Recent reviews by lexxingt0n

If comparing the Sims basegame to this, I have to say that now, in early access, this game still has a good bunch of issues that need fixing. Zois often randomly just don't do what you told them, ignoring the command entirely and not transferring it to the action queue. Some actions _should_ be obvious - say, taking a selfie - but they are not. They're not a self action, not a phone action, not anything. They are only sometimes available. Why? That just makes no sense, especially not when it's a want the Zois have.
Interactions between family members can be massively annoying. Say two Zois are standing in front of each other and have a conversation. Lots of bits queued for them to talk about. And then, after EVERY interaction, they have to switch rooms and seats. wtf?
The game is still very barebones and a lot of actions that seem like they ought to be in the game are not. Your artsy sim might want to paint graffiti, with no discernable way or tool to do so.
You might want to change the baby's diaper. But instead you just stand there, while the little bugger cries his eyes out.
Whenever it is about wanting to get more than one Zoi to interact with others, things get annoying. There is very little to do - and no real reward for doing it. Jobs are long winded, skills are somehow useless, money seems irrelevant. Fulfilling wants is only for emotion cookies. I mean....
So, yeah, give this one a break until it's ripened considerably and is perhaps down in price.

This is the first game in over twenty years of me playing Civ that i consider its newest title a step back.

New mechanics have been stolen from other games and advertised as new in the trailer. Shame.
Really absolutely basic stuff is missing. Like automating explorers. Like seeing when a unit is being attacked.
Visibility and game-to-player communication of the state of the game has become really bad. ♥♥♥♥ is happening everywhere but you barely notice, because all units look same-same on the game map, especially when zoomed out.

I don't like saying this because I have loved Civ from Civ I onwards, from my first played-through night at a young impressionable age. But I am disappointed. :'( I'd even be disappointed if I'd _only_ bought the standard edition.

EDIT: Update finally fixed the AMD issue and I am happy to report the game is playable and the bridge was finally built :) Changing review to thumbs up! It took longer than I liked, but in the grand scheme of devs promising something and then doing it, the devs here certainly delivered!
Thanks Cora, for staying on top of this!

Old Review (no longer true):
If your system runs on an AMD GPU, do not buy this. The game crashes into a black screen on quest completion to build the bridge, _every single time_ and you cannot progress further. Unfortunately, at that point, it's too late for a refund.
While the game is sweet, it is in alpha/beta state, not in early access.

No idea why all reviews are mixed. It's a brilliant game, as per usual with the Anno series.

I've had a bit of a discussion with myself about whether it is okay to thumbsup a game that is still in early access, quite costly considering that fact, _and_ only lets you peek at the first two eras of the game.

However. The game is very lovely.
I enjoy it very much. I hate how fiddly it is to turn a blueprint.
And I really want an option to disable the tutorial on the third playthrough.
But anyone who likes citybuilders with an historic aspect will love this.
Anyone with a soft spot for antiquity will love this.
The factions and political aspects of the game are fresh enough to make me wonder what the rest of the game will be.

So, i'll sit here, waiting for more.
Give these people your money.

Now, the game is pretty, definitely. It makes even my RX7900 XT huff and puff.
But it is still, as advertised, in a beta state and empty.
It has that feel of emptiness that all games have, that are running player-only societies.
There are houses everywhere, but no towns.
There are no people.

The building, I am certain, will be magnificent.
But right now, I can't dive into this.
Steam really should allow neutral reviews. I don't want to make it a bad one, but it's also not a good one.

Practically equivalent to the actual board game!

good game

Gameplay: good
alpha/beta/done: currently 9 hours of content, do not pay full price for this, since this content isn't exactly a masterpiece.
most irksome: all the grammar, spelling, and language errors. It's supposed to be people who write for a living, ffs.

This is currently a € 5 game. A nice 5 Euro game.

Mary Poppins through the fae wilds until I get a decent dress again.