"The father of all real-time strategy games..."

...and, sadly, the only truly good one ever made.

I remember first getting this game for my SEGA Genesis back in the early 90's when I was still a small boy. Despite the fact that an 8 year-old has a very limited grasp of strategy, I found it highly entertaining.

I have recently acquired the PC version out of nostalgic curiosity and have been playing through it. The following is a fair and just review that this game more than deserves:

I don't use numbering systems for the aspects of a game, and, since Powermonger is over 13 years old, that wouldn't be exactly fair anyhow. I use the following system:

Exceptional - Nothing or very little can be improved about this aspect.
Good - Exceeds the standards of the time, yet has some room for improvement.
Average - Meets the standards of the time, yet fails to impress.
Poor - Below-standards. This aspect suffers from terrible quality.

GAME-PLAY

Despite what many modern-gamers may say, the true essence of a good game is its ability to keep you coming back for more. I have been disappointed dozens of times by games boasting amazing graphics, only to find that they have a pathetic storyline and/or horribly-suffering game-play.

Powermonger delivers something that no modern RTS has ever duplicated - a living, breathing world that reacts to your decisions and changes accordingly. Each little man you see has a background story. You can view his name, home town, occupation, and more.

People act like humans instead of robots that you click and drag to their deaths. If your army runs low on food, troops will desert and return home. You can go back and re-recruit them if you wish, but that might mean passing up on some juicy strategic opportunity.

The world is alive in that you will see it change with the seasons. In the spring, birds will return to the forests. (Fluttering birds can indicate enemies manoeuvring towards you in the woods - an impressive strategic feature that I've never seen replicated). In the autumn, villagers will rush out to harvest food for the winter. When it rains or snows, it seems like you're right there getting soaked or frozen - it obscures your view just as it really would. If you cut down a forest while crafting a fleet of rowboats, the weather will be affected by this drastic alteration to the environment.

Now, what you do in this game doesn't qualify as "RTS" by modern standards, but modern RTS games don't deserve their own title. Rather than queue up 50 tanks and sit back waiting for them to be constructed, you begin each level with anywhere from 7-40 men in your army (functions as a single unit). To earn more, you must conquer towns and recruit their populace. How many men you recruit is directly related to the stance of your army (and yourself). A passive attack on the town followed by aggressive conscription yields best numerical results, just as an aggressive assault leaves none alive to swell your ranks.

Using stance, you can decide the degree of action your force takes. Should you choose to sit in a town with a workshop inventing new items, your stance determines what you get. Passive yields boats, ploughs, and pots. Neutral tends to produce light weapons or boats. Aggressive will land you bows, pikes, swords, catapults, or even the mighty cannon. Geography plays into what you can research. Obviously, you won't be making boats if your town is in a mountain.

Attacks on enemy towns or armies are not carried out like a game of Starcraft of Command & Conquer. You select the stance representing how much damage you wish to do, click the attack icon, and lastly click your target. Your army marches off and you get to watch the melee unfold. This might sound like it has no strategic element, but believe me - it does. Attacking a well-equipped foe with your bare hands is realistically suicide. Taking on 3 armies at once is equally foolish. Waiting around for enemy armies to fight, looting the battlefield for items, and then tracking down the survivors can help you get an edge on tough enemies.
You can harass the enemy position by killing and eating all of their sheep, cutting down their forests, and capturing local fisherman's huts. This isn't a guide, but since one will likely never be written I don't mind offering these suggestions.

The story depicts the fate of a King whose empire was destroyed by a natural disaster. Fleeing the land, he has found new territory and desires to regain his former glory. Other invaders have similar goals, and you must eventually overcome them to fulfill your power-mongering goals.

In closing, this game offers up some game-play elements that have never been successfully copied in this genre. Truly amazing for its time, and yet utterly sad when you consider that no modern company has decided to borrow its features.
The only people I can see who would not like this game are the younger gamers of today who lack the understanding that graphics don't make games. 14 year-old counterstrike aces likely won't be able to succeed at Powermonger, as quick reflexes and a hostile tongue won't help you here. Anyone who thinks that RTS means building a hundred tanks, surrounding a base with gun turrets, and firing nukes will not appreciate Powermonger. The rest of you, as few as you are, should try (or re-try if you're like me) this jewel of a game. It does not disappoint. Game-play = Exceptional

VISUAL

For the time (realize that this was 1992 - when most of you were likely smashing Tonka trucks into each-other while drooling on the rug), Powermonger has very nice graphics. It's the detail and effects that really make the graphics exceptional - you won't find any coloured lighting or massive explosions in this game, but you *will* find such things as weather conditions that actually obscure the screen making it a somewhat realistic depiction of what those conditions would be like. Birds flutter about in the forests, and the land changes with the seasons. You'll see people moving about their business - be it herding sheep, fishing in their little rowboats, trading between towns, or marching in a large army (usually headed your way). Arrows, rocks, and cannonballs streak across the land and into ranks of enemies, allowing you to keep track of what is going on in a battle. My only complaint is that rotating and zooming around the map can occasionally be annoying, as it will be difficult to view certain angles. Still, 3D camera in 1992 is impressive (and honestly, what game doesn't suffer from poor camera control these days?). Overall, I give the graphics for Powermonger an exceptional rating. (Just don't expect Warcraft III, ok?

AUDIO

I'll admit, the sounds in Powermonger are primitive. Of course, this is because nobody had quad-speaker/sub-woofer surround-sound with Nvidia cards back in '92. Despite the simple nature of the sound in this game, it is still good. From the baaing of nearby sheep to the constant cut-off "ooh!" sounds men make while dying, it's all great (and comical at the same time). Sound = good.

RE-PLAYABILITY

Powermonger is a game that keeps giving. The campaign requires you to conquer 198 territories before you are able to claim victory. Considering that each one is trickier than the last, this won't be another disappointing 10-hour game that cost you $70 (especially since PM can only be acquired free for download as abandon-ware or for low prices off E-bay these days). In addition to the campaign, a random map feature allows you to duke it out with unknown enemies in unknown situations. Lastly, PM was one of the first multi-player games on the market. The combination of the above with the ability to play with a friend means that Powermonger has exceptional re-playability.

CONCLUSION

Most people have never heard of Powermonger. This is because it was released at a time when there were numerous other promising titles just arriving on the market. Most of those titles were fortunate enough to receive more media-backing than Powermonger. Bullfrog claims in the manual that this game was the next evolution for them after the hit Populous series. Still, they felt that they had one ultimate game left to write. A shame they never got a chance (although Theme Park, the Dungeon Keeper Series, and Black & White are well-known and much-loved titles). Powermonger is a truly historic great. It is a relic from a time when a game was something more than bright colours and endless enemies for you to shoot.

I recommend this game to anyone who played it years ago and has forgotten, anyone tired of disappointing modern "strategy" titles, or even those of you sitting at home with nothing to do and an itch for some retro-gaming. I also dare you hardcore fans of modern RTS who likely refused to read this far to give it a try. You just might like it.

Powermonger, my hat is off to you.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/18/05