Sid Meier's Civilization 3 Review
NOTE: Reviewed with the following expansion packs:
Civilization 3 Play The World
Civilization 3 Conquests
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics: 7.5/10
Sound: 9.5/10
Replayablity: 10/10
Opinion: 9.5/10
Overall: 9.2/10 (Outstanding)
Build an empire, worthy to stand against the test of time.
Gameplay: 9.5
Basically, a turn-based, empire building game, with wars, diplomacy and lots more fun. Play from 4000 BC, since the birth of organised people and a government, till 2050 AD, the 'retirement' year for all players. Rewrite history the way you want it to be. The Egyptians could destroy Rome, The Russians could be controlling the Americans or start the "Cold War" by launching ICBMs (InterContenential Balastic Missile) to every civilization, causing massive destruction and a nuclear winter
The tutorial included will get you to play a full game, with 7 other computer controlled civilizations, at the same time helping you understand the game better. Advanced players will feel right at home, as it is Civilization 2, but improved and have better graphics and controls for newer players to understand easier.
When you start a new game, you get to choose how would the world be. You can control if the world should be hot or cold, should mountain ranges stretch arcross the map or should there be more water for a naval conquest? You get to choose, and the computer will randomly generate a new map, making every new game different each time you play.
With 4 ages to go through, (Ancient age, Middle age, Industrial age and Mordern age) there will be alot of wars, alliences and trading through out the time. Each discovery have its uses. For example, discovering Mathematics will enable the construction of catapults, while discovering Navigation and Astronomy allows your navy to cross oceans a little safer.
Of course if you want to win, diplomancy all the way is not the safest way unless you can build an army. Start out from a puny Warrior armed with nothing other than an axe, till he upgrades to a rifleman with a gun, then to a mechanical infantry, using the advantages of computers. You could also try to be a superpower or form an "axis of evil" with 2 rival civilization.
But why win only by conquering entire worlds? Try to win the Space Race, or be elected UN General. Play The World features "kill the king" mode, where when the king dies in battle, the entire civilization will fall.
The game have some notable flaws, some resources (like coal) doesn't appear in your territory in many games and your rivals have plenty, forcing you to sometimes resort to war just for coal, or even oil. Something like today. Though annoying, it can be overlooked and teaches you to expand faster next time. Another odd flaw is the battle calculator, rarely (but surely encountered) a tank gets defeated by a SPEARMAN. You might lose the tank, but you'll be more interested if your spearman can defeat an opponent tank. I tried and after 300 reloads, finally the spearman defeated a tank. Rare but possible.
Civilization 3 also comes with a "Civilopedia", sort of a guide, manual and encyclopedia in the game. It have details on everything in the game, Archers to Yachts, governments and detailed history of the playable civilizations.
There's multiplayer support but I did not test it out. Therefore it is not included in the final score.
Graphics: 7.5
No amazing 3D graphics here, it's plain isometric view. But the interface is clean and understandably take time for newer player to get use to. During a revolt, you'll see your cities on fire, smoke rising from the buildings. During War, you'll see a huge animated icon representing the military unit attacking the defender.
Basically, the graphics are clean, neat and infomative, which is good enough. Though it is much appreciated if some of the icons are more contrasting to the landscape.
Sound: 9.5
Good music, great sound effects during battle. Unfortunately, sometimes the sound does not sync with the clicks, animations or alerts. The sound also sometimes replays it self over and over again without you clicking on anything. Minor problem but really annoying.
Replayablity: 10
A random map generator will keep this game unique everytime. With 32 civilizations, each with it's own unique unit and abilities, the game is endless. Abilities like Seafaring allows the civilization navy to travel further and get more food from the sea. Or scientific civilizations get technologies quicker and scientific improvements are cheaper to construct. Commerical civilizations, militaristic, etc. there is alot of advantages and disavantages of every civilization.
Reviewer's Opinion: 9.5
They should put a warning label on this game. If you play this game, you will experience lost time, falling grades, failing social life and "Just One More Turn" Syndrome. Few games are this addictive.
DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME WHEN EXAMS ARE COMING!
To finish the review off, a story about Babylon:
1960 AD, Babylon prepares to face the army of Ottomans (me).
After much battle, cities of Babylon began to fall.
Babylon is reduced to a bunch of towns. All because of a green uranium deposit (can be seen in this picture)
