Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization

Expert Review

Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Colonization is a strategic masterpiece that seamlessly blends historical narrative with deep, tactical gameplay, offering players a chance to lead a colonial power through the early stages of the New World. Released as a standalone title, this game reimagines the Civilization series by focusing on the age of exploration, colonization, and the intricacies of building a thriving empire from scratch. As with most titles in the Civilization series, Colonization carries the weight of high expectations, but does it live up to its legacy? Let's break it down based on the collective feedback from the Steam community and gaming critics.

Gameplay: A World of Opportunity and Strategy
The core gameplay loop of Colonization is remarkably satisfying for fans of turn-based strategy games. The game's central mechanic revolves around managing a colonial settlement, where you must balance the demands of resource production, trade, diplomacy, and military conquest. Players will find themselves immersed in managing colonies, dealing with the tension of competing European powers, and, eventually, plotting a rebellion for independence. The complexity of these mechanics, however, is both a strength and a weakness.

Positive Aspects:

Rich Historical Context: For history enthusiasts, Colonization offers a detailed and immersive look at the founding of the Americas. The different European powers (such as the English, French, Dutch, and Spanish) offer varied playstyles, with unique units, bonuses, and strategic approaches to colonization. This diversity adds significant replay value as players explore each nation’s strengths and weaknesses.

Deep Strategic Layering: The game excels in its variety of strategic options. From managing resources like food, wood, and gold to handling diplomacy with the indigenous tribes, each decision feels meaningful. The rebellion against your European overlords adds a dynamic layer to the narrative, and players who like to plan long-term will appreciate the wealth of choices available.

Challenging AI: The AI in Colonization is ruthless, offering a strong challenge to players. Whether it's rival European powers attempting to outmaneuver you or the natives launching surprise attacks, the game doesn’t let players relax. For many, this presents an exciting challenge, as it forces players to stay on their toes and make adaptive strategic decisions.

Negative Aspects:

Steep Learning Curve: One common criticism of Colonization is its steep learning curve. Newcomers to the genre may find themselves overwhelmed by the game's systems. The intricate details of managing trade routes, dealing with colonies, and mastering the nuances of diplomacy may require a significant time investment before they become second nature. While the challenge is often rewarding, the game's complexity can also feel daunting to less experienced players.

Limited Diplomacy Options: Despite the game's detailed world-building, the diplomatic options can sometimes feel limited and somewhat rote. Interactions with other European powers and the indigenous tribes can become repetitive over time, leading to moments where the game feels less dynamic than it could be. Players who enjoy rich, complex diplomatic systems may find this aspect lacking compared to other titles in the Civilization series.

Lack of Military Depth: While the game does incorporate military conquest, it is not as fleshed out as other aspects of the game. Combat can sometimes feel simplistic, and the AI’s military tactics, although aggressive, don't offer the same depth and variety that players may expect from a game of this caliber. For those looking for a deeply immersive military strategy experience, Colonization may fall short.

Pacing Issues: The pacing of Colonization has also been a subject of debate. While some enjoy the slow, methodical buildup of their colonies, others feel that it can drag on, especially as the game nears its later stages. Long turns spent managing cities and resources can feel tedious, particularly when trying to reach the endgame.

Visuals and Audio
While the visual style of Colonization might not be as polished as modern strategy games, the art direction does a fine job of evoking the period. The cartographic maps and 3D representations of colonies look charming, and the aesthetic is consistent with the historical themes of the game. However, some players have noted that the graphics feel dated compared to more recent releases on the Steam platform.

The audio design, while functional, doesn’t offer much in the way of standout moments. The background music is appropriately thematic, but it can feel repetitive during longer sessions. Sound effects, such as the clashing of armies or the building of structures, are effective, but they don't add a great deal of emotional immersion to the gameplay.

Conclusion: A Complex Yet Rewarding Strategy Game
Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Colonization is a game that offers immense depth and replayability, with a rich historical setting and a host of strategic challenges. The game’s attention to detail and variety of playstyles make it an excellent choice for dedicated strategy fans who enjoy a slow burn of progression and complex decision-making. However, the steep learning curve, limited diplomacy, and simplistic combat mechanics may alienate those seeking a more accessible or action-oriented experience.

In the end, Colonization shines most for players who are already familiar with the Civilization series or those who enjoy deep, micromanaged strategy games. If you’re someone who enjoys games where every move matters and the weight of history is on your shoulders, this title will resonate deeply.

