barely lost anything in a decade as it forces you, in a beautifully managed way, to meticulously set up an efficient settlement". VideoGamer.coms Paul Devlin scored it 7 out of 10, finding it enjoyable, but dated. Calling it a "lovingly crafted remake", he was impressed with the graphics, sound effects, and music, writing as "Blue Byte should be commended for faithfully recreating the solid gameplay of its beloved original and adding 21st century bells and whistles". On the other hand, he felt it should have been a budget title, concluding, "For all its undeniable charm and nostalgic worth, The Settlers II is never really more than a retro retread that will probably only appeal to those who remember the original fondly". Eurogamer.des Herbert Aichinger also scored it 7 out of 10. Although he praised the graphics and the game's preservation of the original's "charm", he questioned whether nostalgia was enough to carry the game: "In 1996 The Settlers II was among the pioneers of city-building games. At that time, it was still fresh and original. But is it as fascinating today?" He also opined that the game should not have been a full price-release, writing, "the innovations on the original from 1996 are more of a cosmetic nature and do not add any additional facets to the gameplay". Wikinger The German-language expansion, Die Siedler II: Die nächste Generation - Wikinger, was released in March 2007, featuring twelve new single-player missions, new maps for both single-player and multiplayer modes, a random map generator, numerous improvements and optimisations to the online multiplayer lobby, a newly designed quest system with more diverse mission objectives and optional sidequests, a more detailed notification system and mini-map, and minor gameplay tweaks. The expansion also allows players to use all three original races plus the newly added Vikings in the single-player campaign, although, as in the main game, the difference between the races is aesthetic only. Aufbruch der Kulturen Die Siedler: Aufbruch der Kulturen, a German-language spiritual successor to Die nächste Generation, was released in September 2008, with localised versions released in Poland in 2009 and Russia in 2010. Developed primarily by Funatics Studio, a company founded by ex-Blue Byte personnel, Aufbruch der Kulturen features eleven missions in which the player controls Egyptians, Bavarians and Scots. The game uses the same engine as nächste Generation and features very similar gameplay. Speaking prior to the game's release, Ronald