"Kalypso has finally taken their series of trading simulations to Renaissance Italy in Rise of Venice. A sequel of sorts to last year’s Port Royale 3, the game includes a wealth of improvements that provide a more engrossing experience, though the game is ultimately held back from true greatness by its interface and weak combat."
Rise of Venice: Beyond the Sea brings a wave of new content to the entry level trade sim, although that wave is more ‘South English coast’ than ‘Tsunami’.
From Strategyinformer.com: "DLC. We all love DLC don’t we? Those Delectable Lumps of Content that make your game a little bit better, add a new bunch of toys to play with, or even gives your Horse that armour he’s always wanted. The DLC market is a constantly growing and evolving area, with constant competitions between developers experimenting with what they can deliver, and publishers experimenting with what they can charge. Meanwhile, us PC gamers mourn the passing of the traditional expansion, and try to keep up the enthusiasm for this brave new world. Like most areas, DLC is open to exploitation – and it has been. On the whole though, I think it’s paved the way for a greater and more meaningful landscape for post-launch content, and as long as we use our wallets to keep everything in check, the future can only get better.".
Rise of Venice is the latest PC strategy title from Kalypso. Can the folks who gave us Simcity with a dictatorial twist (Tropico) evoke the same jovial feelings with European supply and demand?