Port Royale 2

About

Port Royale 2 is a single player economy strategy game with economy, historical and business themes. It was developed by Ascaron Entertainment ltd. and was released on June 16, 2009. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Port Royale 2 is a sequel to the original trading simulation game set in the 17th century Caribbean. The player can choose to become a trader, adventurer, or pirate, navigating a richly detailed world of commerce, diplomacy, and naval warfare. With improved graphics, expanded gameplay features, and a huge open world to explore, Port Royale 2 offers a compelling and immersive experience for fans of the series and newcomers alike.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 243 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

graphics5 negative mentions

Port Royale 2 offers a deep and engaging economic simulation with various gameplay styles, allowing players to trade, build, and engage in naval combat.
The game has a nostalgic charm and is considered one of the best in the Port Royale series, with many players enjoying its mechanics and replayability.
Despite its age, the game can still provide hours of fun and strategic gameplay, especially for fans of trading and tycoon-style games.

The game has significant compatibility issues with modern operating systems, particularly Windows 10, making it difficult for many players to run it without extensive troubleshooting.
Graphics and user interface are outdated, which can detract from the overall experience, and the combat system is often criticized for being clunky and frustrating.
Many players report that the game can crash unexpectedly or fail to launch, leading to a frustrating experience for those who are unable to get it to work properly.

graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
73%
17%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, with many users noting issues such as low resolution, stretched textures, and graphical glitches, particularly with water effects. Despite these shortcomings, some players appreciate the game's charm and gameplay, arguing that the graphics do not detract significantly from the overall experience. Overall, while the visuals may not meet modern standards, the game's engaging mechanics and nostalgic appeal keep it enjoyable for many.
- “It's amazing how much effort the programmers put into the graphics detail and depth of simulation.”
- “The chunky 2D graphics might not have aged very well, but they certainly don't detract from the relaxed atmosphere, and the soundtrack is exactly what you'd want in a low-key trading sim.”
- “2D hand-drawn graphics age very well, still worth playing.”
- “Although the graphics are quite outdated in 2021.”
- “Great game, I would say that it's the best game in the series if you can tolerate the dated graphics and either stretched textures or black bars (the game is meant to be played in 4:3 resolutions).”
- “The game loads up still but the ocean effects have killed the graphics for me.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The gameplay is characterized by simple and intuitive mechanics that provide an enjoyable experience, particularly for players who appreciate economic strategies and city-building elements. While the game offers a wealth of features and addictive gameplay, some users note that certain mechanics feel outdated or overly complex, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, it remains a beloved classic for its engaging trading and combat systems, despite some frustrations with specific aspects like town attacks and sea combat.
- “Simple, intuitive mechanics make the game enjoyable, and if you're an economy-driven fiend like me, you'll amass more money than Jeff Bezos in about three hours of gameplay.”
- “I thoroughly enjoy the game mechanics, particularly the city building and trade functions.”
- “One of the best economic games of all time, gives you a lot of freedom and has very satisfying gameplay.”
- “The mechanics, UI display, and general rules at play showed their age, and it seems like a micromanagement-intensive grind with a high learning curve even if you did get it working.”
- “If anything, it's gotten worse, with some mechanics becoming unwieldy and sea combat far oversimplified.”
- “Make sure you watch gameplay videos before you buy.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's story aspect is characterized by a flexible narrative that allows players to engage in various roles, such as a merchant, pirate, or adventurer, while completing diverse missions from governors. Players appreciate the sandbox nature of the game, which enables them to choose their path and build an empire through trading and strategic gameplay, although the overarching story may feel secondary to the economic mechanics. Overall, the engaging missions and variety of gameplay options contribute to a rich, albeit loosely structured, narrative experience.
- “I've had this game since I was very young, and then I bought it again on Steam. For me, it's been a very good and engaging strategy game; you can have different ways of playing, as a merchant, a corsair, a pirate, a pirate-hunter, or a good-old adventurer taking missions, or as much as you want of any of those things at the same time.”
- “Trading is pretty easy, but you don't start with much, so you have to take on missions to towns you haven't discovered yet, which might just get you sunk by pirates or military convoys if you're not in every nation's good books.”
- “Governors in major towns will even give you missions to eliminate particularly troublesome captains if you need guidance.”
- “This is a more economically focused SMP, Sid Meier's Pirates, and it is almost like a carbon copy except for the story element of SMP and a few select things.”
- “You want to do missions for governors?”
- “Reading story lines.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
71%
The stability of the game is highly inconsistent among users; some report it being unplayable due to freezing and crashes, while others experience only minor graphical glitches that can be resolved with settings adjustments. Overall, while some players have no issues on their systems, many others face significant stability problems that hinder gameplay.
- “Works fine on my PC. I have an Alienware 17 R3 running on Windows 10, no glitches or anything.”
- “It's funny because I just bought Riven, a sequel to Myst, a much older game, and it runs great.”
- “Can't even get the game to run. I remember it being a bit buggy, but not 100% broken.”
- “Game finishes loading animation, then the application freezes and has to be closed through Task Manager.”
- “I experienced the game long ago when I bought it from EB Games before Steam released it (yeah, I bought this game twice) and before the horrible graphical glitches came about.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game involves significant grinding, particularly through repetitive military convoy tasks and town annexation for rewards. While some find this aspect tedious, others appreciate the freedom to choose their level of engagement with the grinding mechanics. Overall, the grinding is described as extensive and potentially overwhelming.
- “This means a lot of military convoy grinding, annexing a town so you'll be rewarded more land, and restarting the military convoy grind.”
- “I do think for some it might feel 'grindy', but then again, you choose what you want to do; you don't have to put impossible tasks like having the top 20 cities on the map being yours!”
- “Take two teenagers, put them in a flour mill in hell where there is much gnashing of teeth, and you still don't get close to how much grinding this game can involve.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The music in the game is praised for its ability to evoke a Caribbean ambiance, enhancing the overall relaxed atmosphere of the gameplay. While the graphics may not have aged well, the soundtrack complements the low-key trading experience, making it a standout feature for many players. Overall, the music is considered enjoyable and fitting for the game's theme.
- “Even the simple songs and sounds in this game seem to bring you closer to the Caribbean ambiance than any other game.”
- “Beautiful visuals, amazing music, and addictive gameplay = my favorite game of all time.”
- “The chunky 2D graphics might not have aged very well, but they certainly don't detract from the relaxed atmosphere, and the soundtrack is exactly what you'd want in a low-key trading sim.”
- “The music in this game is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The soundtrack feels out of place and doesn't match the game's theme, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “While the sound effects are decent, the music is forgettable and doesn't enhance the gameplay.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, which results in subpar performance on contemporary gaming PCs. Users have noted that while uninstalling graphics drivers can allow the game to run, it significantly degrades performance, making it an unappealing solution. However, it is recommended to keep "AMD optimized" settings for shader cache and tessellation mode for better results.
- “The game lacks support for any modern gaming display resolutions or widescreen monitors, and it hasn't been modernized or updated to run smoothly on modern gaming PCs.”
- “Keep 'AMD optimized' for shader cache and tessellation mode.”
- “I have found that uninstalling your graphics drivers and using the Windows ones causes poor performance. While it allows this game to run, it is not worth it.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a scurvy, adventurous vibe that complements its solo gameplay against various factions. While the chunky 2D graphics may feel dated, they contribute to a relaxed ambiance, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack that suits the low-key trading simulation experience.
- “The game allows you to go it alone against all the factions, creating a scurvy atmosphere!”
- “The game allows you to go it alone against all the factions, contributing to a scurvy atmosphere!”
- “The chunky 2D graphics might not have aged very well, but they certainly don't detract from the relaxed atmosphere, and the soundtrack is exactly what you'd want in a low-key trading sim.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor in the game to be enjoyable and unexpected, particularly in the context of trading, building, and battling at sea. One reviewer humorously contrasts their experience with a much older game, highlighting the comedic elements present in the newer title.
- “You'll have the opportunity to trade, build, and battle at sea, and I must say I found it funny.”
- “Which is funny because I just bought 'Riven: A Sequel to Myst', a much older game, and it runs great.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players consistently highlight the game's strong replayability, indicating that it offers engaging content and experiences that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “The game has fantastic replayability, with multiple paths and choices that keep each playthrough fresh.”
- “Every time I play, I discover new strategies and outcomes, making the replayability truly impressive.”
- “With its diverse character builds and random events, the game offers endless replayability that keeps me coming back for more.”