his shop to the
woodcutter pushing his wood cart around.
Earlier Settler games
promoted the idea of sustainable economies, and that remains the case
with Rise of an Empire. For instance, you can use deer as a steady food
supply, provided you don't overhunt them or chop down the forests that
they like to inhabit. Do either, and you'll either exhaust the supply
of deer or drive them off.
Blue Byte promises a very diverse and
detailed economy this time around, and you'll need it as your medieval
city grows. Just like in history, as the middle class emerges it will
demand goods and services and luxury items, which will have to be
accounted for. The medieval cities that you can build in the game are
picture-postcard beautiful, with paved roads and plazas. You'll also
need to surround them with high walls, as there is a real-time combat
component to the game6 whenever barbarians or hostile armies appear.
Rise
of an Empire gets its name from the fact that you'll also be
establishing cities in remote parts of the world, such as the frozen
North or the tropical heat of Africa. Environment and daylight play a
major role in the game. For instance, food supplies in the Artic Circle
are tougher to come across than in the verdant south. Meanwhile, in
Africa you have to worry about water supplies, as well as bandits and
lions. Thankfully, you can recruit hero characters in the game that can
deal with many threats.