Ports of Call
| Developer: N/A | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Aegis | Sound: |
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| Year: 1987 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Management | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 4 alternating | Rating: |
8/10 | |
It was a forum visitor who was looking for this game. I systematically add all the titles I’m given, but sometimes it takes a little while… In this case, it took three years. A maritime freight simulation, well, I wasn’t particularly excited; especially since management games always come with a manual to sift through, and I’m not fond of sifting.
Anyway, I had no other dodgy platformer available, so one day, I gave it a try…
First surprise: the title screen, which looked a bit austere in the photo, is superbly animated. The shimmering water reminds me of the crackling fire at the start of Defender of the Crown, same graphic artist.
Then, a relief: the manual is light. You can peruse it on Lemon Amiga. Essentially, you are the owner of a maritime transport company, and your job consists of managing one or several boats, maintaining them, buying and selling goods across the globe and, occasionally, manoeuvring at sea, avoiding icebergs or attempting to enter or exit a minuscule port. Even if these navigation phases prove rather unspectacular, the stress is present when one knows that the slightest error carries pecuniary consequences.
The economic aspect is extremely important. You will spend most of your time monitoring markets. At the beginning, you risk losing more money than you earn, but with some practice, you will learn to await good opportunities. The difficulty lies in predicting whether the contracts you secure will allow you to recoup your expenses. It is a constant effort to cut costs, and when, finally, you manage to become profitable, it is gratifying!
You can also quite well decide not to set foot in the water, so to speak, and speculate on the boat market (an effective but hardly thrilling solution, given the few products exchanged; that being said, it is not a trading game). After all, the smell of the quayside is not unpleasant…
[Looks like the smutty joke didn’t make it. It had a rough time surviving the translation! – Ed.]
The interface is sober yet readable; the menus are in reasonable number, which makes the title simple to access. Initially, I did not think I would have the patience to get into it, and a fortiori, to enjoy transporting freight!
After a few hours of play, though, you start to realise the simulation somewhat lacks depth. Thriving is fine, but on your own, without any competition, it gets a bit dull. It’s surely a different story in multiplayer.
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