I don't really mind about the heathens issue at all...
For me, VV5 is a major leap in the series.
Job well done, LDW!
Actually, the game is getting a little bit more challenging, and i like it.

My 2 cents worth:

1) No longer do I feel that my style of play is suitable for this series. I like to take my time and work up slowly to the final puzzles. Now, we're rushed to build up the villagers in order to have the powers to "revive" your founding members. The kick in the pants came from finding out if I didn't rush then my founding members don't even get a place in the mausoleum. They are just "sanitized" from the game. The original villagers are the ones that I get the MOST attached to so this is my biggest complaint.

2) The game is incredibly unbalanced. My buildings are done with 25% left on the last hut and I have ONE master builder?!? (Yes, I worked with my original villagers and the oldest one is 48 now and my ONLY master builder and no, I don't have the mausoleum done yet.)

3) Saddened to see that there's only 2 different collections in this game. The center of the island should have been lush with even more plants for potions, not to mention other collections.

I'm in the minority on the yellow and red-masked villagers, because I've long felt that the game needed some additional challenges and it's a great "fit" into the game. I also really enjoy the waterfalls and the lake. Sound and music I have no opinion on since I always keep the sounds off whenever I'm playing games.

Overall the pros don't overcome the cons and I feel strongly that this is NOT a fully fleshed out ending of the wonderful island of Isola. There should have been much more to do, because the center of any island is normally the lushest in terms of vegetation and the master builder issue should have been fixed rather than become even more unbalanced than the other games.

This game has been a huge disappointment to me in all areas. Maybe I expected too much since the other installments have been leaps and bounds ahead of the last one. Finding the center of the island should have been the culmination of all the other games and the most enjoyable. Sadly, it didn't measure up to any of the others, much less exceed expectations.

I posted this quickly as I was already losing things I wanted to say about it. Now that I've read the conversation on it I have a bit more to say. Personally I'm religious, but when I looked at this game I thought nothing of religion as it's just a game. As I do with any book, game, or movie I work with that isn't connected to real life matters. Also I saw someone that said that they didn't get many events, within my trial I got 2 events(both the same, but still more often than with the previous games) I also saw a comment on the tutorial not having enough in it, I thought the same thing at first, for those who haven't played at least one of the past games(I have I only had it on, because if I start a new game even if I've played previous installments I turn it on, because of any possible differences from them) they probably wouldn't have gotten far at all. It took me almost the whole time to get the fire going even though I already knew how.

Wow, really? After reading the previous posts, I have decided our world is doomed...if your offended by a game we have definatley not moved forward as a society. I have my own beliefs and not once did I associate those beliefs with VV5...its a game after all, which by the way is extremely fun!!!

Just an added thought...These games are quite mellow and peaceful compared to most of the games out there, there is no gunfire, or pits of bad things. In fact its a nice refreshing game (As are all the VV games). I would much rather play a game like this one than WOW or Halo type games.

I love how challenging it is. I love the whole twist on the "god interaction" and after playing my 1 hour trial...I had bought and paid for the game in seconds. I couldn't bare to let any VV game slip through my fingers You guys are doing an awesome job! You will never please everyone, that just comes with the territory. I say if you have anymore awesome game ideas...MAKE THEM HAPPEN !!!!!!!

You guys ROCK <3

Mish

I like the game. I've finished all the puzzles but still need 2 relics and one item for the scientists and would like a way to finish the scary and agressive heathens! They are most anoying.

I agree with pookies statement about rushing to build up your population. In previous games, I simply took my time building up the population and spreading out the generations. Here, I'm kind of forced to expand exponentially, well, not exponentially, but you get the idea.

At least food is in abundant supply.

I also agree with other people saying that we need more buildings, since the villagers are advancing in technology and what with the ruins. Also, the potion making stuff was fun in the previous game. This game is pretty good overall, although I really hate the rascal and would like a way to get rid of him earlier.

I liked how in VV4 I think it would be awesome if in VV5 we could to damage a random building that the villagers would need to repair (or have random earthquakes as in Virtual Families), so that builders could have another way to improve building skill. Of course there would be consequences when a building is damaged.

Yea I remember that, it was a pretty easy (if lengthy) way to train builders easily. Unfortunately the training drops off to a low level of experience at a time when we finish everything and the only thing left is to polish the temple and repair huts.

I love VV5! It's alot more exciting converting the heathens and tearing down totems!

Simularities and things I missed from VV4:
I missed the title in VV4. Didn't want to take the chance whether or not that was a spoiler.

I too liked how in VV4
Also, a lot of the same hair styles that were used in VV4 are the same or similar to the ones in VV5. Like Caia in the [HUGE SPOILERS] Post your VV5 pictures here! In VV4, the same hair style was used, but with a flower in her hair instead of grass.

Have read all the preceding posts and respect every one's opinion...even the goofy ones! I would give the game 4.5 stars out of five. If there was a way of obtaining all the powers while keeping the tribe at thirty to forty villagers it would definitely be a five star rating. One hundred people running every which way is just too much for a senior citizen to contend with.