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| | Genre: Strategy & War  Expansion For: | | | Min OS X: 10.6 |
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Requirements: Must have Civilization V installed in order to use this additional content Review: Many of the DLC packs available for Civilization V often produce "more of the same," mostly just a slight alteration of what is already available. I’m not saying that this is a bad thing. However, it must be said, out of what has been released so far nothing has really changed gameplay from what we are used to currently. Luckily, with the Civilization and Scenario Pack: Polynesia DLC created by Firaxis, and brought to Mac by Aspyr Media, I believe that this new content is likely to shake up what you’re used to in Civilization V DLC. You are Kamehameha, the first ruler to unite the Hawaiian large island land masses in 1791. He restored rule and created a fair and just law system for his united tribes. While this may seem like something any leader could do, Kamehameha was unique in that he remained in power, and his wise policies kept his land together for many years after him becoming ruler. Even after his death his influence remained upon his land and kept the kingdom independent and together for many decades after. As the mighty Polynesians you gain the special ability called Wavefinding. This allows you to embark on oceans right from the start of the game, and to expand and discover new continents and islands long before your opponents. This is a great way to put yourself in a good position before people even realize what you are doing. As an added bonus, every naval unit can see an extra hex all around. With these enhancements in the ocean the explorer type player will shine with this civilization. Your unique military unit as the Polynesians is the Maori Warrior. This unit is especially advantageous as it is much more powerful then rival units and it is available very early in the game. It has been compared to having a Great General, a rare special unit available to all civilizations on a handful of occasions during a game. I would happen to agree with this assessment. Its power combined with the ability to produce the unit whenever you like makes it an even more valuable weapon against your opponents. There is also a special tile improvement available to you called the Moari. This large face-like statue provides your civilization with a culture boost to help you win the culture victory. It is enhanced when you work the tile further. However, this special statue provides more then just culture. It also aids military units in combat. Sort of like a fort or a citadel but at a much lower cost to your civilization. It is an awesome improvement which aims to get the most out of your tiles and propel you forward in the early stages of a game. As the title of the DLC suggests there is also a scenario attached to this pack. The scenario is called Paradise Found and is a small island based scenario which gives you 100 turns to achieve all the special social polices and become the dominant civilization. While this may seem difficult at face value, with a combination of your strong early game units you should be able to find a way to dominate your opponents and win. Summary: What I love about this $5.99 (USD) DLC in particular is that the terrain and landmasses provided are vastly different to what is available in the original game. You are forced out into the Pacific islands in order to find some land and work every tile you can. With your limited resources you are forced to think which tile improvement is best for what land. And when your cities become further separated in the search for better land, your defenses have to be optimum as well. This really shakes up gameplay and gives a totally new experience to players. It shows that there is still room to innovate in this already fantastic game. Pros: • Something WAY different
• Emphasis not on land Cons: • Can be an unfair Civilization choice in custom games
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