Colonization II!

Woohooheeheehahah. First Beyond Good & Evil 2 and now this. It's been quite a month for shock returns.

Yes, my favourite Civilization game that isn't a Civilization game is returning: as a Civilization game. Civ IV: Colonization is to be a standalone expansion for, clearly, Civ IV. Once again, the aim is the turn-based establishment of the New World, and freedom from the money-grabbing motherland, by conquest, trade or diplomacy and... well, pretty much no more details so far. Well, except for one more screenshot, a release date and a typically chipper Sid Meier quote, which are all beneath the cut.

It's not out until the Autumn, which, while actually very close, is hugely annoying as this unexpected return to my gaming past strikes me as exactly what I want to lose in myself in while I get over splitting up with my girlfriend last week. Oh well - more absurdly heavy drinking it is, then. Still, the FreeCol guys must be even more annoyed.

“We’ve received many requests from fans over the years to bring back Colonization and now seemed to be the perfect time to do that. The Civilization IV engine provided a fantastic foundation for a new Colonization experience and allowed us to create something great for both new players and long time fans of the game.”
Sid Meier

Click through for larger versions of both of these shots.

Yeah, it might look visually exactly like Civ IV - but I can't tell you how excited seeing the phrase 'Expert Tobacco Planter' once again has made me.