The game has some of the worst animated cut-scenes you will ever watch. The poor quality almost distracts from the fact that they serve no useful purpose whatsover. Now, I don't mind the inclusion of religion within the game, as the priests do add a strategic element or two, but the whole back-story could be scrapped with little effect on the gameplay. For the money they used to pay off the animators they could have, oh, I don't know, produced a manual that does not reek of arrogance and indifference towards gamers in general. Graphically, the game has a high giggle factor.
Trees sway in the wind, fish jump and the settlers look great going about their thing.
They are just so cute. They even die cute - instead of blood and guts and cries of vengeance a dead settler's soul just whisks away. This giggle factor lasts, oh, an hour or two. After that is just becomes annoyance caused by dull, tedious gameplay. Even if I could, given how long it takes to set up an efficient colony, games would degenerate into either quick soldier rushes or long, drawn-out affairs that chew up hours and hours of your time that could be spent playing a good game.