Industry Giant II is more of a logistics and supply chain simulator than a
business simulator. The lack of fine controls on pricing and production,
the ease at which facilities can switch production to new products, and the
curious lack of loans, bonds, and stock sales, make it far from a complete
business simulation. Also, the business terminology in the game is not
always standard, perhaps as a result of the game's development in Germany.
For example, the game uses the term turnover to apparently apply to revenue, and
not the time goods spend in inventory. There are also statistical reports
available on the health of your company, but none resemble the typical financial
statements that businesses produce, at least in the US.
In spite of these limitations and quirks, Industry Giant II can be enjoyable
to play. It is especially fun at the beginning, when you begin building
your empire from scratch. However, the game's ability to hold your
interest long-term is questionable, as large corporate networks require too
large a degree of micromanagement which drains a lot of fun from the game.
The scenarios are too challenging right off the bat, making it difficult to
stick to the campaigns and their more goal-oriented play. Open-ended play
is always fun at the beginning, but once everything is built-up interest wanes
rapidly.
The game also suffers somewhat from a lack of personality. The graphics
are nice enough, but the building tileset is very limited. One town looks
like the other, and despite some animated wandering animals and vehicles, the
maps feel somewhat lacking in life when compared to other building games.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
72%. It can be an enjoyable game, especially when you are just starting out
to build your corporate empire. However, some gameplay quirks and the need
for too much micromanagement will cause some players to lose interest in it
before too long.
System Requirements: 350 MHz Pentium II CPU; 64 MB RAM; 16 MB
Video RAM; 8x CD-ROM; 350 MB Hard Drive Space; Mouse.
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