Platform: PC

     Developer: Firaxis Games

     Publisher: Aspyr, 2K Games

     Release Date: September 21st, 2010

     Genre: City-Builder

     Nerd Rating: 9/10

Reviewed by THEbipolarBear

One of the most polished series in the world, Sid Meier’s Civilization has always lived up to the great expectations that come with releasing one fantastic game after another. Never has the series disappointed their ever-growing fanbase, especially the fundamentally sound Sid Meier’s Civilization V along with the game-changing DLC, Brave New World and Gods and Kings, which are both included in this review. And with Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth dropping quite soon, I found it appropriate to add Civilization V: Complete Edition to the ranks of Nerd Bacon reviews.

This is from my playthrough as England, close to victory.

My prior experiences with Sid Meier games are fairly limited in comparison to the long list of classics by Meier; however, I did play the Xbox 360 edition of Civilization Revolution, a game that I had logged countless hours on despite the fact that there was really only one game mode. And even the gigantic number of hours that I logged on Civilization Revolution appears miniscule in comparison to the nearly 50 hours I’ve logged on Civilization V (or Civ V) in the 3 or 4 months that I’ve owned the game. The addictive nature of this game comes mainly from the sheer amount of game modes and options offered as well as the flawless hot seat multiplayer. Even still, like most games, this game can be broken down into a few key components. Those components are the vast bank of playable characters, the world/game mode selection, and the overall gameplay.

If I were to list every single character with the description that is offered in the game, then I’d still be here writing this review – as in, right now, as you’re processing these words that I have typed and posted onto Nerd Bacon. This sets the platform for a highly addictive game, much in the same way that Mario Kart DS‘s large selection of characters forms the basis of that game’s cocaine-like properties. But choosing a character does not minutely affect your “speed” or “weight” as it does in Mario Kart. Instead, it creates an entirely new way to play. By selecting Bismarck of Germany, your rapid production and brute military force can cause you to rise to triumph in a deadly war while selecting Brazil’s Pedro II can allow you to glide to glory through countless cultural revolutions. These are, of course, a very limited representation of the character selection and its effect on gameplay. For a full understanding of the characters and their roles, you must experience Civ V for yourself.

Adding to Civilization V’s long list of ways to play is the game mode and world selection. The game mode selection, also known as the scenario selection, is simply brilliant – two notable examples are the American Civil War, where you can be either Lincoln’s forces or the Confederates, and the race for the new world, where you can choose to invade or defend the Americas as either Spain or the Incas. All of the scenarios are based off of a historical event; however, the outcome isn’t always constant. For example, the Confederates could squash the Union front or the Native American tribes could combine their power to resist the attack from the seas. This allows for the game to seem unpredictable (which it often is), keeping the player’s interest for many hours at a time. Even still, the scenario selection isn’t the only effective way to switch up Civilization V’sgameplay.

This is the complete list of scenarios, along with the description of the American Civil War.

The world selection sometimes changes gameplay even more than character or scenario selection because it’s just so huge. You can play on a geographically-accurate Earth, or in a place of interest such as the Caribbean, or in a completely new world altogether. And each world selection has its own effects, such as a small donut-shaped map will pave the way to a battlefield while a large island world will promote trade and culture. Therefore, Civ V is a game with the character selection of the life-consuming Mario Kart DS, the world and scenario selection of the extremely replayable Super Monkey Ball Deluxe, and the polish of the Sid Meier franchise – basically a really freaking awesome game.

Every building you create in Civ V appears onscreen.

The gameplay of Civ V is expansive to say the least; however, it does adapt to your playing style. If you believe in laissez-faire gameplay, where you give the direction and everything else falls into place flawlessly and without manual input, then there are plenty of options accommodating your attitude, such as automating your workers or planning your science eons before you’ll reach the era. If you’re a worldly micromanager with some serious OCD, there’s options for you too, such as determining what each and every one of your skilled workers and citizens do every single turn. This game’s ability to acclimate to so many different styles permits Civ V to appeal to almost every single gamer, creating a serious cult-following (and also a very developed Steam Workshop page). Furthermore, while the gameplay is at first overwhelming, the way that the tutorials and game events are panned out allow for learning while playing, expunging any dry or boring moment of the game. All in all, the gameplay seems to be involved just enough to inhabit both complexity and interest.

If you’re looking for a turn-based city-builder strategy game with a long list of playable characters, an expansive bank of scenarios and worlds, and a gameplay worthy of multiple hours per day, I highly recommend this game. If you’re looking for a casual game with constant action and flawless local and online multiplayer, perfect for car rides or parties with friends, I highly recommend this game. There’s not much that this game doesn’t fulfill, so I guarantee that if you are fortunate enough to download this game on your PC (or Mac) you will not regret your purchase, especially if you wait for a Steam sale.

The game can get quite large and complex, depending of how much you put into it.