Being that this is my first foray into the Settlers series I can't rate it against the other earlier games. I was very pleased though with what I got with this game though. The gameplay, graphics, and presentation of the game were very well done. The campaign walks you through most of the controls and basic gameplay at the begining so you won't feel overwhelmed if your unfamiliar with the series like myself. Have no issues with UBI Soft's DRM and Uplay, since the game has been out for awhile and patched. One thing that really made me get this game is the addition of co-op play that was added. I have no problem recommending this game for those interested.

I have been tracking this game for some time and was a fan of the settlers series up to and including 4, but I lost interest in the gameplay at 5 and never played it since. Settlers 7 is an improvement and gameplay is a little retrospective towards its old style and also with some nice new touches and personalization. However, there is a beast of a problem underlying in this game which many gamers will use as an excuse (and probably a justifiable one) not to buy this game, and that is it's DRM. Whilst not as bad as other Ubi games that use this, forcing the user to be online 100% whilst you are on the game isn't everyone's cuppa tea, but at least with Settlers 7, if you do lose your connection it will attempt to reconnect for a short time. So, if your internet goes down due to a spike or some other reason, at least it will attempt to get you back in the game, whereas other games using this platform will just boot you off the game and won't even attempt to save where you were. I would have scored the game a 9 but for it's poor DRM system (my opinion), and I haven't written much about the game and its play, but you can get a good idea from the official reviews around the internet, they all pretty much agree that the game itself has high production values and has been released in a stable version at release with not too many bugs or technical issues - which for a new release on PC these days, is saying something.

The game is GOOD, there is no doubt about it. If you can get past the cartoony and childish storyline then you will have a blast playing this game. It is truly a masterpiece in terms of economy building simulator. Success in this game is based upon whether you can create seamless assembly lines for higher end products to become rich. Fighting, you see, is not the only way to victory. You can bribe, convert, and, of course, fight your way to victory. The fighting is where this game is lacking. You don't actually get to control your units, you simply tell them where to go. I found myself frustrated, because I could have won plenty of battles with a little flanking strategy... if you like castle builders, resource gathering, and economy builiding games then this game is perfect for you. If you are looking for an AOE clone where the only reason you gather reasorces is to build the biggest army and crush your opponent... then go else where!

There were a lot of good reviews so I decided to give this title a try. From beginning to now, I've had nothing but issues. I bought this game with full knowledge of the DRM requirements, but honestly, U-play (at least for this game) is one of the worst clients I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. From not getting the correct product to the countless other issues...but that was only the beginning. BTW, this is my first Ubisoft game (and probably my last). The game itself, controls not intuitive, no help menu for when you are stuck. This is my first foray into the Settlers series(though I HAVE played other simulation/strategy games), and I'm so NOT impressed. I've tried on numerous occasions to get into in, and just cannot. For what it is worth, I do think the graphics are pretty nice, and the characters kinda cute. However, though I bought this game at a pittance during the holiday season, I don't think I'd even want this game for free, and I'm regretting every penny spend and every minute wasted. Go for something like Tropico 4, Civilization 5, even Sims Medieval, but stay away from this title. (though I do seem to be in the minority for this opinion)

The game shines with a general coat of polish. I have difficulty finding blemished areas. The graphics are great, same goes for the gameplay and music. In truth I think the factor that had the greatest effect on me was the raw nostalgia. This is the closest the settlers series has ever come to returning to the modal set by settlers 2 (one of my faveroit games of all time). On the downside the games story is absolute garbage (perhaps it was meant to be this way, Some of the scenes are so bad that they are infact funny). Also at time the game can be become tedious and boring (Such as sitting around waiting for trees to grow so you can collect more wood). Many people have complained about the DRM but I myself have found no issues with the product.

Prefered Settlers 6: Rise of an Empire. Even in 3x speed, you'll spend a lot of time just sitting around waiting for resources to come in, and for troops to muster. Food is a lot more limited, and control over armies has been reduced to attack and retreat.

Passable, but there are better ways to spend your time!

Excellent game if you enjoy managing a small kingdom and keeping up with the production. This game is more focused on having a efficient economy rather than a military.

If love Settlers I through III, you will have another disappointment. Developers constantly try to appeal to broader audience, making one arcade after another. Settler 7 is beautifully done, colorful but alas cartoonish, shallow and unfulfilling as its predecessors. After playing it, you’ll be back to your good old Die Siedler.

