Reviewed: December 7, 2005
Reviewed by: Tyler Whitney

Publisher
2K Games

Developer
Firaxis

Released: October 24, 2005
Genre: Strategy
Players: 1-16

9
8
8
10
9.0

Minimum System Requirements

Every year Sid expands upon his solid design, with new features, improved sound/graphics, and this year is no different. In fact, this may be the best Civ game-EVER. Do you have what it takes to lead your people to greatness; economically, militarily, and politically?

But the core of the game remains the same. From a list of leaders, from such diverse cultures as Japanese, American, English, Roman etc, you set your course in history, building first cities, then nations, then onto further and further expansion. Every city is graded on “cultural points”, whereby they gain higher levels of boundaries, prestige and so on with a higher score. You can increase these by constructing public works, shrines, temples, libraries etc. The backbone of these endeavors are the workers, who can now construct all manner of things, from roads, farms, pastures, workshops and so forth.

These features even lead into a great concept called “The Great Person”, in effect, dropping someone like Michelangelo, Da Vinci, or Benjamin Franklin, into the mess of it all, resulting in all sorts of improvements in culture. Too bad you can’t wage war with these figures…. actually, that’s not entirely true. If you do capture a city lets say, you can drop in one of these legendary figures, who ends up suppressing the revolting masses. So get ready Moses- your going in!

Of course, being a quality diplomat is key in fostering good relations and a prosperous trade economy, and it’s no different in Civ 4. Still, for those who like to build their great works, or develop economically, as opposed to violent rule, they can shut out all visitors. This cuts down on the chances of invasion, while focusing on domestic issues. Thankfully, you don’t need to spend literally days progressing from the Stone Age to the industrial revolution, there are several different speed functions to accelerate time as well.

If your like me and paranoid, you should always have to be on guard, as this game is no slouch when it comes to military endeavors. Units grow in power over time, due to increased technology, but you still see some odd occurrences of steel machines, versus scantily clad Romans, for instance. A total of 83 different units will be playable, such as aircraft carriers, tanks, chariots, archers, SEALS and much more.

You can see right off the bat if you will lose or not too, by way of a bars above the combatants. Now…common sense dictates that a fighter jet will probably beat a zeppelin, but you never know…. Inherently, some units are better off versus others, for example pikemen have always been great at fending of cavalry charges, using their massive lances to spear the riders, and horse, alike. The same can be said of Anti-air missile striking down aircraft.

Tactics extend to the grouping as well, here you are advised to use mixed forces, such as infantry supported by tanks and air, in a single group. Units can be promoted as well, from all manners of ways after they level up. You can increase defense, speed, power and so on, making a formidable warrior even more so. Terrain also plays an important role, in relation to traversing forests, hills or other areas, that convey defensive bonuses. You can also blockade entire cities with your mighty forces, putting immense pressure on these enemy enclaves to conform to your civilization. A smart tactic in the later ages of extensive resource use.

After every skirmish, they even get their own victory music-how cool is that!? They also have a few tricks up their sleeves, from fortifying against a massive enemy advance, to the “First Strike” system, where a ranged unit attacks, to start combat. Did I mention you can Nuke stuff too? Yeah…that’s nice. Nothing like the smell of radiated fields in the morning… But hey, you can even build a missile defense program, not unlike the infamous Reagan era “Star Wars” plan, as well as a host of bomb shelters to protect your citizens.

The sophisticated A.I. will keep you on your toes as well. Not only will they counter your every move in some cases, they will also attempt multiple strategies for success, such as focusing on one or more areas of cultivation. These could include building defensive units and constructing wonders/civic works, or going on an all out “Blitzkrieg” to conquer your land. Stay sharp.

But perhaps most drastic, is the total conversion to gorgeous, 3D graphics. The hustle and bustle of living, breathing cities, villages, war machines etc, really impress. The animations are also surprisingly strong, and fluid too boot. It’s a wonder they can model the minute articulations of the various troopers and workers, but Firaxis gets it done.

How can I see these tiny animations? Simple, I just zoom in super close in- another lovely feature. The sheer abundance of detail is pretty staggering at times too. Visual clues also help to keep you on top of your cites and other areas of general welfare, such as different color clouds, hues and more. Still, when compared to some of the more cutting edge graphics in such RTS games as Command and Conquer: Generals, Lord of The Rings, or even Warhammer 40K, Civ 4 doesn’t quite match up. Thankfully, the meat of the game is in the experience, not flashy visuals.

Spock you say? Yes, the pointy-eared man himself, Leonard Nimoy, lends his incredible voice talents to this game. Probably his best voice work since he did the Transformrs: The Movie, as Galvetron (oh yeah you know you love it). Admittedly, he doesn’t have a large role, but when the man echoes his gravely voice, it’s priceless. The other voice work is given by your nation’s specific dialects or accents, another respect for detail, from Firaxis.

Don’t fret though, you can play a fast-paced version (think speed chess on steroids) and be done in an afternoon. Even if you lose connection, your A.I. can take over-no more games left in a lurch. Depending on what kind of mastermind your sparring with, this may come as a welcome treat to your struggling empire. You can even team up with others, using neat communication tools like signs on tiles, pings to alert, and even just a simple chat bar full of expletives.