The original Civilization was a classic. Low on graphics but high on playability it was one of the most addictive games ever released. There was very little wrong with the original and because of this the actual dynamics of the game play have changed very little as the series has progressed. So, apart from the obvious cosmetic changes, what else is actually new is this highly anticipated third instalment.
Firaxis have taken over the reigns for Civ 3 and how could they possibly hope to improve on a game that was as near perfect as you're ever likely to get. Let's get this straight from the beginning, the changes that have been implemented aren't major changes at all (and in some cases not immediately obvious) but they do make quite a big difference in how the game develops. Of course I'm forgetting those of you who have never played a Civ game before and have no idea what I'm talking about and are wondering whether Civ 3 is the game for you. Well, read on and find out.
For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the Civ games, Civ is a massive, complicated, turn-based resource management sim. Now although I say complicated I don't mean to play rather that the game is so deep as there are so many variables going on as you progress through the game. You will be playing against rival civilizations and through means foul or otherwise your ultimate objective is global domination. To do this you're going to need to build cities to expand your empire and research new technologies whilst building up an army capable of crushing your opponents.
And that's it. Perhaps the biggest difference between this and Civ 2 is that there is now less emphasis put on winning the game through military force. You can now play the game via a much more peaceful method of ruling. Of course you can still win via military force and this is still the way that most people will play the game but there are now alternative win conditions. You can be a diplomat and win by uniting the world into one big happy family. Or you can choose to be the most cultured civilization and win by that way. Finally, if you're really sad you can play until someone reaches a pre-determined score that then crowns the respective civilization as champion.
Of course these new winning conditions are appreciated, but I can't imagine many people building up a huge army and then just sitting back and winning via some other method. Besides, it's more fun wading in and taking out everything that stands in your way. However, if you are a pacifist then the other options are available for you if you like.
As you'd expect the graphics have been improved but the changes aren't really all that big. The main improvements are in the detail of the units and their animations, as well as a more detailed map that makes it easier to spot things such as resources. Those expecting mind blowing graphics are going to be disappointed as the game still looks flat and even slightly dated, yet the point is Civ has never been about the graphics but rather the game play, and thankfully it has this in bucket loads.
You are going to have to learn to play the game in a slightly different way because of the changes in the game play. Each city now has a sphere of influence that dictates that any resources inside this sphere become yours. The size of this sphere depends upon the amount of culture points that your city has and these culture points can be gained by building wonders or improvements inside your city. It is even possible to swallow up neighbouring cities if you sphere's radius grows big enough as the citizens in the neighbouring cities will be attracted by the culture that your civilization displays.
Perhaps the changes will make the biggest difference to the casual gamer who was never really interested in the previous Civs. The ones who take one look at the interface and the wealth of option available and run whimpering back to their console. Many of the new features introduced will help these people get to grips with the game quicker. At first glance the interface seems pretty much the same as it's always been yet after playing for a while you begin to notice that you can do practically everything from the main map screen. The advisors now give you information in smaller bit-size chunks that pinpoint where you're going wrong. Even the technology tree has been modified so that your choices are more limited meaning that you're likely to spend less time pondering over what to research and more time actually playing the game. In fact the general appearance of the game seems more polished and for this Firaxis should be commended. Just because Civ's qualities lie in its game play doesn't mean that the graphics and interface should be poor.
Those hardcore fans of you out there needn't worry though as the changes don't detract from the later stages. The game is still as complex and as infuriatingly addictive as it ever was, it's just easier to get there than it used to be. As well as the graphical enhancements and the interface changes there are little touches throughout the game that are quite handy. You now have increased combat options on attacking and defending and elite units can now become Leaders, which allow you to join units together to form a massive army, which increases your attack output. You will also find that each civilization has a unique unit that will appear at a certain stage in time.
The bottom line is that Civ 3 is as addictive as it has always been; just don't expect any radical changes to nature of the game play. Don't get me wrong the new graphics and interface changes are useful but they don't ever drastically alter the way you play the game, but then would we want it any other way?
Same Game - Different Number
