The graphics are solid and sharply focused, while the cities that used to expand all too predictably now take on more organic growth patterns that spread to encompass land between cities more naturally.
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’t played the sequels so I can’t compare with them.
An incredibly fun and addictive addition to the Civilization franchise. Civilization IV brings back everything that makes this series great, and adds enough innovation to keep things fresh and approachable for both veteran and newcomer.
Now, however, it's been nailed: simultaneous turns, variable game speeds, the ability to join a game on the hop by taking over an AI opponent and game dynamics that leave you despising your best friend. Quite frankly, you needn't buy another game for the entirety of next year - Civ will suffice, and it gets deeper each time you play. [PC Zone]
The game sticks to its roots but has dropped the dead leaves and found some new flowers to make a big enough change for it to be inviting to both newcomers and long-time fans of the series.
Even though stellar work has gone into making the game as accessible as possible, there's no escaping the fact that Civilization games are for Civilization fans. And fans won't be dissapointed with Civilization IV. [Dec 2005, p.96]
When I found out that Civilization IV had been out for a couple of years, I was still playing its predecessor. And if it weren't for the dozens or even hundreds of hours I've spent playing Civ3, coupled with fatigue from its limitations and dumb AI — Civ4 could, potentially, became my favourite instalment in the whole series. Looking back, the fourth part seems to be the most polished and competent iteration of the iconic franchise. Especially if you compare the basic versions, without the paid DLC and add-ons, which the creators of the series are so like to abuse nowadays.
Sid Meier's Civilization IV inherited the best features of its predecessors, polished its mechanics and made a lot of small changes and improvements to the well-established formula. Thanks to a much more user-friendly and informative interface, fancier graphics, mature stylistics (hello to cartoonish Civ6 and Revolution) and FullHD resolution support — the project looks and plays pleasantly to this day. And the amount of starting content, old and new civilizations, as well as the presence of alternative leaders are surprising.
Of the drawbacks, I could mention the traditionally inadequate behaviour of the AI (especially when playing at marathon speed on huge maps with the maximum number of opponents), as well as the "unfair" difficulty, which increases not via the "cunning" AI, but through a system of bonuses for computer opponents and penalties for the player. But both of these problems are the scourge of the entire series, which the developers have successfully ignored for over two decades.
Despite its solid age, Sid Meier's Civilization IV is a great starting point for getting to know the series, especially if you're not interested in online multiplayer. Unlike the newer instalments, Sid Meier's IV is much less demanding in terms of hardware and finances but is just as addictive.
This game... average at best. Turn-based strategy has never been my favorite, but this game makes it monotonous. The higher levels are ridiculously difficult, and doing the same exact thing over and over is exactly as it sounds: repetitive and boring. Every once in a while I find myself enjoying it, but I can't play it for too much at a time before my eyes start to slip shut.
I played this and and found the opening credits annoying. then i set up a game and there was no scenario maps! i started the game and played. the religeon aspect didn't impress me. i soon found the combat system has gotten worse. the nicely simpley animated wariors are gone they tried to make it look real but it looks worse. the game is a disapointment. all the people that have played the recent civ's i know don't like this game. only new players like it. and that's because they dont know civ. disapointed. i am very mad that it has a better rating than 5, since 5 is great. i have played civ three for at least 1000 hrs. no im not lying. played from age 7 - 14 and i am still play off and on. this gets a F- as a grade dont be fooled by the overrated cliques. this is not CIV.
SummaryFaster-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 m...