Westward IV: All Aboard
Game Review

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Westward IV: All Aboard continues the excellent gaming tradition that is the best-selling Westward game series. This fourth outing features the same great resource management, time management and adventure elements that made the Westward games such great hits in this genre.

The story of Westward 4 focuses on the railroad, the mighty engine that connected the wild wild west to the prosperous cities of the east. There are many great stories and adventures connected with the railroad; from the tales of exploration of a dangerous land, to the daring raids of robber barons and hostile Indians, to the inspirational stories of pioneers trying to make their fortunes in the new frontier.

Westward 4 tells the story of the Turner Railroad, a small family business that is trying to prosper in the wild west. You play the part of either the spunky and rough-and-tumble Anne Turner, or the inventive gearhead Henry Turner, both children of the Turner Railroad's founder. The adventure begins when the siblings return home after a few months away, only to find out that their father has gone missing and their homestead has suffered from lack of proper care. You then embark on your great adventure to find your father and transform the family business into the most prosperous outpost in the west!

The game starts off fairly slowly, teaching you the basics of the game while introducing the setting and story. The first few quests/missions will teach you the basics such as gathering resources, looking for buried treasure, building farms and homes, and assigning workers to various jobs around town. All of this happens while you are introduced to the story involving the current condition of Turner Railroad and the mystery of your missing father.

The gameplay gets more complicated the further you progress into it, as you learn the blueprints for more buildings and are required to skillfully manage your limited building resources, money and labor. The buildings you can construct range from the simple farm and house that are available to you from the start, to the more complicated salon and smithy that require blueprints and more resources to build. The resource management involves making sure you have enough gold and lumber to construct the various buildings you need, as well as enough coal to power your railroad network. The labor is also important: you will need to make sure all your workers are properly housed, fed and employed.

You will also need to contend with bandits and rescue damsels in distress. No game set in the wild west is complete without some gun-slinging and rescuing hostages from railroad tracks in the nick of time! In addition, the game doesn't just revolve around the growing township of Turner Railroad. There are plenty of other locations (all connected via railroad of course) for you to explore and expand to.

The mechanics in this game are very similar to its predecessors in the Westward series. The simple interfacing primarily using the mouse has an elegance that keeps the game from becoming overly complicated. The graphics and music are top-notch like before, giving the game a polished feel and making you feel like you are part of a movie western.

Westward 4 is a very engaging and immersive game that is guaranteed to take you away to the wild wild west for hours on end. So come help the Turners find their father and transform their homestead into a bustling town. And when you're done, you can check out the other games in the Westward series.

Rating: 4.0/5.0  

Watch a demo video of the game!

 Download Westward IV: All Aboard onto your computer

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