Populous: The Beginning

I have not played any other titles in this series(I gather that this is the third Populous game, and, to my knowledge, thus far, the last). I have heard(or read, rather) this referred to as a "god-sim", but not having played anything else that could go under that term, save for maybe Black and White(which I've got little, if anything, positive to say about), I would call it more of a Real Time Strategy game(RTS). The game has you leading the Shaman(and your tribe), who, if she manages to eliminate the presence of every other tribe(who've got a Shaman each, too, and may otherwise match you in technology and so forth) throughout the solar system(which is, obviously, what your goal is in the game), she will rise to the status of God(!). Every level is a new world in the solar system, and many levels, quite possibly most of them(presumably to spice things up and keep them interesting... and it works), all have at least one new thing to "learn" in the level... about all buildings and spells have to be learned in the game. Yup, at least(!) one new ability or magic spell per level, for almost each of them. It's strong motivation to play on, if not doing so for any other reason, then to see what the next spell(or, in the first half or so of the game, building) you'll get permanent use of(there are "single charges" of some spells). There are also some levels with other variations on the formula of building up a base and destroying the enemies. Much like an RTS, you build up a base, and train an army. There are half a dozen classes of people in the levels, including your avatar, the Shaman. The main class are the Braves, who make up the basis of your tribe. They build and can be trained, and they're essential to using magic. Keep your tribe happy and content, and your mana, the energy for your spells, recharges quickly. The remaining classes are for defending your base(well, the three of them, one of them can't defend) and attacking the enemy bases, which should be discovered by the players themselves(failing that, there *are* FAQs). The remaining four have to be trained at buildings, all of which are, again, "learned", in the levels. The learning, and the achieving of in-level bonuses(such as single-shot spells) is all done by worshiping... to do so, you must find the site in the level where you must worship, which will be in front of a stone head, an obelisk, a totem pole, and such. Any unit under your your command can worship(though some sites can only be worshiped by the Shaman), and all it means is that the unit(s) must remain stationary at the site, and they can't be doing any other action(including defending themselves, though they may, it just means that the worshiping will have to be resumed), until the meter has filled, and you'll then get the bonus. The game is entirely controlled in a point-and-click interface(and the side-bar selection is masterfully done), and if anything seems difficult to understand, don't worry... the game offers tool-tips, and an in-game encyclopedia, with information on everything(!) in the game, and this can be accessed at any time in the levels(and the game will be automatically paused). Sound is well-done. The music is pretty good, with some nice ambient pieces for the regular game, and some more fast-paced stuff for the fighting. The fighting system is simple, but it works, the entire game really has few glitches or problems(though there are some, mainly in the command of units(though for the very most part, it works and is above reproach), and they can, indeed, be irritating beyond reason). One obvious thing is perhaps the difficulty level... there is no setting it, so some may find themselves resorting to cheating to finish it(which I'm not saying to be holier than thou, pun intended... I succumbed to temptation, myself), or give up before they get to the end, which is a darn shame, because the last level... let's just say, something, from the earlier levels, changes, and while I can't speak for playing it through without, completing that one with cheats can be so much fun, you have to play it to believe it. The game can be downright frustrating at times. Apart from that, there's little to complain about. There are 25 levels in total. Level design is great. The graphics have to be mentioned... they're really, really expertly done. Rather than the 2D of the typical RTS(or god-sim, whichever... bird's-eye-view game) prior to the beginning of the new millennium, everything in the game is rendered in 3D, and while there has since come better done engines, it is still a sight to behold(and the two cut-scenes are nothing short of breathtaking in execution and quality). In addition to the main, regular view, you can also zoom out, and view the entire planet that makes up the level... you are God, after all. This can be helpful(and zooming back in is quick and easy), and prove invaluable in gaining a fast overview. The fact that each level, obviously, is round(yes, disregard the theories of the time) does cause some confusion, as you can fairly literally go in circles without actually realizing it. Now, I won't finish off this review without detailing the spells... the basic idea is that you choose a spell, point where you want it to go(the range of the spells is made clear, as many other things in the game... and if you're out of range when you use it, your Shaman may, if she can, just move into range, then fire), and click. They may very well be the most fun thing in the game. They include the forces of nature... such as Lightning, Earthquake and Tornado(!), just to name a few(and not spoiling the discovery). I recommend this to any fan of RTS... or god-sim, whatever. Magic is fun. 8/10

I have only just started playing this, although it's been around a while, having played the original version on an Atari ST in the 1980s when it was packaged in with version 1 of Sim City.

The best feature is that after a few introductory levels, it starts to become a challenge already, but without going too far to be worth pursuing (some games especially some FPRPGs often make the mistake of requiring too many retries per level). I am not sure how many levels there are, but I expect that it will offer plenty of entertainment as it progresses.

Another thing I like is the volatility - winning or losing a fight is a finely balanced proposition. And if you overbuild resources, it is often too late - the enemy advanced too far and it's over.

Also, the computer players usually start off with much more, so you really need to use your wits to catch up.

Populous is excellent game .I have never seen anything like this in my life .Its similar to age of empires ,rise of nations ,etc in a way but still very very different in lot other aspects .I used to play it in around 2002 .I was unable to complete level 6 at that time .Now i have completed the game .Game is very well balanced ,strategic ,will test your nerves ..I recommend it 100 percent .It is great fun .

ADVICE :- First build up your defense ,make strong base .In some levels you need to rush though so to prevent enemy from building strong base .But it is really great game overall .....

RATING ON SCALE OF 10

GAMEPLAY - 10 STRATEGY -10 BALANCE OF POWERWS AND PEOPLE -8 THRILL AND EXCITEMENT IT CREATES WHILE PLAYING -10

DO play it and have a great time .There are total 24 levels to play .25th level is actually bonus level ,where your Shahman(One who casts power) becomes invincible and can cast spell from Heaven

Thanks So Long

I have many happy memories of playing the original Populous games with a friend, in the days when 2 player games were rare (it used a parallel port connection and played Atari ST versus Amiga) - alas that friend has sadly died (Cystic Fibrosis).

But Populous the Beginning, what an amazing game. I've played it through half a dozen times over the years, reinstalling it, and then doing the add-on levels. And even now, in 2006, the end movie sequence stands the test of time, so beautifully rendered.

The game starts you so that you learn about one aspect of the world, and level by level build up knowledge of the different buildings and types of attack possible. The final levels are hard, even to a seasoned played, but never impossible. There are always different ways to try and win - do you use balloons, do you use boats, do you try to do everything with firewarriors - it's up to you the player.

All the way through, the game is solid and responsive. Perhaps the in-game graphics are now showing their age, but that doesn't matter one iota. The only game to come close to this is Settlers, in its variant forms.

Hats off to the creators for something that's amused me for 500 game hours and more.

This game is still the best RealTime Strategy game ever, and it will probably stay that way unless Bullfrog teams up again and decides to make a better version with improoved graphics but with the exact same gameplay and goal.. Even though it lacks graphic beauty which games of today have, people still give it high ratings on websites like GoG.com (almost 5 out of 5!) after 15 years, and its still very popular in the multiplayer scene, each day at least 100 different players log in and play online at www.popre.net , if EA did better advertising back in 1998 i bet they could have made a real success out of it, sadly they forced bullfrog to finish the game before its deadline and thats probably the reason why it didn't.. This game deserves a lot more respect than what EA ever gave it, and this is why PopRe decided to revive it and they're doing a great job at it! Anyone who likes RTS games should visit www.popre.net and check it out!