Probably the worst of the Settlers series I have played. I don't like the idea of adding work yards to the main buildings, the blocky, roughly-cut models, badly-placed textures and I find the constant spying of Ubisoft via their 'super-fun' DRM just bloody annoying. Broadband internet connection isn't a trouble - servers tend to be down and if their up there are problems with connecting. The missions are boring and idiot-proof - you're lead on a leash from one dreadful quest to another. Thank gods I've spent only 4.99 otherwise I'd be really angry.

If it weren't for the "always online"-DRM, this game would deserve 5 stars easily. It's the slickest most elegant installment in the Settlers-series.

I would have given 5 star if it had not been for Uplay. Well most of the DRM issues have been fixed but Uplay client is still buggy. I couldn't activate the product key at first attempt. Had to try 3 or 4 times. Plus I couldn't patch Uplay launcher from the game itself. Had to download and install the Uplay launcher separately.

Also a tip for having less trouble with Uplay. Don't install it anywhere, but install in "C:\Users\Public\Ubisoft Game Launcher". It solves some issue of Uplay not detecting games properly.

As for the game, I first got into this series through a Settlers 3 demo from a computer magazine cd. The demo had one tutorial map and one skirmish map. But boy did I play it over and over. After that, the rest i.e. 4, 5, 6 didn't impress me much.

I picked up 7 based on the review given here. And I don't regret getting it. Despite some minor issue and the huge online feature integration( which doesn't interest me much), it's quite a good game. Combat is okay, but I got settlers 7 esp. for the building and management feature.

Am having fun with the game( not with Uplay though -_-) and I must say. If you find this on sale and you are a strategy and simulation fan, "Get it!".

Nice Settlers game that resembles the acclaimed Settlers II. Some of the problems with the DRM was fixed and now you can play offline, but much of DLC and special content can not be acessible if offline, but still playable.

The campaign mode is nice with a good story and a nice tutorial. The game miss the free mode like S2, but you can customize a map, despite the options are very limited (you can not mod the map itself, nor the players number). The AI is nice and there are a good stock of real players at multi. The graphics are nice and fun. It lacks a bit on depth, usually you can finish the game more fast than you like. THe replayability of campaign mode is near 0,

Still crash sometimes, but not very allarming. Uplay is annoing since most of times you can not get online and connections fall down. By some reason the game do not appears at Uplay like the gold version, but if can get online - with is hard - you can get the extra content.

Really good, balanced game with an ok story. I really dont know what people were complaining about with the DRM as me and my friend have been playing this nonstop without one DC. The only problem is the lack of people that play the game

As the 7th addition to the serie, Bluebyte had the leisure to optimize the gameplay by keeping and taking away pros and cons of the older games. Which makes a very nice cartoonish, versatile building game with enough features to keep you hooked for a while. The campaign help newbies to keep on with the learning curve.

As of novembre 2012, there is no longer the issue that forces you to stay online to be able to play. UPlay adds another layer on the experience. A must have for lovers of the genre.

Great strategy game with cute little avatars. Not very much in terms of combat but as far as micro-managing, resource management and city planning go, it's great! Recommended for any strategy/sim fan.

If you like settlers games, you;ll like this game as well. In my opinion, this is the best game in the series. The campaign is fun, I haven't tried out multiplayer, but it keeps me busy none the less, so it's good!

Alright. Settlers 7. Right now the last sequel from eco/building strategy series. I played all of them and lot of players were unhappy how series was altered, for myself I am fine changes done on this title. You are getting little more cartoonish graphics but Settlers should be like this, the model of building has been changed, you can now build on some kind of "basements" various buildings and craftmen shelters. You are maintaining various needs and combat has returned to easy mode as in e.g. Settlers II (two soldiers fight at one time but you don't control them), here it's like general + some army is battling the opposition. I like the mission variety in campaign and I like that economic model is still as dynamic as it was in Settlers VI. It's mixing up lot of good from classic settlers and new 'ubisettlers'. In this Gold Edition you have plenty of additional content which is worth of try but I don't remember all the details.

fun game once you get the hang of the weird troop movments and buildings

only thing that made me uninstall it is multiplayer is dead and single player campaign does not really contain any reason to replay

It's a fairly basic game, but it does it very well, it keeps my wife and I coming back for more. It has a more cartoony, light-hearted feel than some games, if that bothers you don't get it. But it's a fun fantastical/fantasy sort of world. my only gripe with the game is that it would be nice to have more than 4 players. My wife and I team up when we play, and there are no more than 2 opponents for us.

