The Settlers II

This article is about the 1996 video game and its 2007 re-release. For the 2006 remake, see The Settlers II (10th Anniversary).

The Settlers II
MS-DOS cover art
Developer(s)Blue Byte Software
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Thomas Hertzler
Designer(s)Thomas Häuser
Programmer(s)
  • Thomas Häuser
  • Peter Ohlmann
Artist(s)
  • Christoph Werner
  • Adam Sprys
Writer(s)Wolfgang Walk
Composer(s)Haiko Ruttmann
SeriesThe Settlers
Platform(s)
ReleaseMS-DOS
Mac OS
  • NA: September 24, 1997[4]
Nintendo DS
Genre(s)City-building, real-time strategy[8][9]
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The Settlers II (German: Die Siedler II), originally released as The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici, is a 1996 city-building game with real-time strategy elements for MS-DOS, Mac OS, and Nintendo DS. Developed and published by Blue Byte Software, the DOS version was released in Germany in April 1996, and in the United Kingdom and North America in August. In December, Blue Byte released an expansion, The Settlers II Mission CD, featuring new single-player campaign missions, new maps for both single-player and multiplayer modes, and a map editor. In October 1997, they released The Settlers II: Gold Edition, containing the original game, plus the Mission CD expansion, along with minor graphical enhancements and gameplay tweaks. The Gold Edition was also ported to Mac OS in September 1997. In 2006, an enhanced remake, The Settlers II (10th Anniversary), was released for Windows. In 2007, the Gold Edition was ported to the Nintendo DS, under the title The Settlers and released in Germany in July, and the United Kingdom and North America in August. Although adapted for the dual-screen display of the DS, and with controls specifically programmed for use with the DS stylus, the gameplay, game mechanics, graphics and storyline are unaltered. In 2009, the original Gold Edition was released on GOG.com, and in 2018, it was re-released for Windows as The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici - History Edition. It is the second game in The Settlers series, following The Settlers (1993).

The game can be played in either single-player campaign mode or in "Free game" mode; individual scenarios with predetermined rules set by the player, which can be played with or against either another player, the computer, or both another player and the computer. In the single-player campaign, the player controls a group of Romans who are shipwrecked on an uncharted island. Led by their captain, Octavius, they must use a series of magical portals to try to find their way back to the Empire. During their travels, they come into conflict with Nubians, Vikings and Japanese. In the single-player campaign included with the Mission CD, the player controls Octavius's great-grandson as he attempts to conquer the entire world.

In making The Settlers II, Blue Byte wanted to improve upon the first Settlers title to as much of an extent and in as many ways as they could. To this end, they sought fan feedback from the first game and hired Thomas Häuser, who had worked on quality assurance for The Settlers, as the lead designer. Although the core supply and demand-based gameplay is broadly the same as in the first game, many other aspects of the gameplay and game mechanics have been altered. For example, the sound effects and graphics have been enhanced, with more on-screen movements and more animations for the settlers themselves, and with four aesthetically distinct races; the economic system is more complex; the battle system is more strategic, with the player able to use scouts and stationary offensive weaponry; and a story-driven single-player campaign has been included.

The original game received positive reviews, with critics especially praising the supply and demand gameplay, the complex economic system and the graphics. The most common criticisms were the lack of direct control during combat, and the absence of an online multiplayer mode. The game was a commercial success, selling over 600,000 units worldwide, considerably more than the original Settlers. The DS remake received negative reviews, with many critics arguing it tarnished the legacy of the original, citing unresponsive controls, a poorly implemented HUD, and, especially, game-breaking bugs.

  1. ^ "CD Gamers: The Settlers 2". PC Gamer (UK). No. 32. July 1996. p. 8.
  2. ^ "News: WiSims & Strategie & Denkspiele". PC Games (in German). No. 44. May 1996. p. 22. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  3. ^ "The Settlers II". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  4. ^ "The Settlers II". IGN. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  5. ^ "The Settlers (Nintendo DS)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  6. ^ Lohse, Sören (June 1, 2007). "Annett Louisan will doch nur siedeln: Ubisoft und Sängerein bewerben Siedler DS". Gameswelt (in German). Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  7. ^ "Shippin' Out August 20–24: BioShock, Brain Age 2". GameSpot. August 20, 2007. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  8. ^ Johnson, Neilie (April 6, 2010). "The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  9. ^ Moss, Richard (November 10, 2015). "From Sim City to, well, Sim City: The history of city-building games". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.