Port Royale 4 is a new trading simulation game combines swashbuckling action and seafaring strategy, with the entire Caribbean as your playground. Although my GDC appointment for this game was unfortunately canceled due to corona virus, I was able to get an exclusive sneek peek and virtual walkthrough of Port Royale 4 with Daniel Dumont, creative director at Gaming Minds.
Set in the 17th century, your objective is to become the best trader in the Caribbean and fulfill the needs of various seaside cities. You can build your reputation by completing tasks decreed by the viceroy, acquiring profits from trading goods, and fighting exciting battles with pirates. If you are not a fan of objective-based play, you can also turn off campaign mode and completely disable objectives in the main menu, which I thought was a nice option. Other elements of the game that you can tinker with are the difficulty level (which ranges from normal to hardcore), your nation (England, Spain, Frace, or the Netherlands), and your character (Explorer, Merchant, Buccaneer, or Pirate), and each option has its own unique strengths and characteristics. This extensive variety keeps the game interesting and unpredictable and prevents it from feeling repetitive after the first few missions.
As I watched Daniel take me through the game, the two aspects that impressed me the most were the massive scale and extensive detail, in terms of both design and gameplay. The map is absolutely huge, with tons of different cities that all differ based on size and geography. You can also switch your perspective of the map by zooming out to look at the entire ocean in one shot, or zooming in to look closely at individual towns. This feature also allows you to travel quickly across the water, or slowly scan over the forests and coastal strips that are intricately hand-drawn and beautifully designed. The cities themselves are chock-full of information, with ever-changing populations, labor forces, and good markets. The prices of goods are automatically set by default, and they fluctuate based on economic forces of supply and demand. Therefore, the quickest way to make a profit is to buy goods at a low price and sell them to a different town at a higher price. You can also produce goods by building rum distilleries and the like, although you must be careful not overlap with other goods’ territories. Even the population size is important, as low populations will decrease productivity while overly dense populations can increase chances of the plague.
Finally, the open ocean is rife with constant adventure. Sea battles can be in the background of your game, and you can choose whether to actively participate in them or not. You can hire rare and expensive captains to fight for you, and each battle matches you with a unique opponent. Before the battle begins, the game predicts your chances of winning, and you can change the settings to automatic if the odds are clearly in your favor. On the other hand, you can always choose to fight manually and choose from a wide set of various tactics and weapons to bring the other ship down. I watched one of these battles, and it progressed more like a game of chess or battleship—each player takes turns moving their ship and ordering attacks. The only thing I would change would be to have players attack each other simultaneously in order to spice up the pace and spontaneity. However, many fights are still prototypes right now, so this may change. Overall, Port Royale 4 is an incredibly detailed, wide-ranging world that can provide endless entertainment for those seeking colonial adventure.
Check Out the Port Royale 4 Interview Video/Gameplay:
Port Royale 4 is scheduled for release in Q3 2020 on Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
From the moment I first played Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy on the original Xbox, I have always had an avid curiosity and enthusiasm for video games. I admire their ability to immerse us in completely different worlds, and I am always eager to see how they integrate the newest breakthroughs in digital technology to make virtual reality feel real. I am currently a senior at UC Berkeley, but when I'm not studying I always make time to play Xbox One with my younger brother.
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