Below par strategy game
Although ostensibly part of Sid Meier's ground-breaking strategy series, this is sequel in name only (and only partially in this respect as the rights to use the name 'Civilization' had actually been lost by this point) and unfortunately shares little of the main series' complexity and entertainment value. In essence, Call to Power 2 continues the theme laid down by previous entries, in that it is a turn-based strategy game which sees players controlling and developing their own civilizations through various historical periods, including into the future. If you've played previous Civilization games, then the general structure here will be familiar, but there are some notable changes, including improvements to the economy and diplomacy systems, while balances have also been made to avoid issues experienced in the previous game. Unfortunately, there is one huge problem which prevents this from being truly enjoyable, and that is the interface, which is awkward and unintuitive, and far from user friendly. Other issues include some weak AI, and the lack of control during combat, which may annoy many gamers. Perhaps a bigger problem however, is that the game lacks an identity of its own, and thus becomes very bland. Although there are a number of different civilizations on display here, they are all very similar without the distinct personality that you would expect. This makes it hard to really care about what's going on and instead turns the game into a sort of prettied up spreadsheet rather than any kind of involving experience. Although not terrible, Call to Power 2 is little more than an average strategy sim and you are better off checking out the Sid Meier versions instead.
