Populous™: The Beginning

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 144 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
Populous™: The Beginning Game Cover
Starting at €2.49Buy now
Get on Steam

In "Populous™: The Beginning," become a god by controlling your shaman and leading your tribe to conquer 25 planets in a 3D world. Unleash devastating spells, harness natural disasters, and shape the planet while managing your followers' tasks for ultimate victory. Your apotheosis awaits!

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 144 reviews
atmosphere4 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Populous: The Beginning is a nostalgic classic that still provides engaging gameplay and unique god-like mechanics, making it a joy to revisit for long-time fans.
  • The game features a well-paced campaign with a variety of spells and abilities, allowing for strategic depth and rewarding experiences as players conquer enemy tribes.
  • Despite its age, the game has a dedicated community that supports multiplayer and offers mods to enhance the experience, ensuring it remains enjoyable on modern systems.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including frequent crashes, lost save files, and the need to adjust graphics settings every time it is launched.
  • The AI can be frustratingly simplistic, leading to repetitive gameplay and challenges in managing followers effectively during battles.
  • Many players feel that the game lacks modern quality-of-life improvements, such as customizable keybindings and autosave features, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • graphics20 mentions

    The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with many praising its innovative use of 3D technology that was ahead of its time, creating an immersive experience and influencing future designs. However, some users note that the visuals feel dated by modern standards, and there are occasional technical issues such as crashes and resolution problems. Overall, while the graphics may not appeal to new generations, the game's aesthetic and dynamic camera work are still appreciated by long-time fans.

    • “The transition to 3D graphics was revolutionary at the time, offering an immersive experience that was ahead of its era.”
    • “The innovative use of 3D graphics and terrain manipulation influenced future game designs and remains a benchmark in the genre.”
    • “Fantastic underrated gem of a game that was way ahead of its time in terms of graphics and gameplay.”
    • “New generations might find the graphics awkward but trust me this is a gem of a game; you should definitely own this masterpiece.”
    • “There have been some crashing when changing the graphics and some settings reset every time you launch the game, but it has always been like that so don't worry about it.”
    • “Crashes upon hitting new game, graphics options cannot be changed even though the options menu says I have changed the resolution.”
  • gameplay14 mentions

    The gameplay is a unique blend of real-time strategy and god game mechanics, offering a complex and rewarding experience that emphasizes balancing tribe growth with offensive strategies. While some players find the lack of waypoints and dated controls tedious, the direct control of the shaman and a variety of spells keep the gameplay engaging and fresh. Overall, it is praised as an underrated gem that appeals to old-school RTS veterans, despite its graphical limitations.

    • “For the first time, the player directly controls the shaman, adding a more personal and immediate feel to the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay focuses on balancing the growth of your tribe with offensive strategies to conquer enemy tribes.”
    • “Its innovative mechanics, strategic depth, and immersive atmosphere make it a standout title in the RTS genre.”
    • “The gameplay can be kind of tedious since there are no waypoints, basically idiot AI, and as far as I know, no hotkeys/binds for skills, buildings, and followers.”
    • “While the followers lack individual personalities, their roles are essential to the gameplay, making them valuable assets.”
    • “Its graphics are very dated now, as are the controls; however, once you accept these facts, the game itself is very good.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game, composed by Mark Knight, is praised for its atmospheric and calming qualities, enhancing the overall immersive experience. While there are only a few tracks, players appreciate the soothing nature of the soundtrack and sound effects, which contribute significantly to the enjoyment of gameplay. Minor changes to background music and the removal of the narrator have gone largely unnoticed.

    • “The soundtrack by Mark Knight is atmospheric and enhances the experience.”
    • “The game’s visuals and soundtrack create an immersive atmosphere.”
    • “Now, the soundtrack is a wonderfully soothing ensemble done by Mark 'TDK' Knight, a good old school sound composer, and I believe the game's sprite work holds up well in its light, comical nature even today.”
    • “They have changed very minor things such as the background music but this is not really noticeable and they have removed the narrator.”
    • “The music (though only 3 in-game tracks and 1 menu music) is very calming when you need to cast spells on those pesky enemy tribes (looking at you, dakini).”
    • “The music (though only 3 in-game tracks and 1 menu music) is very calming when you need to cast spells on those pesky enemy tribes (looking at you, dakini).”
  • story4 mentions

    The story of *Populous: The Beginning* revolves around a shaman guiding her tribe through 25 planets in a quest for godhood, offering a rich narrative experience reminiscent of classic Bullfrog titles. While the game lacks voiceovers for mission introductions, it includes a bonus campaign that adds depth to the overall storyline.

    • “In Populous™: The Beginning, you step into the role of a shaman leading her tribe across 25 planets in a quest to ascend to godhood.”
    • “There's no voice over for the beginning of each mission anymore, but it does have a bonus campaign added in that I've never had a chance to play before!”
    • “The story lacks depth and fails to engage the player, making it feel more like a series of missions than a cohesive narrative.”
    • “The plot is basic and uninspired, leaving little motivation to progress through the game.”
    • “Without any voiceover to enhance the storytelling, the missions feel disconnected and the overall experience is diminished.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with an immersive combination of visuals and an atmospheric soundtrack by Mark Knight that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note that this engaging atmosphere, alongside innovative mechanics and strategic depth, makes it a standout title in the RTS genre.

    • “The soundtrack by Mark Knight is atmospheric and enhances the experience.”
    • “The game’s visuals and soundtrack create an immersive atmosphere.”
    • “Its innovative mechanics, strategic depth, and immersive atmosphere make it a standout title in the RTS genre.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    Reviews indicate a mixed sentiment regarding monetization, with some users expressing disappointment over perceived cash grab tactics by EA, suggesting that the game suffers from performance issues likely tied to monetization strategies. Others believe that with proper investment and advertising, the game could thrive, highlighting a desire for better graphics and content rather than exploitative practices.

    • “This can't be my laptop, which is a relatively recent high-spec gaming laptop that runs the most recent Total Wars without issue, so this can only be what I presume is a side product of an EA cash grab, because this game should not run this poorly.”
    • “As is, just a cash grab.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization for current-generation operating systems and hardware has been widely criticized, with users unable to recommend it without significant modifications. Players are advised to seek community patches to enhance performance and ensure smoother gameplay.

    • “This is a comprehensive FAQ on what to do to make this run smoothly.”
    • “Can't recommend this release because it's not optimized for current-gen OS/hardware.”
    • “If you want to run the game without problems, look for the Populous: Reincarnated community and patch the game for better performance on modern systems.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Players find the game highly replayable due to its non-linear progression, which offers multiple paths and choices, enhancing the overall fun and variety in gameplay.

    • “The non-linear progression allows players to choose their path, adding replayability and variety.”
    • “Lots of fun and replayability.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to the lack of waypoints, ineffective AI, and the absence of hotkeys or binds for skills and buildings, which can lead to a frustrating experience.

    • “The gameplay can be kind of tedious since there are no waypoints, basically idiotic AI, and as far as I know, no hotkeys or binds for skills, buildings, and characters.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and complexity, with players noting that characters evolve significantly throughout the story, influenced by player choices. Many reviews highlight the emotional connections formed with the characters, enhancing the overall narrative experience. However, some players feel that certain characters lack sufficient backstory, leaving them underdeveloped in comparison to others.

  • stability1 mentions

    Users report that the game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, indicating strong stability on that platform.

    • “This runs great on Steam Deck.”
  • humor1 mentions

    Reviews highlight a quirky and amusing sense of humor, often characterized by absurdity and unexpected elements that contribute to the game's overall charm.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Populous™: The Beginning

Similar Games