About Royale High:
I usually play grand strategy games but I’m a bit burned out and could use a short vacation in the Caribbean. So I watch the (amazing) intro on Youtube, look at some German LPs and buy the game. Ok, so this is my first Port Royal game. After the brief tutorial I select my character and a nation. I start the game. OK, what do I do now? Make a few trades here and there, make a bit of money. Huh, that’s it? Isn’t that kind of boring? I click around on the map a bit, slide the prices around, look for other trades and keep going. Nope, still boring … 8 hours later It’s 1.30 am in the morning. I keep making trades, I keep making money. Ka-Ching! I slide the prices around, look for other trades and keep going. Gotta finish that quest – though I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it on time -, gotta expand my home city and increase happiness, gotta gain more ground in the adjacent cities. Another trade done, but now I have too much empty room in my storage, so I guess I’m gonna buy a bit of tobacco and ship that over to the viceroy. Wait, how are my other convoys doing on their automated routes? Cool, cool, making money. Could use some additional ships. Pirates attacking!!! Pirates crushed! Hey, there’s a guy in the water. Gotta rescue him. Nice, got a new ship! The viceroy needs something else, oooooh, they have tons of pastries, those will be useful up North. And I keep making trades, I keep making money. I keep sliding those prices around … Veterans of the series seem to be complaining about a number of things (mostly the battle system). But since I’m not a PR veteran and have no point of reference, I’m really happy with the way the game plays out. It’s weird. It’s relaxing, it’s serene, it’s pretty. It’s German. But I’m totally addicted. Not sure how long that addiction is going to last, but I got my money’s worth already. Definitely will be coming back to this whenever I need a vacation from more intense strategy games or just feel like watching the ships sail across the Caribbean towards the beautiful sunset. Making some money and sliding those prices around. Ka-Ching!