Final Rating: 8/10
While it has its flaws, especially in terms of pacing and diplomatic depth, Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Colonization is an engaging and challenging title that will appeal to fans of intricate strategy games. It is a historical exploration of empire-building with a complexity that can be both rewarding and daunting.

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i like it

I play this game since 1994,
WE NEED A NEW COLONIZATION GAME!!!!
With full Imperialist countries: Portugal, etc...
Can play with pre-colonization american people (Incas, Mayas, Aztecs...)

I had play that game on CD ROM and now I Can Play the game on steam

Genuine fun game, especially with the We the People mod. The original was before my time, and I don't need great graphics to enjoy a game, but having something from this side of the millennium is pretty nice. Very much plays like a board game, with worker placement and economy management aspects. The feeling of building your engine, getting iron mining, tools manufacturing, gun production, and seeing it play out across the map as you expand and contest other colonial powers is a great feeling.

Civ IV Colonization is a good addition to the Civ collection. Producing a strong and stable establishment takes a variety of activities; preventing hunger, establish production from raw materials, create a secure and then a force of military units and buildings (fortress, shipyard, armory, etc), and then stir the citizens to support a revolution with various avenues (town hall influence, newspaper, etc), all the while dealing with a English King who make demands of gold (donations and tax increases) and weighing the consequences to refuse him. Then diplomacy with other European settlements and local indigenous nations for trade, training, border issues, and war.
I use Win 10 and the auto save option has error writing the save file. Still trying to figure it out.
I enjoy Colonization as I have Civ V, spending hours at play as time flies when you're having fun. I like the history theme to Colonization.

too many buttons, hurts my brain, yeowch

based

great building game

a bit too short to get everything done
no americas map included

good game overall

Only reason to get it is for the WTP mod its a little hard to learn with all the new additions or just get

https://store.steampowered.com/app/327400/Sid_Meiers_Colonization_Classic/

The We The People Mod makes it a fantastic game

This version of the game is not like the original, it does not include the Americas scenario.

Get we the people mod

I played Civilization IV: Colonization again over the Christmas break, and it reminded me why I keep coming back to it every year or two. This game is such a fantastic remake of the original Colonization – it keeps the charm and strategic depth while adding the improved mechanics of Civ IV.

If you loved the original, this version does it justice. The colony-building, resource management, and fight for independence still feel rewarding, and the different factions and playstyles keep things fresh. I’d absolutely love to see a modern remake, but until then, this one still holds up!

💡 Mac Users: If you’re on macOS, it runs smoothly with VMware on M1 chips – no issues at all!

Great fun!

.

Loved this game from Col #1.

I would recommend playing the original Colonization on DosBox. It is far superior to this lukewarm Civ IV remake scenario.

I got this game free in a bundle, thinking it was DLC for Civ IV...

It is not.

It's a glorified scenario, and it's not good.

barely found it. Used to play the original. Very nice to have the upgraded graphics and super shorter load times

I would recommend to play the original instead. It's better. This isn't as cozy and beautiful and adds some layers of unnecessary complexity that takes out the fun vs the original version.

Fun Blast from the past. Plays well and is just how I remembered it being.

Essentially an official ambitious mod for civ 4 being sold as a seperate game that mimics a much older game. It's alright, havent played the original because it only runs on dos and all that, chances are you have this because you got the complete edition of civ 4. its worth checking out

Man, I miss old civ. this used to be so much fun.

This is an amazing SM Game. A Solid 9/10 and absolute classic. Have loved it since it first came out and now later in life. I just wish one issue technically/strategically/in terms of game design was fixed. If this was fixed the game would be perfect 10/10.

As you build up your army organically against the King its population value can sometimes too drastically lower Rebel Sentiment to initiate the Revolution. So you could have towns that are in the high 90% of being pro Independence and being ready to go yet the Overall Score is stuck in the low 30%. This is completely lopsided and after I did everything right with the right buildings, founding fathers etc.

In essence it's too much of a trade-off between growing your population/army along with maintaining the popularity needed to initiate the revolution. This SHOULD NOT BE A TRADE OFF! This catch 22 problem means you can't win the game as reasonably due to Strategy/Design Error. The best way to fix this is to remove Military Units from the calculation of Rebel Sentiment entirely.

