Sid Meier's Civilization V

There are a few aspects of Civilization V that could have used a bit more attention, but even as is, this is yet another classic edition to a series that consistently rewards and renovates. If you have even the remotest interest in worldwide domination, you owe it to yourself to get lost in one of the most rewarding turn-based games in years.

In all, the news with Civ V is just about all good. It's still not very accessible to non-grognards, and it's still fairly boring when it comes to multiplayer (turn-based games just involve too much waiting around for other people to finish up). But it's also still incredibly addictive, begging you to stay up just five minutes more, just to see what happens in the next turn. And the next turn. And the next.

Civ V isn't simply a rehash of what came before with better graphics (though it has those, too): it's a whole new world with a whole new set of rich, intricate rules to master. It's also impossible for a strategy fan to resist picking up … or to quit.

Civilization 5 is a game that needed to happen. For a game so very, very large, it delivers everything in an easy to understand package no matter what route you take to playing it. The core Civilization experience is still there, but it's like an efficiency expert came in and streamlined everything that had gotten clunky with the series. eeded to happen.

Civilization V keeps everything that makes the series great, makes the game more accessible to non-fans, and overhauls many of the finer gameplay details. Every PC gamer owes it to himself to give this game a shot. Like every Civ title, this game has replay value galore, and every minute just deepens your addiction.

Sure, I miss some of the deeper inter-civilization relations that the more defined religion and government setup brought in Civilization IV, but that's nothing anyone new to the series will even think twice about. With all the tips, advisers and tools in place, this is the first Civilization for PC that I feel is worth just about every person's time. Go forth and create, subdue, and exploit. Do as Firaxis has done, and bring Civilization to the masses.

Multiplayer is functional, but the only way I suggest spending any time with it is with friends playing cooperatively against the AI. For a number of reasons, including the Civil Service slingshot above, Civ V's design does not lend itself well to cutthroat human-versus-human play. That said, I didn't come across any technical issues that prevent playing with friends from being enjoyable.

Civilization V is a brilliant expression of the turn-based strategy game by the undisputed masters of the form. It's a great entry point for newcomers, and veterans will delight in all the wrinkles and refinements. The exchange rate between real-life hours and in-game turns is not in your favor, but prepare to surrender regardless.

It's a testament to the combat system in Civ V that I had way more fun building units and attacking my neighbors than I did with previous versions. Lead Designer Jon Shafer did a great job revamping an old franchise and infecting it with new ideas to make it still seem fresh. I love Civilization V and will likely spend hundreds of hours over the next few years taking over the world.

Keeping a franchise alive and kicking, not to mention fresh, after twenty years can’t be easy. In many respects, these changes, this new ‘direction’ if you will actually isn’t surprising. Would a “Civ IV plus whatever” game really have been just as good? We doubt it - Civ IV was Civ IV, and this is what it is, and it is glorious. With the likely hood of expansions, DLC and the mod tools on the horizon, we honestly can’t wait to see what’s in store for this game in the future. In the mean time, I think we’ll just have one more turn…

This is the reason I spent that week actively wrestling with my burning desire to click on the Civ V icon, despite it being such an astoundingly slick, engaging game. For all the hours it eats up, outside of its multiplayer it gives disappointingly little back, and it will continue to give very little back until Firaxis bites the bullet and admits that there are aspects of Civilization which deserve not just to be improved, but fixed.

Civilization 5 is quite similar to being in a relationship. At first - when everything is new - you are full of questions. Soon, you get used to the quirks and feel like you can really begin to get beneath what’s on the surface. When you aren’t playing, you are thinking about playing. You make a couple mistakes and have to fight some other guys off, but your quick thinking pays off. Somewhere, near the end of the game, you look back on what you did early on, swearing you’ll never make those mistakes again. Eventually, win or lose, you want to play again.

Civilization V is an excellent title and if you are an experienced strategy game player or someone who wants to get into the style of game it is a must play.

Hacer un nuevo Civilization no es tarea fácil dado el peso de la historia y la tradición, pero Firaxis parece haber encontrado la fórmula para mantener una constancia de calidad e identidad, sin renunciar a introducir importantes cambios importantes en cada entrega. Los cambios realizados en esta quinta edición abren la saga a un nuevo público y también sirve de puente al juego 'serio' a aquellos que comenzaron su andadura en el género con Revolutions.

Civilization V mantiene viva la llama de la saga creada por Sid Meier con extraordinarios resultados. Interesantes cambios de forma y concepto para un videojuego más accesible para los noveles, pero igual de interesante para los hardcores.

Presenta muchas novedades que, aunque no sean perfectas, hacen el juego muy interesante y nos da opciones estratégicas que no se limitan sólo al campo militar. Así que preparaos para pasar el doble de horas de las que teníais pensadas tras dejaros cautivar por el hechizo de "sólo... un... turno... más..."

Mit den beiden Addons und dem jüngsten Herbst-Update hat sich das dramatisch verändert: Auch nach 300 Stunden spielt sich noch ausnahmslos jede Partie anders - und spannend. Ich will nicht behaupten, dass Civilization 5 besser ist als der zweite Teil, da vernebelt die Nostalgie ein objektives Urteil, aber das beste Civilization seit diesem zweiten Teil ist es inzwischen unbedingt.

Civilization, qui faisait jusque-là autorité dans le domaine de la gestion et de la stratégie, vient de gagner ses galons de wargame à l'occasion de ce cinquième volet. L'adoption d'une grille hexagonale et l'impossibilité d'empiler les unités militaires – une véritable révolution dans la série – décuplent littéralement la dimension tactique des combats. Les autres nouveautés s'avèrent moins convaincantes : entre un système de doctrines sociales assez superficiel et des Cités-Etats qui ont tendance à verrouiller les relations diplomatiques, tout n'est pas rose.

Le jeu souffre en plus d'un bon nombre de problèmes qui ne manqueront pas d'agacer les vieux routards, comme une I.A. au comportement inexplicablement chaotique et un système diplomatique particulièrement obscur. Globalement, il s'agit toujours d'un bon jeu que l'on pratiquera avec plaisir... avant de retourner aux choses sérieuses sur Civilization III ou IV.

Civilization V fa tesoro del passato, proponendo una lettura coerente di quei principi che sono stati in grado di creare la famosa sindrome del "ancora un turno e poi smetto"...certo, anche questo nuovo episodio (come sempre) non mancherà di scontentare alcuni fra i fan più accaniti della serie, ma credo che sia innegabile che gli sforzi di Firaxis di riprendere in mano le redini di una serie in fase di stanca nell'episodio precedente siano stati quanto mai efficaci.