Sid Meiers Civilization IV: Complete [UK Import]

by 2K Games

Product Features

• INCLUDES
• Civilization IV: Game of the year edition
• Civilization IV: Warlords Expansion Pack
• Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword
• Beautiful 3D world with dozens of fully animated units (including culturally unique units) and totally customizable armies. Cities and wonders will appear on the map. Wonder movies are back!

Product Details

• ASIN: B000W2FICG
• Item Weight: 0.6 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,238 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

With Sid Meier's Civilization IV History As You Know It Is History.Product InformationWith over 6 million units sold and unprecedented critical acclaim from fans and press around the world Sid Meier’s Civilization is recognized as one of the greatest PC game franchises of all-time. Now Sid Meier and Firaxis Games will take this incredibly fun and addictive game to new heights by adding new ways to play and win new tools to manage and expand your civilization all-new easy to use mod capabilities and intense multiplayer modes and options. Civilization IV will come to life like never before in a beautifully detailed living 3D world that will elevate the gameplay experience to a whole new level.Sid Meier’s Civilization is a turn-based strategy game that challenges players to build and expand an empire throughout all of human history and become the most powerful ruler in the world. Choose one of 18 nations to lead and go head to head with some of the most famous leaders in history. Each civilization has its own special characteristics - some are fairly peaceful while others are expansionists and conquerors. You’ll battle your foes with a huge arsenal of weapons beginning with primitive archers and warriors then catapults knights and frigates and eventually with modern tanks submarines mobile infantry helicopter gunships stealth bombers and nuclear weapons. Civilization IV is more than just a great combat game: you can also achieve victory through diplomatic cunning cultural or religious alliances and technological dominance.  Civilization IV delivers faster mid and late game AI turns and offers greater control over your civilization's government and religions while at the same time de-emphasizing the less fun micromanagement (cleaning up pollution for example). And there’s more! Civ IV has been designed from the ground-up to deliver fantastic multiplayer gaming options as well as unpreced

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Game, Excellent Deal, November 24, 2008

By 

Dakota Nielsen "The Serf" (Salt Lake City, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sid Meiers Civilization IV: Complete [UK Import] (Video Game)

Civilization 4 is an excellent game, especially with the expansion packs. Everyone who enjoys strategy, empire building, city/nation management, etc. will love this game. It has it's flaws (most of these are opinions, however) such as culture identifying national borders (Berlin has been overwhelmed by the culture of Paris and has joined my Empire MWAHAHAHA!) but these do not detract from the gameplay value and the never-ending replayability. The game is tons of fun to play multiplayer as well.

However, be warned about this Complete Edition. The copy comes with version 3.13 of BTS of which several new updates have been released, however the Complete Edition is not compatible with the auto-updater found in game. There are two ways around this: A) modify your installation directory when installing the game [read the comments if you have issues with this] or B)manually install all updates.

[Update] - For those curious, this version does NOT contain Colonization which is contained in the new American Complete Edition. Civ IV: Colonization is a stand-alone game and not an expansion to Civ IV.

136 of 168 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do NOT Buy This Version. It is the DRMed Version., June 22, 2009

By 

File "File" (Oneida, NY) - See all my reviews

= Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sid Meiers Civilization IV: Complete [UK Import] (Video Game)

Do not purchase this version. its the DRMed version and you can't copy/backup the game -- you need to have the CD in to play it.

Buy the version with the red banner across the top (which also says "The Complete Edition". It is DRM Free.

Edit: The no DRM version is here: http://www.amazon.com/Sid-Meiers-Civilization-IV-Complete-Pc/dp/B0026EGO3A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290940687&sr=8-1

The other version is now an extra $20, (though that wasn't the case when I bought it).

Also, from comments, "If you upgrade to the latest patch of Beyond the Sword, the DRM is removed." Thanks to Dave Macrae.

25 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best games of all time, March 27, 2009

By 

Jesse Boyd (US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sid Meiers Civilization IV: Complete [UK Import] (Video Game)

There are a few games that, no matter what shiny new technology comes along, will always remain on top for decades to come. Civilization IV with its expansions are just one such game.

I got the original Civ IV as a bonus game with a graphics card. Had no idea how good the game actually was. I hungrily snatched up Warlords, which was a great expansion. By the Sword offered less impressive new content, but tweaked and adjusted the rules and features to as close as perfection gets.

It's hard to say what makes Civilization so enthralling, but I think it's the desperate wars and tensions which so closely mimic real world events and scenarios. I recall a couple of weeks playing a real earth map every night, sweating in fear for all humanity what would happen if the cold war between my freedom-loving Greeks and the fascist Indian Empire erupted into open conflict or worse, nuclear annihilation. I recall the sheer indignant anger when launching total war against Roosevelt and his bloodthirsty Americans after being stabbed in the back yet again, our oil supplies sabotaged as an opening assault on our borders and OUR VERY WAY OF LIFE. The ensuing World War ate up a week of my time. The game is incredibly immersing.

I'm guessing good mechanics are at the core of Civ IV's awesomeness. The game runs smoothly and in a balanced fashion, no small task when mimicking the complexity of human progress. Unlike most strategy games, comebacks and unexpected rising stars are not unheard of, as being on top means being on every one's hit list. Being low on the score list doesn't mean certain doom just as being on top is no security.

The details are remarkable. The graphics are detailed and likable, the music is mostly good, and the built-in help file is not only useful, but highly interesting and educational, giving you a general explanation and history of units, civilizations, and great leaders. Reading the epic story of history never gets old in my book.

There are several unique concepts in Civ IV that I think are a great addition. Cultural influence allows you to take over enemy territory peacefully, a realistic representation of how culture affects the real world's borders over time. The customization of national policies is a clever way of micromanaging while giving history a nod. It's interesting how most any real nation could be summed up with the civics offered. No matter what part of the world you live in, at some time there was indeed probably a caste system in everything but name.

Certainly worth mentioning, Civ IV is highly customizable. The expansions come with some interesting mods, maps, and scenarios, or you can customize a special world with special rules all your own. Tons of new stuff awaits online, ensuring a never ending stream of new ways to play the game. I personally have changed a few lines of text to make my world a low-tech ancient brawl, sticking to manly swords and spears instead of chickenwussy guns and planes.

In all, the game hits high marks in pretty much all areas: game mechanics, immersion, graphics/sound, replay ability, customization, and just good old fashioned charm. Weak multiplayer is a bland spot, but who friggin' cares?

There really is no better strategy game to date, and that's saying something.