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Columbus "discovered" America. That is America was already there, but Columbus landed on it and told everyone about it when he got back. Except he forgot to mention that the Vikings had got there 500 years before. Right, there's your background info, now on with the game.

The overall objectives are to explore and discover unchartered areas and make more money than any of the other exploring nations. So, lots of boldly going where no one has gone before, with a bit of capitalism thrown in. But would Columbus - or indeed, Captain Kirk - approve?

The game is an icon-driven, strategic type of affair requiring lots of thinking and contemplating, but with very few opportunities to get in there with the joystick and fend off bloodthirsty pirates. Four game types are available: Free For All, or survival of the richest; Eldorado, which entails a quick jaunt down to legendary gold-rush country; Land Race, where the nation which owns the most land after 50 years is the victor, and Cash Race, or screw everything else and try to accumulate as much booty as possible.

A plodding, ultimately unexciting experience, Discovery just doesn't have that sense of history that it so obviously strives for and it takes a tiresome amount of time before you have anything to show for your efforts.

1. For seasoned strategy buffs, probably worth a look. Sadly, for everyone else it's a case of pretty graphics, shame about the gameplay.