The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom

Review by TheHullu

What can I say about The Settlers?

Well my first real time strategy game experience was with The Settlers II. It was one of those games that taught me to love PC-gaming in general, of course there was also few other games that got me to change from consoles like NES, SNES, Playstation to PC-gaming.

First year while playing mostly PC games there wasn't many problems with hardware, because those games did not need much resources, but when time gone by started to came those must play titles like Age of Empires, Half-life and you know...

It was obvious that I had to get new computer to run those, well I did get it until 2001 when first Max Payne came out.

I had been playing The Settlers now for little over two years and I didn't have internet, so I had no knowledge of other games but those that I could find at bookstore (only place here that sold pc games back then).

So I think it’s obvious why new The Settlers does mean “instabuy” for me, now let’s get to the point.

The Settlers was very good strategy series until part 5 and part 6 and hmm... oh wait part 7 is actually good this time.

First four The Settlers games was so perfect and they had unique visuals, but in fifth game the whole unique visual thing had gone horribly wrong... game looked now just like any other RTS game and it didn’t have much else to offer. And the same thing happened with the sixth game, I was sure that I had seen the bitter end of good strategy game series.

Then suddenly The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom came from nowhere and proved me wrong.

Every time I hear that name Paths to a Kingdom, I hear in my mind that British accent on those game trailers and that's probably the worst part of this game.

Settlers is finally looking like it should or at least it tries to. New economic system work pretty good and player can play the game peacefully without fearing much of invasion.

And of course constructing buildings is fun and easy, just like it should be.

New ways to win are nice add to game. They give more choices where to focus and do only some of the objectives that player wants to do.

It's good to have more variety in gameplay, and then it won't get dull quickly and offers more fun.

I’m not fan of online multiplayer in RTS games just because I suck at them. I can build everything needed, but in online games I have always only built my base when enemy rolls over and I lose. In Settlers 7 new winning possibilities give me slight chance to win, but still I suck, so I prefer to play with friends or against AI. :D

The game also gives players change to build their own castle from variety of pieces which can be attached to another to build walls and towers. Castle building is part of the game and some game modes, but mostly it just sits on background at main menu.

Overall Settlers games are good and fun, even when there was couple bad ones and now the good one. Good, good, good, good, bad, bad, good… it’s pretty nice line-up let’s hope it stays that way.

Thanks for reading, over and out…