History at your fingertips
As a long-time fan of the series, I’ve always felt that Civilization games are hard to review. There’s so much content in them, and so many aspects to talk about that it can be kind of overwhelming. But there’s something to be said for keeping it simple, and the simple truth is that Civilization V is a fantastic strategy game that's as addictive as ever, and well worth your time and money.
Perhaps the most logical place to start is how Civilization V has modernized the Civilization formula for the current gaming landscape. And make no mistake- there are clear improvements in this department, the most immediately obvious of which is the presentation. Civilization V looks amazing in every way, from the detailed map to the smooth unit and leader animations. The game’s artistic style also carries a certain charm, and the musical score and narration are both absolutely fantastic. Additionally, the game puts a lot of focus on simplifying and streamlining the entire interface. Important information is displayed in a more organized manner than ever, and a variety of customizable options do a great job at allowing you to see exactly what you want, and nothing more. Everything is intuitive and accessible, making the act of navigating through what should be an overwhelming amount of information surprisingly painless. These are all great touches, and show that Civilization V is ready and able to keep up with the times.
Otherwise, Civilization V is a Civilization game through and through. You found cities, fight wars, and hopefully send a space shuttle blasting off to Alpha Centauri. Yet a big goal of Civilization V seems to be accessibility, which is something the series is not traditionally known for. Things like managing citizens, tiles, resources, research, culture, and economy have all been streamlined, removing or simplifying a lot of minutiae that was previously tedious. Even things like combat have more obvious and intuitive methods of interaction- unit stacking is finally gone. In fact, Civilization V shifts a lot of the player’s focus towards making “big picture” decisions rather than fiddling with nit picky details. That doesn’t mean the details aren’t there, as they certainly are. It only means that you don’t have to deal with them constantly if you don't want to. This is great for a series whose big focal point is giving players the ability to basically rewrite their own version of history every time they play. It can be a powerful form of narrative when done right, and Civilization V goes to great lengths to highlight that aspect of the game. You’re far more likely to spend your time deciding the fate of the world than you are making sure you have enough farms.
I know some people like to get all hot and heavy with debating which Civilization game is the best, but that's neither here nor there. What matters is that Civilization V is a great game that successfully combines complex strategy with new-found accessibility. That such a long standing franchise can pull off a tricky marriage such as this is a wonderful thing, and I feel confident that anyone with even the slightest amount of interest in turn based strategy will find a lot to love. Plain and simple.
For additional information on my review style and scoring system, click here.