14 DAY TRIAL // I, for one, was surprised and excited when Firaxis announced it was remaking the classic Colonization game, which Sid Meier put out in 1994, using the Civilization IV game engine. The original game was the less known cousin of Civilization and focused on a smaller piece of history which was presented in greater detail.
It seems the new game will maintain the main concept of the original. The four colonizing powers are still Britain, France, Spain and Holland, with their respective national bonuses. The game begins in the same fashion as the original, with a lonely pioneer and a lonely soldier setting out on a cramped caravel to colonize America.
A few tweaks are already apparent. Once you declare independence, for example, a few questions will have to be answered regarding the way the new nation works, among which: For or against slavery? For or against separation of church and state? Monarchy or democracy? The answers you choose will influence the way your nation develops.
The natives will now be more important than in the original game. Both the diplomacy and the trade options will be better developed. Alliances can form between one colonizing nation and various American native tribes against another colonizing nation, while the natives will serve as an important reservoir of talent for the colonists, as there are some trades that your people can only learn in an Indian settlement.
Thankfully, the Founding Fathers aspect of the original game is still implemented. The mechanic will be similar to that of generating Great People in Civilization IV, but the Fathers are presences that grant bonuses for the whole duration of the game.
The game is set to be released in fall and will be standalone, not requiring Civilization IV to be installed. If the game manages to retain the charm of the original, Sid Meier will have another hit on his hands.