Port Royale 4 Reviews
Port Royale 4 is a wonderful game, and the compromises that were made to bring it to Nintendo Switch are minor and easy to overlook. This is the kind of simulator that you can end up spending hundreds of hours with, and as one of the rare genres that aren't over-represented on the console, this is an excellent first port of call for genre fans looking for some on-the-go thinkies.
Apparently this ship has sailed years ago.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Port Royale 4 is not your typical strategy game, and unless you are patient enough to really get to know how each and every element works, you'll probably have a hard time with it.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Port Royale 4 is the sum of easy-to-understand systems, making it entirely accessible, but it's not necessarily easy, and that's an important distinction. You'll still be challenged by what seems to be an endless stream of competing demands on your time and resources, while lacking the resources to do anything about them.
Port Royale 4 was a very risky project. Creating another installment of already known and respected brand and adapting it for consoles while trying to not step on the foots of the dedicated fans is no easy task. Fortunately, the developers at Gaming Minds Studios have shown that years of practice in designing strategy games pays off, and such an ambitious product as a good economic strategy game on consoles isn't too much of a challenge for them.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Port Royale 4 looks and plays better than ever, while there are tons of things to do in it’s ambitious campaign and has intense turn based combat, it can get repetitive specially with the absence of multiplayer.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The ideas that appear in the gameplay are the same, initially impressive innovations, that take you to a very special period of human history to a very special place on the planet.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Overall, the experience of Port Royale 4 ends up feeling stretched a little thin. Though there are riches to be made, treasures to be found, and pirates to defeat, the whole experience lacks the tension of being in constant competition with an equally powerful rival. Since you’re not in symmetrical opposition to anyone, it’s not a great grand strategy, and it’s not a particularly in-depth turn-based combat strategy either. Instead of feeling like a cunning pirate king or merchant tycoon, you often end up feeling like you’re in a rather aimless sandbox with a list of fiddly errands to do.
For a game about logistics and commerce, Port Royale sure looks amazing. Too bad that’s the only thing Gaming Minds got it right. Its overly simplistic trading mechanics makes it easier to snowball into becoming rich, making the game a tedious grind.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If you like resource management games which will eat hours of your life, check out Port Royale 4. The thorough tutorials and hints teach you everything you need to know about becoming a merchant and efficiently making a profit, easing you in gradually regardless of your skill level. The naval battles and late-game can get a bit tricky and challenging but by the time you reach those you should have had hours of experience under your belt. I personally loved playing this game and can’t wait to complete the other three campaigns, if you enjoyed Railway Empire or have an interest in games such as Tropico 6, you really should pick up this game.
In Port Royale 4 we find a management game that, for our personal taste, surpasses many others in the genre due to its complexity and the different options it gives us to manage trade and resource management. All this added to the naval battles, gives a totally good game for lovers of strategy.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Port Royale 4 is not a bad game by any means, as it does what it advertises with honors, but maybe I expected a bit more from a game centered around the golden age of piracy. This is actually a relaxing experience, but you can clearly notice it wasn’t created with consoles in mind. It is a PC game, first and foremost.
Port Royale 4 is a dense trade and economy simulator that doubles as a harsh reminder that I'll probably never get to see the Caribbean in real life. Despite this cruel reminder about my personal station in life, building my own little corner of paradise in this digital world was a chill, if sometimes repetitive, experience. The learning curve is steep if it's your first time in the genre, but if navigating screens and crunching numbers is your thing, you'll be in heaven. For everyone else, it might not be for you.
Port Royale 4 is a remarkable management game and a nice continuation of the saga. Unfortunately, some design decisions tarnish a game that could have been a worthy heir to the yet to be surpassed Port Royale 2.
Review in Spanish | Read full review