Free Remake of Colonization Beautified in Version 1.2.0
A new version of FreeCol, the free-to-play fan strategy game conceived as an heir to Sid Meier's Colonization, has debuted. The update improves graphics, interface and optimization, among other things.
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A new version of FreeCol, a freeware strategy game designed as a fan remake of the 1993 cult Sid Meier's Colonization, has finally been released. The latest version of the game is numbered 1.2.0, and we've waited a long time for it, as 1.1.0 debuted in May 2023.
FreeCol is a turn-based strategy, allowing you to attempt to colonize America starting from the year 1492. The production offers an interesting approach to refreshing Sid Meier's classic game. The authors recreated all the mechanisms of the original but did not limit themselves to just that and introduced plenty of improvements and new elements, significantly modernizing the gameplay. In addition, the interface and graphics were made in a style inspired by Sid Meier's Civilization III.
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Version 1.2.0 brings many improvements over the 1.1.0 release.
- New, much nicer building graphics have been introduced.
- The colony panel has been beautified and thoroughly improved.
- The appearance of many interface elements has been improved.
- Better graphics rendering performance has been implemented. The difference can be seen especially when scrolling the map and moving units.
- The engine was optimized in terms of memory usage. It worked so well that now the game can be run on a computer with a mere 512 MB of RAM, although the authors still recommend at least 2 GB for the best experience.
- Of course, there are also technical bug fixes and improvements to AI and gameplay balance. In addition, several improvements have been made for modders.
All in all, patch 1.2.0 makes an already excellent game even better. The authors have been developing FreeCol for 21 years and have no intention at all to stop, so we can expect further improvements in the future.