Addicted to Civ 4, Hate Civ 5
591487
I never write long reviews so I'll just say that I played this game for 2 hours and I think that I'm done with it.  By contrast I played Civ4 for 5 hours earlier today (while waiting for my new copy of 5 to be delivered) and it is such a better game than Civ5.  Usually when a game is great you get immediately immersed into it.  That absolutely did not happen with Civ5.

As a side note I had my copy of Civ5 up and running immediately (no prob with Steam).  The graphics were surprisingly bad with little to no regard to details.  I am majorly disappointed in this game and will just go back to playing Civ4.  Too bad I can't sell this copy to someone else.  R.I.P. Civ5!
2575760
We just got Civ 4 for Christmas and have been doing nothing but troubleshooting for 2 days. After searching the web and the user site [...] it appears that this game has a lot of video problems that need to be resolved. A lot of people are having problems. We love Civ and hopefully they can get this problem fixed.

Do not buy until you can confirm that the developer has fixed these problems.
270875
I will not write an exhaustive review here. I have been playing the Civilization series for a very long time. I read many of the reviews for Civ 5, and while they sadden me and lowered my expectation, I still could not resist the urge to test drive it for myself. I go in phases in terms of playing games, and had pulled out Civ IV to start playing it again when I realized Civ 5 had been released -- months ago. I am not a diehard fan -- I no longer allow myself the liberty of sinking enough time into games to warrant that distinction. Nonetheless, I am strategy game enthusiast.

So, the short of it is that so far, I really like it. It is very different, and so far, I really like it. Steam does not bother me. I was surprised by one reviewer who complained about not being able to reinstall when his system went down, and bu another reviewer who claimed that you could not play it offline. I have Civ 5 installed on 2 machines via Steam, which is convenient since I can also (optionally) save my games to the cloud and resume them on either machines. Nonetheless, I can save them locally, and run Steam in offline mode while still being able to play the game.

I run Win 7 with a quad-core processor, and 4 GB of memory. I jacked the video settings up to the highest settings for all options. I run the Direct 10/11 version (vs the Direct 9 option). I am well into my second game, and I everything runs beautifully and without a hitch. The graphics are awesome, and the time between turns is no more than what I would expect them to be.

Some described Civ V as a dumbed down version of Civ IV. While I think a number of options have been optimized, I would not describe them as having been dumbed down. One particular aspect that I do like is no longer having to micro manage happiness for individual cities. Instead, each city contributes to the over all happiness of the empire. I would argue that in some ways this makes it even harder since if the entire empire is unhappy, then it impacts every city, not just the ones contributing the most to the unhappiness.

Now, I have noticed that there have been tons of updates to the game over the past few months, with some major changes and updates. Perhaps the original release was ladden with issues and shortcomings. The version I am playing seems quite refined. I am looking forward to many more lost hours sunk into this game. I doubt I will ever go back to Civ IV - which is totally awesome. Only time will truly tell.
4775295
An excellent game, historically accurate and still as addictive as the first 2 Civilization games. It met my expectations by having improved graphics and new twists on diplomacy, trade and war. This made me re-evaluate my game winning strategy that worked so well with the last Civs. This game could have exceeded my expectation by having newer units and going further into the future with new technologies, etc. I felt that the game ended too early (scoring-wise), but there's already a modification out that can change that. In some ways the game also felt unfinished. Maybe there's an expansion pack in the future? I hope so. I'm not going to get into the changes in the game because there's so many I don't think there's enough room here. ... .
4202726
The Civilization series has always been fantastic, and borderline addictive, but being forced to use game clients is the worst.  After being required to create an account with Steam to use the software I already purchased, it takes an extra hour to download all of the b.s. updated that it is certain you need.  If you buy it, wait for the hard copy to be delivered.  Clients completely suck.
4230383
I'm a Civ fanatic. Been playing the game ever since Civ 2 and I just LOVE this game. I can't even estimate the number of hours I've spent playing this game.

There's no point, IMHO, comparing each feature between the PC game and the console version. There are MUCH more features, subtleties and overall complexity in the PC game so it isn't even a fair comparison. The console game is a very simplified version and the question should be if it's still as fun. I say: it is!
Bottom line, this is a fun game that keeps the Civ spirit of the game and is not less additictive than the PC game. It looks good and the controls are very intuitive.

