1503 A.D.: The New World

The Good
This game definitely encourages exploring and tinkering..
The tutorial gives you enough information to have a grasp on what you need to do in the game, rather than holding your hand for the first 1/3 of the game (Or, like Stronghold, the first 95% of the game). If you're confused about something, there's a comprehensive help system which explains most everything else.

The economic system is uncommonly complex..
Notice that this is under "The Good". I enjoyed Company of Heroes. The removal of economic management allowed you to focus on tactics and troop management, which was the point of the game. This game is not Company of Heroes. 1503 is not an RTS with economic management; It's an excellent city builder with an integrated combat system.

The setting..
It's unique. Most city builders take place now-ish. So, juggling a society with 16th century technology is interesting.

Ships..
This game incorporates ships into gameplay in a way I've never seen before. Ships are usually way out whack with the rest of a game, if they're included at all. In addition to the war ships you will build, you also will maintain a merchant fleet, responsible for moving goods between your cities, and trading with your allies.

Trade..
In AD 1503, trade actually happens. You find out what the needs of your neighbors are and ship it to them. On a ship; Not by transferring 350 tons of lumber through thin air. You don't select your market and click the "Sell Wood" button 38 times. Who exactly was buying all those bows from me in Stronghold anyway?

Civilization levels..
Pioneers are happy as long as they have a few basic needs. Add a few more things, they become Settlers. Give those Settlers some new stuff and they'll become Citizens. There are 2 more degrees above that and each degree improves the look of the houses and allows them to fit more people. Moving up the degrees is also how you unlock new technologies. It's sort of like researching a new age in Age of Empires... you know, without the whole awkward "researching" part. In this way, your technological advancement is based on your actual advancement, rather than by spending some arbitrary lump of stuff to enter a new era. Furthermore, if you cut off your Citizen's spices (for example), they go back to being Settlers. You get to keep using the new technologies, but your population just took a huge hit and so did your income. And though you get to keep using the techs you have, you're going to have to get the spices flowing again to open any new technologies. You don't just pay a bunch of food and wood to enter a new stage, you have to maintain it.

Graphics..
Though not 3D, the graphics are still very good. There is a high level of detail and accuracy. Buildings look like they ought to, down to minute details, and when you rotate the view around a building, you see the back of the it (not a magically spinning building as in some games). The city is very well animated, with villagers making trips to the market and church, little sheep milling about the sheep farms, and so on.

Music..
Beautiful. Good enough to be interesting, subtle enough to not get irritating. The one exception is "Scarborough Fair". Being so recognisable, it gets old quick. Fortunately, the game lets you add and remove songs from the playlist. I recommend removing that one early. Furthermore, as you move forward technologically, later styles of music start playing. From light Renaissance minstrel tunes, to full blown orchestral pieces.

The Bad
The combat system has some shortcomings..
You can't double click a soldier to select all troops of that type, though you can drag boxes around clusters of troops, and the game supports hot-grouping (ctrl-1, ctrl-2, etc). Still, it can be difficult to control your army during battle if you've had to do a lot of reinforcing (e.g.: New troops won't be in your hot-groups.) Mortars are way overpowered. Considering the limitations of a bell filled with gunpowder, it's amazing that these things never miss. They do nasty splash damage, but don't hurt friendly units. This means that you can fire a dozen mortars into a mass of troops and devastate the enemy with no loss to your troops... which also means your enemy can do it to you.

The economic system is uncommonly complex..
I have to list this under "The Bad" too, for the sake of those who believe it should be here. In a city builder, a complex economic system is a very good thing. Micromanagement is the heart and soul of a well done city builder. In an RTS, it has become a dirty word. If you're looking for a game with simplified eco-management, this game is not for you.

The answers aren't handed to you..
The help system will answer most of your questions, and the tutorial explains the basics and some of the quirkier game mechanics (like setting up an automatic trade route). However, if you're not interested in discovering the game as you go and gradually gaining a deeper understanding, your play style is probably better suited to Medal of Honor, Counterstrike Source, or maybe Company of Heroes.

The Bottom Line
As detailed above, 1503 is a really well done city sim with a built in combat system. The economic system is simple enough early on to be approachable, and complex enough later on to stay interesting. The graphics are highly detailed and quite good for 2d. The music is well done and, even if the combat system is kinda simple, it's plenty. In my opinion, the real meat of this game comes from eco-management, which this game does very well.

If you're continually disappointed by simpler and simpler economic systems in strategy games, then 1503 is for you. I can't recommend this game enough. It is complicated, which is a GOOD thing, but it is definitely NOT aggravating or boring, as a fellow reviewer believes. It's very rewarding to successfully manage a system of islands comprising a few thousand citizens, and (frankly) surprisingly soothing watching those cute little cows and sheep grazing. ;)