Sid Meier's Civilization IV

 PC
Sid Meier's Civilization IV Image
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 50 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1161 Ratings

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  • Summary: Faster-Paced Fun - Gameplay has been streamlined for a tighter, faster, and more compelling experience.Greater Accessibility and Ease of Play - An easy-to-use interface will be immediately familiar to RTS and action game players, and newcomers to the series will be able to jump in and play.Faster-Paced Fun - Gameplay has been streamlined for a tighter, faster, and more compelling experience.Greater Accessibility and Ease of Play - An easy-to-use interface will be immediately familiar to RTS and action game players, and newcomers to the series will be able to jump in and play. Tech Tree - Flexible Tech tree allows players more strategic choices for developing their civilizations along unique paths. More Civs, Units, and Improvements to enhance and grow your empire. Multiplayer -LAN, Internet, PBEM, and Persistent Turn-Based Server (PTBS) offer players all-new strategies and ways to play when competing or cooperating with live opponents. Team Play - Whether playing multiplayer or single player, team play offers a new way of setting locked alliances that result in shared wonder effects, visibility, unit trading, and shared territory that delivers a plethora of new strategic and tactical options. Civ IV comes to life! - 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! [2K Games]… Expand
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Civilization IV Gameplay Movie 7

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 50
  3. Negative: 0 out of 50
  1. GameSpy
    100
    A game with this much depth, this much strategy, this much replayability, and multiplayer is totally unheard of in this space. Civilization IV stands alone. No fan of strategy games should leave this on store shelves.
  2. Armchair Empire
    100
    Civilization IV has a ridiculous amount of strategic elements packed into it.
  3. Play.tm
    96
    Firaxis have managed to thoroughly overhaul one of the classic games of all time and drag it up from its dark ages into the renaissance era. Even with its speedier gameplay Civ IV will be the cause of many sleepless nights and damaged relationships.
  4. Pelit (Finland)
    93
    No more micromanagement, diplomacy is finally easy to understand and combat is more rational than ever before. The graphics for camouflage units and advisors seem to be only half-finished, but it is still the best Civilization ever. [Dec 2005]
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  5. My Gamer
    92
    Between the multitude of challenges that players must overcome in the single player campaign, the mods that can be made and played with the included World Builder and the ever-changing multiplayer scene, we’re happy to say that Civilization IV should hold the attention of the strategy gamer for months to come.
  6. Yahoo!
    90
    Firaxis shows an impressively consistent grasp of what to abstract and what to detail, and a remarkable talent for presenting large-scale strategic challenges in a format that's easy to digest.
  7. Gamers Europe
    80
    The new interface may throw a few of the more institutionalised players off the scent, but it won’t be long before they settle down for another few years.

See all 50 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 132 out of 205
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 205
  3. Negative: 43 out of 205
  1. JohnD.
    May 19, 2007
    10
    Amazing strategy and just the incredible amount of variablity.
  2. ReviewsAreBS
    Feb 26, 2023
    10
    Big upgrade from Civ3, which was excellent in it’s own right. Game nails pretty much everything. Even the add-ons are excellent. I haven’tBig upgrade from Civ3, which was excellent in it’s own right. Game nails pretty much everything. Even the add-ons are excellent. I haven’t played the sequels so I can’t compare with them.… Expand
  4. MorganC.
    Mar 30, 2006
    10
    This is, quite literally, the best game I've ever played. Will keep you hooked for hours on end.
  5. Archoniz
    Jul 5, 2015
    9
    1 of the most anticipated game through my life, next to Starcraft 2 and Sins of Solar Empire. The game is quite a good time-consumer which are1 of the most anticipated game through my life, next to Starcraft 2 and Sins of Solar Empire. The game is quite a good time-consumer which are varied in different way to win or deviate a plan on every part of the game. Good time to spend on 6 hours ++, Good animation, less 'buggy' and its awesome. CIV IV is fun to be in multiplayer and Skirmish, even it doesn't have campaign. THE verdict is, its a real-time long chess match to be honest.… Expand
  6. EdoardoD.
    Jan 2, 2006
    8
    Excellent game! Not as complex as Civilization 3, but there are some new things to compensate! I don't understand the need for a 3d Excellent game! Not as complex as Civilization 3, but there are some new things to compensate! I don't understand the need for a 3d world, it makes the game graphic quite heavy and slow down everything, especially in multiplayer. Nevertheless the best Sid Meyer's Civilization!… Expand
  7. J.J.
    Oct 31, 2005
    6
    "Kind to n00bs!" (Dumbed down to the extreme), hate the civics system, the interface is a mess... BUT IT'S CIV!!!! Feel really "Kind to n00bs!" (Dumbed down to the extreme), hate the civics system, the interface is a mess... BUT IT'S CIV!!!! Feel really ambivalent about this one.. but if this is the way that PC gaming is going, I might have to stop playing games and get a life ;0)… Expand
  8. Wurm
    Feb 7, 2006
    0
    Avoid at all costs unless your computer meets or exceeds recommended specs! Minimum specs listed for game are completely insufficient and it Avoid at all costs unless your computer meets or exceeds recommended specs! Minimum specs listed for game are completely insufficient and it will not play! Rushed to market, the game is truely un-playable on most systems. Review info on patches to see just how much had to be repaired after date of sale! (and see how much STILL has to be repaired) My advice would be if you really love the Civ series, wait until the price drops and the "Game of the Year" version is released.… Expand

See all 205 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2005
7
#7 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
8
#8 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

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