Settlers is an old franchise and this is a worthy addition to it. It is a detailed kingdom management sim with a cute look I have always loved.

There is also a combat aspect but the game's main approach is trading and diplomacy.

Only problem with the game is the Ubisoft's dreaded DRM; you need a constant internet collection to play the game. Yes, a singleplayer game. As far as I know Settlers 7 is the only Ubisoft game with this ridicilous DRM still in place; all others have been removed with patches.

If you can live with the DRM it's a must buy. Otherwise, don't buy it.

This requires an internet connection to play and the startup interface is "facebook'ish". Was too put off from this that I would not continue into the game. You have to create a "Uplay" account that keeps track of your scores and saves. For an 8G download I really did not expect a web requirement.

My assessment of this game is double fold: I love the game, and the new direction the Settlers has taken. For this it would deserve 5/5. But I hate the 'always on internet' DRM. Not just because I hate it in principle, but mostly because it does not work properly for me. I experience a random disconnection every 30 minutes, and thus the game is mostly unplayable to me. I have other games with this horrendous requirement, and they all play just fine, but The Settler 7 does not want to cooperate with me. I hope they will release soon a patch getting rid of this unacceptable requirement. If they do, it is a highly recommended game. If they don't, I cannot recommend it.

Well, bought it on sale couple of weeks ago and definately no regrets. Have been playing the campaign for a couple of weeks now and it is interesting, challenging and lots of fun. Although the repaeating is an issues with these games, starting you economy from scratch again and again, the map, the opponents and the special characters do make it different for each game. If you are looking for a game which will entertain you for a couple of weeks and you like the settlers genre. It is well spend money.

Great game that goes back to the early style of settlers games, perfect for when you want to chill a bit and play a slow "management" game.

This game apparently had enormous problems with graphic driver bugs upon release, and it still has plenty of them left. The game keep dumping graphics memory and crashing randomly now and then. Apparently it doesn't support neither the latest Nvidia nor ATI cards very well (I tried it with both GTX480 and ATIHD5870, same random crashes no matter card). So if you happen to have a graphics card of any kind in your computer, you should avoid this game...

Despite the DRM, there's no mistaking that this game is great fun. Raising your kingdom and waging wars amongst others while ensuring domination through victory goals. The possibilities are endless. High recommended for those with a constant internet connection.

Although most reviews have been ill-tongued, I find Settlers 7 to be a highly enjoyable sim-game.

The campaign is fun, with lots of detail in characters and cutscenes and the general gameplay is satisfying.

If you see it on sale, grab it.

Was kinda a slow starter for me but as ive played on can really see the depth they have put into the game. With tech trees, trade routes, and prestige trees has alot to keep you busy.

Have been able to finish most maps without finishing all the research options which is something ive always liked in games.

This is my first Ubisoft game and I am quite pleased. Aside from a technical issue with the most recent patch messing up the data files, my experience has been fine.

What is best about this game is the campaign. I am generally not a fan of campaigns as I prefer sandbox mode where I can do whatever I want. But this campaign has been interesting and challenging, which is a nice change.

The graphics are also beautiful.

The game is enjoyable. Ubi has changed thr DRM so you only have to have your internet connection upon your initial log in. As always it is a great reource management game. It is highly addicitive and easy lose many an hour playing this game.

A really entertaining, fun and nice looking strategy game of the simplier sort.

If you never played a settlers game before, i would highly recommend this.

Have you played Settlers 1-3, i can say that it is actually very good and pretty close to the first three games.

Settlers 7 is an interesting new take on the series. The art style is a little more stylish/"cartoony", but the gameplay is fun. There's a little bit of abstraction, but there's still a good deal of resource interdependencies and management. The map is sort of a maze of connected control points/provinces which you can take over (militarily or otherwise). There's also some persistence with Ubisoft's Uplay feature. All in all, it's a fun game if you like builder games. The military portion of it is very easy to manage, it's definitely not an RTS, so it should appeal to anyone who likes well made builders. I tend to think of this game as Anno/Dawn of Discovery Lite, in a way. A definite recommendation.