Review - Sid Meier's Civilization IV for the PC
Overview:
The Civilization series of games is one with a long history (Hah! Get it? History. Because the game is about... yeah) and it has seemed to reach its peak with the newest installment: Civilization IV. Recently released for the PC, Civilization is a strategy game series not unlike the board game Risk, except for the fact that it is on a computer and animated and not made of cardboard and plastic. Well, technically it is made of plastic, but I digress. The fun thing about Civilization is that there really is no point or goal besides what you set for the game. It is a "god" game, where you are in control of your little minions and civilizations and you make them do your bidding. The premise is this: choose from a variety of famous world leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon or Kublai Khan, build cities and research technologies, go to war and eventually either make peace with the other civilizations in the world or crush them. It's up to you, which is the appeal of the series obviously.
Funness:
I enjoy playing games every once in a while that eat up large amounts of time. Games where you can just sit down, relax, and waste 5 hours before you realize you haven't eaten and your loved ones have left you. Civilization is this kind of game. Just... one... more... turn.... is the order of the day, and you have to be careful because it is certainly addicting. From your very first town you build, watching it grow, producing units and researching new and interesting technologies, you are hooked. Needless to say, this game has a lot of funness. You set your own goals, maybe you want to win by defeating all other civilizations in the game, maybe you'd like to win from a diplomatic victory, or maybe you'd just like to wait it out until the game runs its time and the scores are tallied. Each time you sit down and start a new Civ game, you have a different experience. Sure, the units produced and technologies discovered over time remain the same, but your interactions with the environment will change depending on how you set the conditions. You can create a large, hilly and dry planet, or a planet made entirely out of islands. You can choose from a large amount of world leaders, each with their own traits and tactical advantages (for instance, Roosevelt can build improvements faster when he builds a forge in a city). One technology leads to another, leads to another and so on. It is a very seamless process that is an absolute joy to be a part of. For players of past Civ games, the interface has been greatly improved, and the resource management is no longer a pain. In fact, it is actually fun now! Imagine that.
Shininess:
It is difficult, in my opinion, to make a graphically powerful strategy game. You have to consider the amount of things you are displaying on the screen, and the readability of said things. Civ 4 has taken a hint out of the Warcraft III book and made a great top-down isometric 3d game which is easy on the eyes and easy to navigate through. Units are not only clearly represented, but look great. Units reflect damage taken, and even cities reflect things like city improvements now. You can zoom in on your favorite town and see that lighthouse you just built, or the smoke coming out of the chimney of the factory that was just created. Streams and rivers flow and trees sway in the wind. With the easy to use interface, I would say that Civ 4 has finally found the way to represent this genre. Mix the beautiful ambience of the game's graphics with the soothing classical soundtrack and Leonard Nimoy as narrator, and you have a great gameplay experience. The shininess of Civ 4 is at no time stressful, or overly stimulating, it reaches a perfect equilibrium of action and peace that few other games have been able to reach. The only gripe I have with the graphics is the opening cinematics (which, who even watches those anymore?) look completely different than the gorgeous in-game renderings of world leaders. The opening cinematics look like they were created by little Jimmy on his pirated version of 3D Studio Max back in 1998, while the in-game renders of leaders looks as impressive as something you'd see on the Xbox 360. It's not a big gripe, but it's there. Take it as you will.
Worthiness:
PC strategy games are an odd genre to try and recommend. On one hand, they can be incredibly exciting and interesting. On the other hand, you might find them boring, slow, hard to play and dull. Civilization IV would definitely be a great game to check out if you are interested in the genre, and if you are already into the genre, chances are you own it. If you enjoy board games like Risk, or just enjoy spending a relaxing evening clicking away at your computer, Civ is the game for you. In my opinion, it's the best yet in the series, and would definitely turn anyone interested on to the awesome genre of strategy games.
---Frodo (frodo@weeklygeekshow.com)
Score: 5/5 Buy it!
