Mixed Reactions Say It All
I mean, it's fun founding colonies and getting your Empire going at first, but the game eventually does kind of bog down and get a bit repetitive after that. It's also WAY too driven by Advisors demands, which are the same, each and every game. The limited game options prevent interesting variables from game session to game session, reducing playability. The only thing I've ever noticed that changes is port locations and resources. There is no way to play with a limited amount of nations, different maps, etc., etc...
I really want to like this game as I love this TYPE of game. I was hoping that it was going to be more detailed (colony building-wise), yet more fluid (information processing-wise) than it's predecessor, East India Company. Again, the game can be somewhat entertaining and I don't want to base my score only on my expectations. SO, as a game, by itself, I'd give it an 8. Reasonably fun, if you like this kind of game. My best advise is to try the demo and see what you think ...