Populous Reviews (Amiga)

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[Budget re-release] A must buy from a developer (Bullfrog) that bothers to write real games rather than money-making dross.

Totally unique gameplay and smooth 3D isometric graphics add up to a game with depth and sparkle. The icon control system is really very confusing. An essential for all open-minded Amiga owners.

Terrific graphics, well presented, are complemented by life-like sound effects and eerie choir-like music. Absolutely wonderful stuff that will keep you playing and playing. Bullfrog are going to find this one a tough act to follow.

Populous is a stunning program, designed to the hilt and as audacious as any computer game I've seen. This, I think, is what we mean when we differentiate between computer games and videogames. Populous is a computer game, among the best ever written.

Some may find the gameplay a little too abstract and esoteric, but those willing to persevere will find that Populous is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding games to appear on a computer. It's divine in every sense of the word.

Bullfrog Productions has come up with a masterpiece. Most wargames don't succeed in generating a genuine feeling of "being there", but Populous does - for the simple reason that all the action is viewed in extreme close-up. Instead of just watching character-block-shaped tank regiments disappear from a map, the consequences of your actions are viewed in explicit detail, so you really do feel that you're shaping the course of the game rather than just watching the action from a distance and making the occasional tactical decision.

Loads of options, easy to understand layout and icons, and a myriad of little touches. Superbly solid scenery with well drawn features and easily identifiable icons. Choice of music or sound FX, both of which are subtle and amazingly atmospheric - perfect for the game. All the icons and options could be initially confusing and the complexities may take a while to grasp. Once you get into it it's an overwhelming experience. An amazingly original and superbly constructed strategy game.

If EA had let me know sooner they were releasing a god simulator they could have just given me a call and I would have officially endorsed it for them. Despite this, Populous is the best game I have played yet on the Amiga. It is an outstanding work of imagination. Amazing.

Just occasionally a game comes along that makes a significant impact in computer game history. I believe that Populous is such a game. Go and buy a copy today.

Populous ist nicht nur eingefleisct eri Strategie-Fans zu empfehlen. Durch seine überschaubaren Regeln und das gute Handbuch st es leicht verständlich. Wer einmal Blut geleckt und seine ersten Erdbeben ausgelöst hat, kommt bei diesem Spiel nicht so schnell vom Computer weg.

Awright, awright, if you saw Populous II in last month's issue, you may think this is a bit old hat. But mate, there ain't many excellent games at bargain prices and this is one of 'em.

Anybody who plans to buy Populous 2 shouldn't bother with this, otherwise buy it right this moment because it's an excellent strategy game with thousands of lands to master.

Populous is an excellent game – graphically exciting and amazingly addictive. It is one of those games which you just cannot leave alone

Entièrement animé et bénéficiant d'un scénario captivant et d'une excellente réalisation, Populous est un remarquable logiciel. Le fond sonore est... divin, la convivialité parfaite! Original, prenant, Populous est une bouffée d'air frais dans le monde de la micro-ludique. J'ose le dire, il est beau et fabuleux!

Populous puts a new twist on the compliment, 'Dahling... you are absolutely divine,' and makes you think twice about the world icon. It may not appeal to the fans of the simple shoot 'em up but for anyone who wants a game that is exciting and out of the ordinary, it is highly recommended.

The main bulk of the graphic detail is restricted to the window on the world but what there is is full of detail and a charm all of itself. The rhythmic beat of your heart (increasing when you do badly) together with a simple but highly atmospheric soundtrack greatly enhances an already great game.

Wirklich innovative Games veralten nicht, schaut ruhig mal bei den göttlichen Streithanseln rein und überzeugt Euch selbst.

Mich hat das Programm total begeistert. Schade, daß der Platz nicht genügt, um hier einige meiner Partien zu schildern. Es dauert schon eine Weile, bis man eine Welt ganz unter Kontrolle gebracht hat. Je nachdem, wie gut man abgeschnitten hat, geht’s dann in der vierten oder fünften Welt weiter. Bei 500 Welten mit steigendem Schwierigkeitsgrad ist das eine kniffelige Herausforderung, die für wochenlangen (oder auch monatelangen) Spielspaß sorgt. POPULOUS ist uneingeschränkt empfehlenswert!

Populous était un titre aussi novateur qu’ambitieux à l’époque de sa parution, et l’efficacité quasi-intacte du système de jeu imaginé par les studios Bullfrog près de trente ans après sa sortie montre à quel point celui-ci avait été bien pensé. Évidemment, le joueur actuel, moins impressionné par un genre qui aura eu tout loisir de se développer à sa manière depuis lors, regrettera sans doute un certain manque de variété et de renouvellement dans les pouvoirs à employer et dans les décors traversés. Reste que sur le plan du plaisir de jeu, l’alchimie fonctionne toujours, et on se démène rapidement, dans les niveaux les plus avancés, pour trouver la faille face à un adversaire de plus en plus puissant et de plus en plus surnuméraire. Un monument fondateur.

A quasi-arcade game, but one with sustained play value. The major problem is that one cannot find “new worlds to conquer” without being successful at the predecessor levels.

Populous is a must for any budding Messiahs or great leaders among us. Who knows, there may be another Bob Hawke or Adolf Hitler out there somewhere!

The game may sound vicious and bloody, but it really isn't. The graphics and animation are done in such a whimsical manner that playing Populous is more like watching a Saturday morning cartoon, than sitting through "Platoon". This is a great game that you'll find yourself playing it over and over again.