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Just like on my old C64... but better! I should probably preface this by saying that I played the original C64 version of this game a LOT. This takes a lot of the same aspects of the original and improves on them while adding a lot of new things to the game. It is INCREDIBLY addictive (if that's a good thing) and the time just disappears while you're playing (that might not be such a good thing either ;) The graphics look great and the gameplay is simple and intuitive (you pretty much control everything using just a mouse and your number pad). The gameplay is pretty open-ended and you usually have a lot of things going on at the same time so it keeps you really busy. It has 5 difficulty levels so it can continue to be a challenge no matter how good you get. There are so many different options to choose from when you start a career (choosing between the 4 countries, your skill, your time period, etc) and there are so many different things for you to do within the game that you'll never have the same experience twice. Addressing some other reviewers' complaints: Some have complained about the gibberish language "Firaxish" being annoying. It's very similar to the language spoken by the Sims and I find it to be a unique and interesting aspect of the game. Some also complain about repetitiveness. Well, the game is technically comprised of a lot of mini-games so I guess you could say that's repetitive, but then again, every battle is unique. People complain about the dancing mini-game, but it comes with practice and learning the dance steps (as it would in real life). There are also items that you can acquire that help you be more successful. Some complain about sailing into the wind being slow, but it actually adds a lot more strategy to the game and I would be disappointed if they took it away. My complaints: It crashes every so often (not much) but even that isn't much of a problem because the game auto-saves everytime you enter or leave a city/settlement, or enter a battle, or just about anything else remotely important. It can also be a little "buggy" but it's not too bad compared to other games I've played. Is it worth $50? Well, I didn't pay that much but it would have been well worth it to me.