Publisher Kalypso Media and developer Gaming Minds Studios have shared that seafaring trade simulator Port Royale 4 has just received its largest update yet. Available now to all Windows PC players (with consoles soon to come) the free update weighs in at just under 500 MB and adds a staggering number of improvements, fixes, and new features - such as player-created nations, deadlier and more intense naval combat, and a variety of game-altering events like prohibition, and plagues of locusts - that dramatically improve the game and deepen the player's quest for bounty and trade supremacy on the open seas.

An exhaustive new video outlining the huge changes arriving with the new update features below, while fans of lengthy reams of text can check out the full changelog over at the Kalypso Blog.

With the new update, independence has arrived in Port Royale 4 and upon achieving certain conditions, players can now succeed from their parent nation (France, Spain, England or the Netherlands). Once independence has been declared, players can opt for a new name for their sovereignty, update their flag to something more their speed, and even take part in a heated war with their former ruler.

The update also introduces unto the Caribbean 'economic shocks' - optional in-game events that can have both positive or negative outcomes and significantly impact how a player builds their trade empire. These can range from a plague of locusts, reducing the production of a player's grain and corn, to a sudden spike in alcohol demand due to a church's order for a dry county.

Players will also now have to take extra care when engaging foes on the open seas and navigate deadly new hazards such as cliffs, sandbanks, carpets of algae and whirlpools - all of which can severely impact trade journeys and worse still, send a player, and all of his or her hard-earned booty, straight to Davy Jones.

Information
In Port Royale 4, set sail and join the colonial powers of Spain, England, France and the Netherlands in their fight for supremacy of the Caribbean in the 17th century. Take control of a colony as a young and ambitious governor and learn what it takes to manage and grow a small settlement into a bustling trader city.

Develop production chains connecting multiple islands and create complex trade routes across the Caribbean, covering the ever-growing needs of multiple cities. Make use of the detailed sea map to avoid stormy weather regions, cliffs or shallow waters. Fulfil tasks for your nation’s viceroy, earning more fame to unlock town buildings, ships and more. Conquer the cities of rival nations or hunt down their fleets with a letter of marque while also keeping a keen eye out for pirates and other privateers.

Introducing: naval battles! For the first time in series' history, combat encounters are turn-based, with up to 8 ships battling at once. Turn the tide with tactical captain manoeuvres to ensure a glorious victory each and every fight.

Title: Port Royale 4
Platforms: Windows PC, PlayStation®4,
Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™
Developer: Gaming Minds Studios
Genre: Trade simulation
Release: Out now (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
2021 (Nintendo Switch™)
Hashtag: #PortRoyale4

Features
- Choose from four colonial powerhouses: England, France, Spain and the Netherlands, each providing different benefits and unique gameplay styles
- Four single player campaigns following each nation on a path to glory
- Appoint a leader from four different character classes: The Explorer, Merchant, Buccaneer and Pirate
- Establish and manage trade with 60 Caribbean cities in a huge game world
- Navigate cliffs, shallow waters and stormy weather regions to optimize your trade routes
- Choose from 50 buildings to produce goods such as rum and luxuries
- Construct town buildings with neighbourhood effects to optimize productivity and manage the happiness of your citizens
- Sail 18 historically authentic ships from the late 16th and 17th centuries
- Engage in tactical, turn-based naval battles with powerful captains
- Unlock licenses, building permits, new buildings and ships by growing reputation within your chosen nation

For more information, please visit www.kalypsomedia.com