Managing your resources, establishing trade routes safe from pirates and storms, gaining the favor of the viceroy, prospering your cities and building an invincible fleet is what Port Royale 4 proposes. This new iteration of the Kalypso Media classic comes with interesting additions among which the implementation of a new naval turn-based combat system stands out. We tell you everything in this analysis.
8years have passed since Port Royale 3 saw the light. In this time management and strategy games have managed to progress and adapt to trends, providing new approaches and mechanics that keep the player in the genre. Gaming Minds is aware of this, and incorporates a large number of additions to Port Royale 4 that make it more attractive than its previous installments without getting rid of some flaws that spoil the good work carried out in general. It is inevitable not to open this analysis commenting on one of its most significant changes. In Port Royale 4 we find a turn-based naval battle systemthat replaces the direct action of its predecessors. This is a risky decision and there may be some critics who are not entirely convinced. However, I think that this system suits a title that in the matrix of its proposal is aimed at lovers of strategy.
The approach is simple. When you enter a conflict, you can choose whether the combat occurs automatically or you are the one who takes the reins of the fight. It is true that the automatic optionIt will only be enabled in those clashes in which the superiority of your fleet is clear, however, I have verified that there is a “penalty” when opting for the automatic resource and most of the time you will obtain better results if you choose to enter liza yourself. The fleets are spread out on the blue ocean floor in hexagonal squares. With the largest number of ships in the series to date, a total of 18, you can have up to 8 of them in combat depending on the skill of the captain of each convoy. Each type of ship has its own mobility and firepower. The game has its own rules to take advantage ofLike placing ourselves between two rival ships to execute a two-way shot. In addition, there are some special techniques such as reloading or repairing ships without running the turn, or launching devastating area attacks. These are just one example, and getting more depends on the type of ship, the captain’s experience, and completing some optional tasks during the campaign.
The result is pleasant and fits better with the general proposal of the Port Royale saga, however, there are edges to be polished such as the low difficulty of the fighting on equal terms or not having its own mechanics for boarding, which are relegated to be one more type of attack within the three that there are to choose from.
A stage for everything
The Caribbean Sea is ours in this video gameplay of Port Royale 4
Port Royale 4 gives the player the entire Caribbean Sea to trade, expand and explore . The title has four main campaigns that will be unlocked consecutively by taking control of the Spanish, English, French or Dutch nations. After choosing empire you can select a profile that will determine two advantages and a weak point of your management. Gaming Minds has transferred this system practically the same from other titles of its own such as Railway Empire , with which there are many parallels. Each of the campaigns has a different time frame, adapting to the moments in which each of these nations dominated the Caribbean during the 16th and 17th centuries. All the action takes place in a unique 3-dimensional setting.that replaces the different maps in 2 dimensions of its third installment. In it, new tasks, commissions and missions emerge. Always at the mercy of the Viceroy’s will.
The initial animation for each campaign comes in the form of beautiful Impressionist-style paintings.
Since the loading screens have been eliminated, in this installment we will be able to access a close-up view of the settlements with a simple mouse movement , all the game’s functionalities being integrated into the same interface. In this way you can go from establishing a lucrative new trade route between different cities in your colonial empire to building new and improved infrastructures that increase the productivity of your settlements.
The key to success at Port Royale lies in commerce; establish secure lines between towns for commercial convoys to circulate relentlessly in the basic task in Port Royale 4. Planning and managing resources is essential. For this, the title has incorporated a map of winds and currents that help the player to determine the fastest and safest route when establishing a route. Trade between convoys and cities can be executed manually or opt for automatic optimization.
If the set is not managed properly, the game enters a bottleneck from which it is difficult to get outIf you manage to stabilize these routes and get them to generate profits to give you enough economic slack when it comes to meeting necessary expenses, you will have 50% done. Meanwhile, the game proposes additional tasks to accomplish that will give you riches and fame. The more fame , the more favors you will get from the viceroy. Each of the Fame Points can be exchanged for concessions that allow you to recruit new captains for the fleet, obtain permits to create new industries in your cities or obtain the blueprints required to create powerful warships.
The game has taken some liberties with the theme of flags.