Some features I would love if they added/changed are:
* there is limited 'zoom out' and no way i've seen to view the entire map
* I felt need for a city 'comparison screen' that will list all my cities and how they are doing in terms of populations, food, production, science etc.
* religion and government should have better visibility and control
* war is not like Civ 5 i.e. you need to stack many units. I kind of liked what they did in Civ 5 where you can no longer stack units in a single square.
* diplomacy is not clear. In one game, I was at war but the other side kept offering me all kinds of deals. I guess it's not black and white and I just need to get used to it

but having said all that, the game is still a VERY good game and like the PC CIV version, it can get very addictive.
1348460
I don't normally feel the need to write reviews here, but after seeing negative review after negative review, I have to shake my head and wonder what game everyone else is playing, because it's not RTW.  It's the finest strategy game, ever, hands down, without a comparison.  It's not even a close race. The only way I can see someone not liking this game is when they just don't like the genre (realistic strategy), or are unaware of some of its features.

Yes, in some ways, it's a lot like civ, but with strategic battles.

Don't like building your buildings civ style?  Click the auto-construct, and no more civ in your rome. But then, I adored civ II like some kind of deity, so this is all the better anyway.

Battles too confusing? Use the pause button to study the situation and give orders.

Honestly the only problem I can find with this game is that I wish the sea battles weren't automatically auto-solved.  I'd have loved them to be strategic as well.  Oh, and AI-controlled reinforcements I'd like to see fixed in a patch (either make the ally general a touch less brave (stupid), or allow for direct control).

But otherwise?  Flawless.  Absolutely flawless.  The generals (the main characters) actually seem to have more complex personality ratings than characters in rpgs, as they have various personality traits like drunkard, brave, gloomy, deranged, good orator, etc.  All the bonuses are easily added up on the character's sheet (you don't need to add it up yourself, just look at their management, command, and influence ratings, it's all there).  Before each battle, the general gives a speech about the upcoming battle.  Once, one of my deranged, gloomy generals (he was quite insane, but hey, he won battles) gave a speech complaining that he was depressed and just wanted to go home, but then accussed the enemy survivors of being his sister and ranted something about "frocks for everyone!".  Ooookay, so Roman leaders go crazy in the game too, just like in real life. ;)

So, yes, it's basically flawless, and more addictive than _any_ game I have ever played - I'd think it would be for any history strategy fan, that is, unless you need constant click-fest action with fireballs (well the catapults come close) and dog-headed men.  But for history buffs and people who appreciate and care about the differences and uses of soldiers such as hoplites, peoni infantry, velite, equite, and praetorians, this is heaven.  I'm surprised I could stop playing long enough to write this review.  Speaking of that... I better get back to Rome, I think my crazy general is supposedly biting people again.
3166006
Civilization 5 is a perfectly adequate game.  While better than Civ IV the DRM, through Steam, makes this product not worth the effort.  The experience with the Steam DRM management system is terrible.  Upon purchasing the game I found that I could not play it since Steam was too busy to bother with the trouble of verifying the game that I had purchased.  Again, just not worth the effort.
2130645
Between Civ 2 and Civ 4, I have put in more game hours than any other game except MMORPGs. I still play both regularly, between releases of other games that have come and gone. Civ 2 might have a slight advantage only due to its older simplicity, but also due to easier Multi-player gameplay. At one point, I had a Civ 4 saved game that grew too big for my old computer. Crashed the game whenever I tried to load it! Aside from that, Civ 4 does have a lot of fun new things that adds new twists to an old favorite.

I encourage anyone to try the game, but especially if you like long-term strategy games. A single Civ 4 game will take days or weeks of long play hours to finish, and I love it enough to try it again and again, exploring different victory options and styles of play.
811658
I like it  better  than the CIV V and  brings  back the  excitement when I had with  civ 3 and  below, but  still  miss the  stack  units
221098
I am now in the middle of a complex, wide-ranging attack with a close order of battle in the late stages of a game. The stupid software in this game insists on jerking me around all over the map with its own ideas about what moves should be scheduled next instead of the ones I want to make to keep track of what I'm doing where. And the moment I do something, it jerks me away to somewhere irrelevant so that I can't gauge effects. In addition, despite the powerful computer on which I'm playing, the time required between turns is exasperatingly long, long, long. In other words, this game is slow, clumsy, and badly ordered as it becomes more complex. I'm very disappointed. I've been routinely playing Civilization games for maybe 25 years, but this might just be the end of it. Dammit.
2421568
I haven't had this much frustration since the good ol' days of playing Military Madness.  Increase in difficulty comes, not from skilled AI thanks to good game programming, but due to blatant cheating.  How in the world do I lose a battle of 121 vs 64, or any battle in which I have the numbers advantage?  If randomness, what is the point of a numbers system and, more importantly, how come I never seem to get such results in my favor?  And how in the world do the other civilizations grow and develop so much more quickly than mine?

