I have many happy memories of playing the original Populous games with a friend, in the days when 2 player games were rare (it used a parallel port connection and played Atari ST versus Amiga) - alas that friend has sadly died (Cystic Fibrosis).
But Populous the Beginning, what an amazing game. I've played it through half a dozen times over the years, reinstalling it, and then doing the add-on levels. And even now, in 2006, the end movie sequence stands the test of time, so beautifully rendered.
The game starts you so that you learn about one aspect of the world, and level by level build up knowledge of the different buildings and types of attack possible. The final levels are hard, even to a seasoned played, but never impossible. There are always different ways to try and win - do you use balloons, do you use boats, do you try to do everything with firewarriors - it's up to you the player.
All the way through, the game is solid and responsive. Perhaps the in-game graphics are now showing their age, but that doesn't matter one iota. The only game to come close to this is Settlers, in its variant forms.
Hats off to the creators for something that's amused me for 500 game hours and more.
But Populous the Beginning, what an amazing game. I've played it through half a dozen times over the years, reinstalling it, and then doing the add-on levels. And even now, in 2006, the end movie sequence stands the test of time, so beautifully rendered.
The game starts you so that you learn about one aspect of the world, and level by level build up knowledge of the different buildings and types of attack possible. The final levels are hard, even to a seasoned played, but never impossible. There are always different ways to try and win - do you use balloons, do you use boats, do you try to do everything with firewarriors - it's up to you the player.
All the way through, the game is solid and responsive. Perhaps the in-game graphics are now showing their age, but that doesn't matter one iota. The only game to come close to this is Settlers, in its variant forms.
Hats off to the creators for something that's amused me for 500 game hours and more.
