Rating: 
Summary: Please don't purchase
Review: This game lacks a lot of things, the first and most importantly being a manual that covers what the heck is going on with the game. I play the occasional strategy game, and within 30 minutes was bored with this endeavour, as well as thoroughly confused with the game play.It looks like a nice idea, but the execution leaves quite a bit to be desired.
Rating: 
Summary: Yes please, may I have another?
Review: This game rocks. I bought it about a year-and-a-half ago, and have played it religiously ever since. My advice to everyone: save as much money as you can, and try to become as self sufficient as possible. Don't rely on trade from other players once you get deep into the game. The key to winning comes in three: A large navy, a large money supply, and very happy aristocrats. Do not overspend on the army. My suggestion is large navy, small army for clean up. I also suggest using the Edit control once you've beaten some of the computer scenarios and have become very aquanted with everything that comes with this game. The edit control is one of the best features of the game where you can build some serious scenarios of your own. The fastest I've beaten the game is 1-1 1/2 hrs. a night for six nights.
Rating:
Summary: A time taker
Review: This is a very good game. It is not like comand and conquer. It takes a bit more skill than that. You can't just get some dough and mobizle (nothing against the command and conquer seirse I love the games) You must keep you people happy, trade, and mine. This is a hard game and it takes time to play though does not have the addicting touch of the civilization seirse, witch is a good thing because I tired of finding out it is three hours later than I thought it was. This is a good game and highly recommend
Rating: 
Summary: A great single player game, can be multi-player as well
Review: We got this game in the German version (it's a European produced game.) It's a huge hit in Germany, where there are contests for figuring out puzzles in game scenarios. This is a sort of Civilization set in the olden times, 1602 of course, when galleons discovered new worlds and set out to create trade routes and garner wealth for aristocratic settlers. The game starts by settling an island (you are in a race with the computer, who tries to beat you to a choice bit of land. Some of the islands are lousy--too many volcanoes, for one thing, or lacking essential resources.) You need to build up from wood-cutting plantations, to cotton and grain, up to the ability to mine, forge metals and eventually build some handy cannons and muskets to take out the pesky pirates. Did I mention pirates? Well, as you are shipping from island to island, running your important trade routes, these nasty guys pop up and take your stuff, not to mention try to sink your ship. Eventually, it's payback time and you'll deal with them. Meanwhile, it's all you can do to keep the locals happy (tip; don't forget to build a hospital. It's demoralizing to see a once-happy island decimated by the Plague.) Then the locals want more, more, more. Schools, churches, universities, even a palace and cathedral. And they like their booze and tabaccy, not to mention regular meals. If you starve the people, they won't forgive you. And you can lose. This game has nice graphics, and is pleasing as either a single-player or multi-player game. It appeals to women as well as men because the military aspects are secondary to building and developing a new land. The only criticism is that the military function is boring. You clear your enemy islands the same way every game and it gets old. The play is straightforward and with a minimum of help from the manual, it's easy to get engrossed in game right away. You can adjust the speed to single for detail work or jump up to double speed for the boring bits. There are demos available online to download, including the new 1503 A.D., a new game, which has more complicated graphics, and enhanced "everything" --something to work up to when you get bored with 1602. 1602 AD is one of our favorite games of all times.
Rating:
Summary: Versatile game with art-quality graphics
Review: We've enjoyed playing this game individually or on our home network of 3 computers. When networked, we can help each other out by paying "tribute" or selling a ship full of supplies for $0 and selling it back again. The graphics are different from many games in that they have the appearance of a textured oil painting. For me, this adds to the beauty of the game. The game is versitile in allowing either a peaceful settlement or conquest and offers the option of designing detailed scenarios. The variables seem endless and my teenage sons and I haven't gotten bored yet!
Rating: 
Summary: m m
Review: wene i purchased this game it took me a while to figure it out but when i did and mastered it it wasnt any fun although i may not have purchased ceasar 3 or civilization i have purchased two of the age of empires games .The game is just boring after youve beaten it once or twice and it gets worse after a while i figured out how to build an empire i tried the scenerio builder and it was fun somewhat but not my kind of game so if you like batles and blood this is not the game for you please save your money.
Rating:
Summary: really fun, intriguing
Review: When i got this game off the internet one day i was stunned by how addictive it was. I was drawn in by its really fun city building and colonizing aspects. I have played civilization, command and conquer, and starcraft and this is comparible to all those. In the beginnig you start out with a ship and colonize an island. THen you must become self-sufficient and supply materials for your settlers. You have to get wood, food, and all sorts of other demands. I think the two best things about this game are 1:You dont have to fight all the time and that is only an aspect of the game 2:There is a way to get materials rather than making them yourself. THat is trading. This game has an extensive trading aspect that is not too hard to manage. I hope even after reading reviews that degraded this game you still want to buy it, because you should.
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