The Settlers: New Allies

A slow-paced and overly simplistic take on city building and war waging, but blessed with wholesome looks and a relaxing atmosphere.

The Settlers: New Allies has some degree of pedigree coming from Anno 1800's Ubisoft Blue Byte, but it's, unfortunately, a dismal strategy affair, confused, anaemic, and achingly dull.

The Settlers: New Allies isn't quite the return to Settlers that fans of the franchise would want. Shallow across all areas, with basic city-building and very basic strategy elements, held together by an average narrative. It's not a bad game, but it's also not good.

Ubisoft’s city builders tend to be good: Anno was released on console just last year and it is a genuinely good time. But then Anno respects the player’s intelligence and allows them to make mistakes and try things along the way. The Settlers: New Allies wants you to play like an automaton, and the inflexibility and lack of variety in this game become draining far too quickly. It’s a treat to look at, but it’s a sour thing to play, and it’s immensely disappointing that we’ve waited 13 years for this.

The Settlers: New Allies is a game with great presentation and poor execution, It's $60, but I would struggle to recommend it at even half that price given how lacking in content it is. The gameplay is lagging heavily. Although tightly woven together, it doesn't really matter when there's so little to play with. It's like being in a sandbox with no toys or tools.

It's not everyone who gets to create the worst of the series. Give the old games a chance and keep your money in your pocket and your nerves intact.

A game we've waited five years for should be a masterpiece. At the very least, it should have advanced strategy elements. It would be a much better positioning if the game only came to the tablet.

The Settlers: New Allies is basically a simple and quick to learn game, but there is a limit to what it can offer you.

The Settlers – New Allies is one huge disappointment. The remake of the old Settlers series has turned out terribly, and I may have been unnecessarily harsh in my review, but I don’t think there’s any other way to put it. The game handles very well, runs smoothly, and is packed with high-quality audiovisuals, but it’s just so, so lacking. Especially when it comes to the difficulty, which I think would be easy even for a preschooler. Not to mention that if the game is already falling apart, why is that tricky real-money store even working? If you’re looking for a strategy game that will make you sweat, analyze the situation, and think about your next move, you definitely won’t find it in this game.

It's no longer about surviving on your own; it's now time to make a stand against a greater enemy, as Ubisoft has taken the franchise in a new direction with The Settlers: New Allies. One that may very well breathe new life into it for years to come.