So settle in, folks.

Here’s how it’s shaping up.

The raw, beating production heart of The Settlers is very much intact.

A group of villagers stand next to a large medieval warehouse in The Settlers

The same goes for building up your army for keeping enemies at bay.

My favourite people to watch, though, are the new Engineers.

Not that this detracted from my overall enjoyment, I might add.

Cover image for YouTube video

In each case, the reward was definitely worth fighting and exploring for.

The combat units aren’t perhaps quite as varied as other conquest-based city-builders out there.

Matches are pretty lengthy.

A man works a sawmill in The Settlers

A row of straw and mud-brick houses with smoking chimneys in The Settlers

A grassy scene showing a hexagonal grid of available tiles to explore in The Settlers

The player lays down a gravel road network in The Settlers

An army attacks a bandit camp in The Settlers

A village warehouse is being destroyed by invading soldiers in The Settlers

A village scene showing a hexagonal building grid in The Settlers