Customer Reviews

Sid Meiers Civilization IV: Complete [UK Import]

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Well, I think we all know how awesome this game is. If it weren't for the fact that I could not find my second copy of BTS, (cause the first had data errors from years of hard use)I would have not needed to buy this version. However, with all three games (vanilla, warlords, and bts) all on the same disc, it makes it a heck of a lot easier to install on my new machine. Also, considering I was able to find it on Amazon for $18 saved me anywhere from $20-$30. Fast, easy shipping was an added feature for no additional cost.

They managed to do what I didn't think could be done, make me uninterested in ever playing Civ again. Version three had me nervous as I watched them put more emphasis on rather pointless graphics that made the computer take so long to run turns I usually watched television or read a book while it chugged away. Meanwhile the detailing that could have lead to increasingly complex strategies and more realistic interaction with the ai's seemed to take a back seat.

I'd hoped that might be corrected with version IV, but apparently that wasn't in the cards. The interface has gotten even less intuitive, the graphics have increased, and from what I can tell, the strategy is an even more distant memory than in Civ III. And the reviews I'm reading about V indicate it's even worse. Somebody put a stake in this monster, 'cause the series is already dead.

My daughter (age 11) had asked for Sid Meiers Civilization 5 after seeing ads for it. After reading the reviews I elected to purchase Civilization IV instead. She (and my other children both older and younger) LOVE the game. They discuss strategy, laugh about historical inconsistencies and have a blast.
It's interesting which children take a militaristic approach and which elect diplomacy. I would highly recommend it as a Christmas gift for computer savvy children over 10.

I will start by saying that I didn't play any of the previous Civ games, and got this one failing to find any games that are like Master of Magic and are worth mentioning; that is, I have no gripes about how they removed this and changed that from the previous one (I will probably have 'em once I get to Civ 5 :)).
The game is amazingly entertaining, the only disappointing aspect being the lack of tactical combat (overall stack-based combat with defender choice seems "unfair" - in no case you can use your army size as a definitive advantage to route the enemy), but I guess that's the game rules.
I think I didn't have these "it's only 4am, just one more turn and I'm off to sleep" moments since I was 19. Every play is entertaining and I haven't even yet played half of the custom scenarios.
The game is also seems amazingly bug-free compared to several other games I played just before.
Totally awesome experience.

The game itself is amazing...tons of content to explore, and many dimensions to empire building as well.

Overall, this is one of the better deals you'll find, as it could theoretically cost you $50 or more to get the game and the two expansions.

As other reviewers have noted, patching is a bit of a pain, so playing on the internet will take some work on your part.

Sid Meier continues to create great turn-based games, and Civ 4 is an excellent example. The enhancements made to Civ 3 make this sequel a must-buy, especially if you are new to the series and don't want to fork over the cash for the newly released Civ 5.

One word of caution to laptop users - the graphics on this game make my low-end Toshiba (Windows Vista, 2 years old) overheat and crash. I solved this problem by getting a USB laptop base with a fan, putting small ice packs underneath, and lowering the graphics properties to the lowest settings.

On my even older desktop (Windows XP, ~5 years old), I get a message that my system won't be able to run the game, but it appears to work just fine (again, with the graphics set to the lowest settings). In fact, it hasn't crashed my system yet.

I purchased the combo pack with the two expansions, then went online to get the latest patches that make it so you don't need the DVD in to play the game. Very helpful when playing LAN games - no longer need to swap the DVD between machines when starting up a multiplayer game.

Here are some really cool enhancements from previous Sid Meier game engines (e.g. Civ 3, Alpha Centauri, Alien Crossfire):
1. Better interactions with other factions - can now see exactly what is making other nations happy or angry with you, based on what you have done (or not done) to them in the past.
2. Lots more Wonders to create, so one nation is less likely to hoard all the helpful advances.
3. Experience-point-based unit advancements. Can see exactly how many points your units need to reach another level of advancement, and when they go up a level, can upgrade their abilities.
4. More special terrain goodies. This is really neat - there are so many special tiles - agriculture (Corn, Pigs, Cattle, etc.), minerals (Gold, Bronze, Iron, etc.), and rare items (Silk, Furs, etc.) help boost your nation's happiness, money, and health, especially when certain technologies are discovered and/or advanced structures are created to further exploit them.

All told, the game is awesome! I imagine it will take me at least a year to tire of it.

First Civ game I have ever played and can't believe I waited this long. Easy to pick-up, and great lasting appeal. If you love strategy games this is a must have.