I have made comments on this issue in forms, on STEAM, along with others. Yet it doesn't seem to be fixed anytime soon. Sad given such a great game.

casual play, management and planning

old but good game, also download the mod WeThePeople voor a nice colonization experience~!

I thoroughly enjoy the management of trade and logistics in this game. I find that extremely enjoyable.
However I must stress the extreme caveat that this game has you play as a party conducting a campaign of genocide against the indigenous peoples of these pseudo-american continents. You can attempt to mitigate this to some degree, but it should be kept in mind when playing, as the game does not explicitly point this out.

For me the best Colonization is still the original DOS game.
But I can understand why people will not play a 640x480 game on a 42" screen .. . ^^

This version here doesnt´t reach the strategic depth of the original, bur if you give the T.A.C. mod a try you´ll get what I´m talking about.
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/mod-the-authentic-colonization-tac.440319/
Nearly the original regarding the strategy and CIV IV graphics.Still is ok for today.

Highly recommended for all the oldies like me who loved the 1994 Micropose original.

The original version is among my favourite games, but the remake honestly leaves much to be desired. It's incomprehensible even, as most of the changes remove major strategic elements and make the game look way more boring than it actually is!

I had to dust off the DOS original and give it a go to see how many things have been left out for no good reason. That one had a great gameplay loop, true to Sid's vision:

Sid Meier wrote:

A good game is a series of interesting decisions.

We are talking about an over 30 years old game, how cool is that?

Let's see what's been left out and how it clashes with this original idea.

[table]
[tr]
[th]Original[/th]
[th]Remake[/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]You can choose which colonist you'd like from the three available when an immigrant wants to come.[/td]
[td]The colonist is picked randomly. You may hurry the one you want, just like in the original.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]The Fountain of Youth found in ruins allows you to bring in loads of colonists![/td]
[td]No Fountain of Youth (nor Cibola for that matter) present :([/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Education needs teachers, who'll train available colonists. The cost of education stays consistent, but there's a period of slower production while the teacher is occupied.[/td]
[td]Education needs students, who'll learn from an available specialist with higher tiers costing gold (making exports mandatory). Education costs quickly increase permanently with each colonist trained![/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]No borders; essentially anyone can move anywhere and attack whenever they wish to. You need a minimal defensive force even in times of peace.[/td]
[td]All-or-nothing diplomacy with no middle ground between brutal genocidal wars and total mind-numbing boredom. The crazy native AI can end your game instantly if they have a bad day... or they'll let you envelop them and pass the peace pipe as they disappear into the void with no trace.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Boycotted goods can be paid off at a huge expense, allowing them to be traded again.[/td]
[td]Boycotted goods can never be traded for again! There isn't even Jakob Fugger to save your skin![/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Founding Fathers follow a relatively even arch. Majority of them is quite useful with relevant bonuses for their price and the stage they come in. There are only bells used for earning them, produced at town halls only.[/td]
[td]Everything about the Founding Fathers is all over the place! Now you have to collect multiple points that are given automatically for various actions with no feedback given. You also need bells to unlock a Father. It burns both of your points. Most bonuses also either come too late or are absolutely useless. Confusing and not very helpful at all![/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]You can abandon settlements when the last colonist leaves (except after building a stockade for some reason).[/td]
[td]No way to abandon a settlement, unless it's razed by others.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Captured settlements can be looted and the citizens taken away. If not needed, they can often be abandoned.[/td]
[td]You cannot examine captured settlements before deciding to capture or raze them. Capturing them permanently adds them to your empire.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Pioneers use up tools and need to be refilled when they run out.[/td]
[td]Pioneers build improvements for cash (no self-sufficiency) and only need to be equipped once.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Silver mines eventually run out of ore, forcing you to diversify.[/td]
[td]Silver mines never run out of ore and give a reliable source of income all game.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]You can haggle with natives, earning higher prices at the chance of risking angering them.[/td]
[td]No haggling. If you cannot pay up completely, you won't be sold anything. They'll also often give you offers that barely make you break even, making trading with natives a bit of a moot.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Native settlements cannot be entered (you can speak with them, but cannot physically enter) and they'll block your path. Native settlements also cannot be traded with via ships, unless you've met them previously on land.[/td]
[td]Native settlements can be entered by any unit and can be used to "harbor" your ships, especially privateers. Trading with them via ships is possible.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Horses can be bred automatically as long as you have at least 2 of them and enough food. No ranchers exist.[/td]
[td]Horses only can be bred at stables and it is not done automatically. New expert ranchers for this profession.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Experienced troops become veterans, greatly increasing their combat abilities all around. During the revolutionary war, veterans can become professional colonial troops, further increasing their strength (and giving them a dapper look!)[/td]
[td]Experienced troops receive really weak promotions (inherited from Civ 4), but do not become veterans.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Wounded units "demote", dragoons become soldiers, soldiers become colonists that need to be equipped again before they can fight.[/td]
[td]Losing units die and their equipment is lost for good.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]The King's forces become more vulnerable in nature, receiving negative defense bonuses, encouraging you to bait them into woods or mountains. This shakes up late game, where previously dangerous terrain becomes a deathtrap for your enemies.[/td]
[td]The King's forces receive no bonuses or maluses from terrain at all. You have to go toe-to-toe with them, so its a numbers' game.[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

