

Port Royale 4 nails the commerce portion of the experience, providing a wonderfully in-depth simulation of what it must have been like to run a naval trade business in the colonial era.

It grows a little repetitive after a while, but this historical simulation ought to scratch an itch for players who relish the idea of establishing and fostering a thriving trade empire. What to do is largely up to you as you navigate the treacherous waters of the Caribbean. With success comes fame, which will allow you to negotiate with your nation's viceroy to receive permission to start new types of businesses and perhaps even engage in a bit of piracy yourself. You'll need to be on the lookout for rivals looking to attack your convoys, and prepared to defend them in short, turn-based naval battles should cannon balls begin to fly. As colonies grow, so, too, does competition. As the game progresses, players will also be able to establish businesses in these towns to help them grow and meet demands as they arise. Players can set up trade routes between multiple settlements so that ship convoys can start to move resources and products fabricated in one town to others that need them, aiming to buy low and sell high in order to maximize profits. After playing through multiple tutorials that teach the game's basic mechanics, players can either begin playing freely in a big Caribbean sandbox or take on one of several campaigns as the operator of a trade empire under the viceroy of a specific European nation with the aim of using naval trade to support and grow various settlements. PORT ROYALE 4 drops players into the middle of the potentially prosperous but often dangerous world of naval trade during the colonial era in the Caribbean.