The greatest danger at this point is not being able to fulfill any of the main tasks on time, something that will end the campaign at that very moment. If the set is not managed properly, the game enters a bottleneck from which it is difficult to get out. For this reason, Port Royale may not be such a simple experience for those who do not previously know the saga, and despite the fact that the title has a tutorial and various text supports, I believe that more than one may get lost or find themselves stagnant after a good number of hours of progress. It is recommended to save the game frequently.
Money, the key to everything in Port Royale 4
Altogether there are a total of 50 different buildingsTo trade or build in each of the cities you will need permits . These cost money and will be related to the economy of your empire, so do not delay in paying for those licenses because in the long run they will end up being more expensive at the cost of inflation. The routes by sea are going to be threatened by corsairs and pirates. You’ll have to find their lairs or let time uncover them, but by then it may be too late. I have not really felt that these rivals were more than a nuisance and only when you come into open conflict with one of the four nations vying for the cake should you become more seriously concerned with establishing surveillance routes, obtaining marquees, or raising the pirate flag to wreak havoc in the Caribbean.
Money is obtained from trade routes, but it is useless if it is not reinvested in improving cities . Port Royale 4 allows the player to settle up to 7 different types of industry per settlement. It is perfectly understood that the motive is to promote commerce between cities, but it ends up feeling somewhat short when we can create up to 25 different types of farms. In fact, it can be somewhat cumbersome at times to have to go around demolishing smaller industries to create others manually. I have missed more direct access to this function.
Altogether there are a total of 50 different buildings, highlighting the synergies derived from associating industries of the same type or from placing taverns, hospitals and churches close to residential areas. Obviously, there are also negative effects, because nobody wants to live next to a plantation or a textile industry. Planning is important, due to a bad strategy or lack of services, cities can be plagued by different pests or general discontent that reduce their performance.
Each of the cities and nations have some unique characteristics or buildings that can be improved. Thus, from building a simple chapel, you can move on to a church and later build your own cathedral. There are buildings of special relevance such as the docks where to buy, order or repair new ships for the fleet; the church where we can commission religious missions or the lighthouse, which allows us to create various convoys.
Leveling up
Port Royale 4 never stops remembering myths and legendsSomething that I do not want to stop commenting on in these lines is the fact that the different captains who offer to help us have their base experience points, but as you make them go into battle, perform specific tasks or command a fleet on a route They are going to level up, something that increases their advantages in navigation or combat and that allows them to acquire new combat tactics .
Port Royale 4 is a game with a marked historical setting, but that does not stop you from remembering the myths and legends most typical of Stevenson’s literature that are reflected in the obtaining of different pieces of a treasure map that are going to keep awake by performing various secondary tasks during the campaign. Although the number of improvements that this Port Royale brings in relation to its predecessors is enormous, multiplayer lovers will have no reason for joy since this installment has focused solely on the single player experience. To the four main campaigns that the game offers, the possibility of creating a free game is added in which parameters such as the size of the nation, the distribution of settlements, the starting city, the starting funds or the difficulty can be determined. that will go from normal to expert to difficult.
Storms are one more enemy in Port Royale 4.
The visual result is not quite as good as it would have been desirableThe program makes use of Gaming Minds’ own engine and, although its performance on PC has nothing to reproach it for, the visual result is not quite as good as it would have been desirable. While the buildings and cities appear realistic, when you bring the camera closer to the ships you have more the feeling of watching a model airplane race than of finding yourself in front of an imposing Spanish war galley. This does not happen so much because of its design, which has been taken care of in detail, and has more to do with the relationship between size and the waves in the sea. The truth is that the 3D aspect that the whole game looks like is a point that the developer has to continue working on in the future.
In the sound section, the highly worked voices in Spanish of the different characters who speak to us during the campaign stand out. It has already happened with Railway Empire and it is a point to appreciate that a game with a tighter budget takes these annoyances that only improve the experience.
“Okay”
Port Royale 4
Port Royale has been brave when it comes to making controversial decisions. His new turn-based combat is a risky gamble but I think it benefits him, putting strategy and tactics above more direct action. Trade routes are now more customizable and the wind map plays a key role in this. However, the graphic section of the game does not convince, as well as some accessibility options that can alienate the uninitiated.
- Increase the number of ships and buildings from previous deliveries
- The dubbing into Spanish is exceptional
- The new naval battle system fits the experience perfectly …
- … Although it may end up being little challenging.
- The graphic section has room for improvement
- It can sometimes be complex for the uninitiate