Plus many more minor changes not mentioned here. I could go on about how do they upset the gameplay, but veterans can figure it out. All these little changes up to something that results in a vastly different game from the original vision. Player agency is lost and previously rewarding mechanics are gone.

Still, there are some positive changes though: great graphics for its age, better automation, support for modern OS and modding... Most of the gameplay is fairly close to the original, but all these pointless changes make the concept look way worse for newcomers than it's actually is. Baffling.

Why would I recommend it then? Well, it's an overused trope, but mods do solve lots of these issues I mentioned... hear me out: Civ 4's engine makes not only adjusting values or adding new things easy for modders, but as the source code for the game has been essentially released for us, numerous gameplay improvements have been added by us fans over the years.

First with "The Authentic Colonization" mod laying down the essentials, then came "Religion and Revolution" greatly expanding it, then building upon of all its ancestors here's the "We the People", each adding new features while staying true to the original vision of the game. They may feel bloated and janky at times, but I think they are still the saving grace of this remake and for a good reason. Incredible effort put in by the fans. I even made my own submod for RaR back then, diving deep into the XML jungles, I liked the experience that much!

Even if you are not very much into modding, this game is still a brilliant concept that's unlikely to be ever touched again. It's certainly worth taking a look just for the fact that it turns everything you've known about 4X games to its head and still manages to give you a cohesive experience with some edutainment sprinkled in.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/327400/Sid_Meiers_Colonization_Classic

Give the original DOS one a try first if you are captivated by the idea. Please do. The vanilla version of the remake is mediocre, but playable. Only buy it if you plan on trying a total conversion mod and wish to see this concept expanded upon. A unique 4X experience, but certainly not for everyone.

Also you might be interested in FreeCol as an alternative take on this classic game.

Used to play this game and enjoyed it, particularly the World Builder , glad to see it on steam.

A fun experience and a great alternative to Civilization, this game could certainly benefit from a fresh iteration. However, it seems that this type of story may not align with modern sensibilities anymore.

a step into past

This is really fun. It's not an add-on to Civilization. It's another game. As the description says, it's a "total conversion" of the Civilization IV engine. In other words, it's part mod, part tea-chucking, redcoat-jeering, 'murica!!!-screaming love letter to American colonial history.

Some of the up grade is reasonable but most is not. A good game spoilt by a mindless programmer, too clever for his own good.

Merci Meyer

Quality graphics and familiar to anyone who's played CIV.

The game is a timeless classic! The stack mechanic along with the unique city functions allow for fun garrisons and long term strategy when dealing with the king. Modding potential has lived up tp the hype as well!!

TAC

pretty good ngl

8/10

Simple to play, you can edit things to make it easier (Ctrl+W), it's only downside I find is how fast the King/s of Europe raise taxes.

I have been a fan since the original DOS version of the Colonization franchise. The WTP mod makes it exceptionally in-depth.

Great game!

No longer like to play without the america map

Great fun for teens. This would be a wonderful way to teach history

The ''We the people'' mod for this game add a lot of new flavour for this game.

Frustrating 4x game. Interesting theme - colonise the new world as one of four European powers. Build supply chains, trade with Europe, ally with or betray the natives, and ultimately build up a big enough army to fight off your home power.

The problem is that your colony becomes more and more tedious to manage as you build it up. The game consists in shuffling around resources that keep becoming inefficient as barns fill up or natives change their tastes. Once you have several colonies the amount of micromanagement becomes overbearing.

Far inferior to the Civilization IV base game.