That said, I've lost many hours playing this addicting game and will lose many more in the future no doubt; but for the sake of anger management and avoiding breaking my disc and/or Xbox, I've had to move on to another game.  Hopefully if there is a Revolution 2, it will feature better programming and no cheating.

Update: I finally got so fed up with the cheating that I ripped the disc out of the system and destroyed it.  Sequel or no, I won't be touching another game made by Sid and his fellow incompetent programmers.
2584348
If you enjoy Civilization 5, then Gods and Kings is a must-have expansion. I really enjoyed the additional civs and the increased importance of culture.
4487358
This game may be old, but I still play several hours a week. I'd be thrilled if another Civilizations was made for xbox. Challenging and endless challenges await!
2644116
This was the first Civ game I ever played, and soon after I purchased it I mentioned it to a friend who told me that I had wasted my money - I should have bought Civ II.  Having now played both, I think they were probably right.  CTP is certainly better in terms of graphics and other goodies, but there are some fundamental flaws (like a handful of cavalry men being able to defeat and armored tank, etc.) that really take away from the game.  While having 7,000 odd years to either get tons of points, destroy all your opponents or breed aliens seems great, the game really starts to drag after a while.  Turn after turn you land up doing the same exact things - slowly guiding your troops to attack an enemy, or crawling toward the latest wonder you're trying to build.  An 'autopilot' type AI option would be wonderful, as it would free the player from some of the drudgery of guiding each individual troop (since they seem to easily come free of their stack) toward an enemy city (since troops also seem to 'forget' where they are going).  I also found diplomacy to be a total waste of my time - enemy leaders need bigger and bigger gifts each turn so they don't begin to hate you and declare war, and in the end you're only going to attack them anyways, so it's kind of a waste.  Save your money for rush buying a contaiment field or something. I gave this game three stars because despite all the turn off's, it is really fun.  I have spent many an hour trying to find that last enemy city, or trying to build one more containment tank for the Alien Life Project.  The graphics are far better than those in Civ II, and guiding your troops around is much easier, although mistakenly guiding them halfway across the world is also much easier, too.  Overall, this game is fun.  And it is worth buying, but just not for full price.  Wait until it hits the sale bin, and then conquer away.
151274
First of all.  This game was not meant to be Civ 5.  It is a whole new game in the civ series.  It is meant to bring casual gamers into the civ fold.
It has MUCH less options compared to the computer games for that reason.
Games will take 3-5 hours.  If you play teams you can get done even faster.  The multiplayer works well.  You can control the timer on custom multiplayer games but you cannot control the timer speed on ranked games(must be on normal)Xbox live keeps tabs on peoples ranks.  You don't have to join ladders like the PC.
A great feature about this game is the ability to talk to you allies and opponents over your headset!  Diplomacy is conducted through speaking rather than typing.  A big improvement.
There are some options missing that would have help for replayability though.  You cannot control the world size or the number of players.  You cannot change the climate or anything like that.  The maps are still randomly generated, but the options are standard for every game.  I think this would have helped for replayablility and just for the challenge.
Overall its a great way to play civ in half the time of the computer game.  The next civ for a console will no doubt have many of the features that are missing in this one.  We have to remember that this is the first one they have made for a console. Its still addictive and all around fun to play.  If you cant live without all the technicalities of Civ, stick to the computer version.  If you can I would recommend it for purchase overall.
4765530
I have been playing Civilization since it was first released.  After getting Civ 5 as a Christmas gift from my kids, I settled back in my chair and started playing.  I understand the need for game designers to want to stop piracy, but this stupid Steam program does nothing but slow down my computer.

The game runs at a glacial pace and has none of the fun and excitement that previous versions of Civ.  With much disappointment, I am going to sell my game as used and go back to Civ 4.