Capitalism 2

If games like 'SimCity' and 'Civilization' are not too complex for you, and if you enjoy them, then 'Capitalism 2' is on that level of approachability. Reading other reviews, both on GoG and on other sites, I thought that this game would be impenetrably obscure and hardcore, with dull, outdated graphics and a clunky interface. On top of that, I figured you'd need an MBA from Harvard Business School to understand this game! Well, it turns out that Capitalism 2 is quite approachable from a gameplay perspective. The 2D graphics are attractive and pleasant, the interface is relatively easy to come to grips with, and the tutorials (in Entrepreneur mode) gradually step you through the game concepts and interface before upping the complexity. Again,if you can handle the SimCity or Civilization games, then you should have no problems getting the hang of the interface here. In many ways, the interface is LESS complex than SimCity. In fact, it's best to think of this game as like 'SimCity 2000,' but with business tactics instead of city planning. But make no mistake, this is a real economic simulation. That Harvard MBA will help! But if you're inclined, the game will inspire you to learn economic/business concepts. 'Capitalism 2' is still a GAME, though, and never feels like actual work. GRAPHICS: Again with the SimCity comparisons, the 2D graphics are not unlike SimCity 2000/3000, with pleasantly attractive city graphics and a cartoony vibe. You can zoom in and out of the city in question, and you can even see cars moving on the roads and such.You can even see people shopping inside your stores! It's not modern 3D whiz-bang FX, but the graphics are more than acceptable for this kind of game. No complaints. INTERFACE: The graphic interface might look a bit obscure at first, but it's fairly logical and easy to grasp, and not as complex as you might expect. The tutorials do a pretty effective job of teaching you how to use the interface. Probably my main gripe with the interface is the 'scroll bars,' which don't seem very resonsive. When you scroll through a list of items (cities, products, etc.) , I found myself fighting a bit to scroll through the list. . AUDIO: Apparently GoG does not include all the music files of the original (from what I've read here). The music that comes with the GoG version is professional and decent, but gets ANNOYING, repetitive, and distracting after a while! Turn it off! Beyond music, the sound effects are bare minimum. For this sort of game, I suppose sound is not critical, but don't expect an audio extravaganza here. GAMEPLAY: As I've said, the interface is reasonably easy and intuitive, and the tutorials ease you into the game at an easily-digestible pace. The gameplay, again, is like a distant cousin of 'SimCity,' but with a tycoon motif. The designers didn't lose sight that this is a game, and not a spreadsheet. But, the game mechanics under the hood are complex, and you can even lose playing the tutorial modes! It helps to THINK, then play through the tutorial(s) again until you get a grasp of what's going on. You'll come to grips with the gameplay/interface as the game goes on, and by then you'll get it. You may not win, but you'll get it. Don't forget, though, that this is a real, in-depth business simulation at its core, and you'll need to learn (or know) and apply real business strategies and concepts to succeed at this game. OVERALL: Decent graphics, deep but approachable gameplay, and a reasonably intuitive interface makes this game well worth considering if you're looking for a fun but realistic economic simulation. By all accounts, the economic simulation in 'Capitalism 2' is very complex and realistic, but the gameplay itself is not too hard to grasp. Along the way, you'll start to intuitively grasp the principles of business management and take over the world! Again, think 'SimCity' meets 'tycoon game' and you should get a good picture of what you're getting into here. If that sounds appealing to you, then by all means, I recommend 'Capitalism 2!'

Capitalism 2 is an amazing, economic game, which offers very high complexity, not available in current (targeted to "average Joe") games. I would say that it's perfect for students interested in economical aspects of running a company. Branding, marketing, competing with local sellers, selling imported products or create products just from subproducts - really tons of options and huge fun for those who need a little bit more complexity than current "economical" games offer. Shame that Capitalism 3 has never appeared.

My main reason for leaving a review: Capitalism Labs is the latest Capitalism game. It fixes a plethora of issues in this version (time being dodgy, animations whacked, resolution being stupid) and adds some new stuff that is pretty cool (warehouses <3). That said, Labs is more expensive as it's a "new release". I only play Labs now, and I have no reason to play 2 at all. While Cap 2 has tutorials (Labs doesn't) I recommend watching a Let's Play from youtube anyway - the in-game tutorials in Cap2 really put me off the game at first! Otherwise I really like this game, and the reviews you find elsewhere summarize nicely! (an awesome game under probably the most heinously complex UI ever created)

This game covers almost every aspect of running a company. If you have any interest in tycoon games you should definitely look into this. Despite its age, it's a brilliant game. There is a steep learning curve and despite there being an in depth tutorial that covers all the game's mechanics, it still took me a while to apply the concepts I learned from the tutorial. (Manufacturing, retailing, advertising, etc) Once I got everything down though, I'm addicted to it. It's an open game, you can try and dominate the entire market or just focus on a specific market, like the Camera market. There is also multiplayer where you and a friend can duke it out. I haven't tried it yet, but I hope to soon. This game is real time and not turn based.