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Civilization IV (PC DVD)
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| Description:
Civilization is one of those games that had the unfortunate luck of being pretty much perfect the first time around. Unfortunate because it means that the developers didn't really have much else to do for any of the sequels. Not until number three anyway, at which point they almost ruined everything by overcomplicating it. In a nod to the graphical ability of modern day PCs the graphics have been upgraded all the way from rubbish to okay-ish. Actually, the 3D effect as you zoom out to a view of the whole globe is quite nice but otherwise this is not going to be giving Doom 3 any sleepless nights. The far more important changes are to the gameplay which has had all the overcomplicated elements from Civ III ripped out and, most interestingly, many of the features from the original that had been considered sacrosanct. City riots and rebellions are now extremely rare and other tedious elements such as pollution have been removed. This all adds up to a tighter, faster paced game that doesn't get bogged down once you get a lot of cities up and running. A new team-based online modes attempts to add a similar injection of speed to the multiplayer - although whether that will prove as successful remains to be seen. More promising is a greater emphasis on religion in the game, as well as great people from history that can help morale, combat or research and sometimes all three. With strategy games becoming ever rarer Civ IV looks like it could finally make them, if not fashionable, at least popular again. -- Harrison Dent This preview is based on an incomplete version of the game; features or problems mentioned above may not appear in the finished game.
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5/5 |
Ignore the gentleman below me
(December 21, 2007) |
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...who should really have read the description of the game before buying it. Civilisation's always been turn based strategy and it really seems more your problem if you've bought something in a genre that you don't like.
The game itself is fantastic, the very epitomy of 'just one more turn' and begs the question of whether there will be a Civ V. Firaxis have got it right and I can't see how, barring minor tinkering, they can improve this.
In short, if you like turn-based strategy, this game is up there with Football Manager in eating your life. If you don't like turn-based strategy, read the product description.
PJW |
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1/5 |
Avoid at all Costs
(December 16, 2007) |
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Boring, Boring, Boring. If I wanted to play a board game, I'd have bought a game of risk. Over-hyped and misleading looking at the packaging. I was expecting a RTS game, similar to C&C but this is simply 'move this unit here, look at this statistic, move that there, have a turn, click this. etc... no action, and nothing to get exited about. If I'd seen 'Turn Based' game anywhere I would not have even bothered, but this was not apparent. I've had more enjoyment from a Sinclair ZX80 than this heap of hooley. I installed this and removed it within 20 minutes and threw the whole thing in the bin! Save your money for something worthwhile! |
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3/5 |
Unless You Patch It, You Will Not Play More Than The Demo...
(September 27, 2007) |
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As a CIVILIZATION fan since the first DOS-version, I cannot begin to express my OUTRAGE towards FIRAXIS!!!
Sure, the graphics are nice; however, CIV games were always about large map overviews. This one trades off size for walking and rolling units. Apparently for a reason...
Spyware installation issues apart, CIVILIZATION IV was so prematurely released, it is hardly a beta version! Once you reach the 20-city limit this premature contraption crashes to the Desktop. Sometimes even sooner...
Unless you are willing to download the 78MB Patch (which only partially corrects all the shortcomings) play the Demo, that's all you are gonna play anyway!
Let's not encourage the lazy corporate cats make a bundle in our expense.
Replay CivIII and its expansions OR wait until the release of the..."Expansion Bundle". By then, hopefully, the game will have been finished! |
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5/5 |
The best yet
(August 23, 2007) |
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Having played basically every single turn based strategy available I would honestly put Civilization 4 right in the top 3.
The game is a perfect match of vibrant visuals, comedic appearances from famous world leaders who each have their own unique personalities and are brought to life by wonderful animated models.
One reason I rate this game so highly is that it has such a wide base. Playeable by children and adults alike, it can be used as a great learning tool for youngsters and an entertaining experience for adults!
It's a rewarding game, and the difficulty levels are set so well that on some difficulties even being able to finish a game is sometimes a victoy in my eyes!
The graphics obviously aren't cutting edge, but they are pleasant, well presented and colourful throughout, at higher resolutions and with full widescreen support this game actually looks very good indeed and I've had quite a few friends see it and ask to borrow it! ;)
Overall, it's very fun, entertaining, educating and aside from graphics I could not imagine a better turn based strategy game even if I tried! Highly recommended for fans and newcomers alike. |
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5/5 |
A Solid Game. Must Own Without A Doubt.
(July 14, 2007) |
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I'm sure like most of you looking into buying Civ 4 im a huge fan of Civ 3. But after playing a demo release of Civ 4 i was somewhat unimpressed it was slow, looked strange and seem that very little happened in long periods of game play. I'm pleased to say that after convincing myself to buy the game my views are changed and was very pleased with what changes have been made from the stepping stones of Civ 3.
The elements i liked more than the previous game were.
The ability to have extremely long games stretching maybe over weeks there was a real feeling for me in Civ 3 that you have to rush everything so you could win the way you want to win before the time runs out.
Better communications and restrictions with CPU friends and allies.
Being able to really cement your nation on the map and compare yourself with the other players.
Easier to find the most ideal spots for your cities so they can flourish faster.
Can have allot of nations in play in games from memory 18 not including yourself.
Easier to build in you cities but harder to use your advisors they don't seem to be as interactive as Civ 3.
On the down side of things, i can understand the graphical changes made to the landscape but they do seem a little cartoon like and the game can be at times very slow at loading.
Still a must buy even if you have Civ 3 already and put aside any doubts from the demo you can change settings to help turn the game into what you what it to play like.
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