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Civilization III Review

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: May 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I love this game. It's the ultimate strategy game, and it got me hooked. The game is much superior to it's predecessor, Civ II, which I also have. It has better graphics, more diplomacy options, better editor, more realistic barbarians, better governments, trade, and is overall just a much better game. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because not everything is realistic. For example, it doesn't have natural disasters, and I think it needs more civs.

There has never been better turn-based strategy

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: March 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Civilization 3 is without a doubt the best turn-based strategy game on the market. I have owned this game since it first came out and I still pick it up and play at least a couple of times a month. Unfortunately, because it is a turn-based game, there is quite a bit of time when you'll be waiting for the computer to take its turn(s). This is more than made up for by the complexity of the game. Players must balance not only their military and their economy, but also must take into account their "culture", the happiness of their people, and their technological advancement. Watch your civilization grow and thrive from the days of old, all the way through the space age. I wholeheartedly reccomend this title to anyone who is looking for a strategy game with plenty of detail.

NOT QUITE GAME OF THE YEAR MATERIAL

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: March 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game because I had heard so many good things about it, and the box said "Game of the Year" and "The Best Computer Game Ever!". So I bought this game, along with my new computer, and played it. The first time I played it, I did not understand what to do, but I got the hang of it quickly. The first thing I noticed was that the time flew by when I was playig, but the game itself didn't seem to fly by like the time. This game is very time consuming and long (I think that there is no limit to the gameplay, but I am not sure). It is also hard. Bandit tribes attack you constantly, unless you wipe them out, and you are almost always at war with someone. The AI is very intellegent, sometimes almost too intellegent, like when they attack, they know that that attack will hurt you civilization. The units are also very unbalanced- a spearman can defeat a musketman.I thought that, with this game being game of the year, this would not be a problem, but I thought wrong. This unbalance can get to be very annoying when you are trying to take over an enemy city, or fend off would-be invaders. The battles are also unrealistic- it is just two large warriors standing on the map fighting each-other. This is the same with everyone else- the workers, etc. Also, when you zoom in to see your city, all it shows are a few buildings and houses and roads. I thought that I would be able to build/design my city, but, again, I thought wrong. The trading is also unfair. The other civilizations always want an unfair trade, for example, if we are trading Masonry for, let's say, Writing, it can't be one for the other. It has to be: I give them Masonry and 200 gold, and all I get is Writing. Do you think this is a fair trade? And if I try to counter-offer, and take away the gold, my advisor says that they wuold be INSULTED by this trade! The people at Infograms and Firaxis did not do a good job at evening out the human player and the AI. The other civilizations also demand tribute, and if you deny, most of the time, they wage war against you. There are not many pros for this game, but at least there are some. The graphics are very good. Warning: DO NOT buy this game if you have a 32mb graphics card or lower. It will take a very long time to load and will not work properly. Only buy this game if you have a 64mb card or better. Trust me on this one. Another pro is, again, this game is long. Like a long movie, I feel that I get my money's worth. Short movies and game are not worth the price, which in this case, is 40 $. Overall, this game is O.K., not great. If you want soe GREAT games, check out Blitzkrieg, Medieval: Total War, Starcraft, and 1503 AD: The New World, to name a few. Only buy this game if you are looking for a challenge and if you have a lot of spare time!
Hope this review helped!!!

Frustrating, Slow, and an overall disappointment

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: March 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I was generally disappointed by this alleged "Game of the Year." It is light years more difficult than Civilization II, without a corresponding increase in game play enjoyment. Other civilizations do not seem to be bound by the same rules as the player, and they seem to produce units, and gain scientific advancement, at a far greater rate -- no matter what strategy you employ. Geography is almost entirely determinative of outcome and, if you start of on an isolated island, restart the game because you have no chance of winning.

Not as good as Civ 2, but...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: July 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game introduced a few great ideas and concepts, but I wouldn't consider this a groundbreaking game like the first two. Other than the few new additions to the game (like culture) and the improved graphics and sound, its very similiar to Civ II. I consider this a good thing, because the game has kept a lot of the things I like about it, but if you're one who wants a new gaming experience then don't rush to buy this. This is a good game for Civ fans and turn-based strategy enthusiasts, and I thought it was a great game that kept me occupied for hours on end. People who got bored with Civ II shouldn't waste their time with this one.

One of my favorites, and hopelessly addictive

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I've been a fan of this series since Civ 1, then on to Civ 2 where this game would keep me going all night until 8 in the morning. Civ 3 was no different in that regards. This series is similar to the Ultima series in that it just keep getting better and better. Each successive game builds on the last in terms of bettering playability, making the game more thorough and realistic, and increasing the ability of the computer opponents in being able to play a good game.

There are very few games I would purchase and play, but if you like strategy games, and there is just one game you plan on getting this decade, I don't have any hesitation recommending this one.

excellent game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: May 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Sid Meier is a videogame legend. From Colonization! to CivilizationI and II, Pirates! Alpha Centauri, and even Simgolf, he has created games that have multiple levels of enjoyment for users of varying degrees of experience. The deeper you want the game to be, the deeper it is. Some reviewers say that the turn-based idea isn't for them. There is an option to go turnless in MP games.
This is not, however a RTS (real-time strategy) game, where you simply build up a tank force and rush your way to victory. You mst be diplomatic with other civilizations, or suffer their embargos and/or alliances against you. You must keep your people happy with a culture of your own, else the population becomes awe-struck with another, and revolts against your rule.
There are many ways to win, with more in the expansion packs. The games are lengthy, with most of mine, on a standard map with default settings, taking about 16-24 hours. However, you can choose a timy or small map and turn on accelerated production, and easily turn this into a 1-sitting game.
Granted, this game is not everyones cup of tea. Its does however, provide a deep and realistic history of the civilization, units, resources and tech advances that you will play with. It's a bit heady, but if you want to play a game where you can control the pace a bit, yet be challenged like you've never been (the ai is terrific), then I recommend Civ3.
One last comment. As for the 'warrior beating a tank' and the 'galleon beating a nuclear sub', it theoretically *could* happen, although I've never seen it, and besides.. if the ai is coming at you with galleons and warriors, and you have tanks and nuclear subs.. what are you worried about? :P

Civilization 3

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: August 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have read a few of these reviews and I think some of the criticism is unfair. Civ 3 is a different beast to 1 and 2, where development of the civilisation rather than combat is a serious route to success. In terms of difficulty, it is hard, but I think some of the guys here who are saying it is impossible are replicating tactics from 1 and 2.

Dimpolmacy isn't great - its a bit of a missed opportunity, but as long as you didn't want exactly the SAME game as before but expanded with better graphics, then I think you'll like it. As before in 1 and 2 though, end games drag on and on with turns taking eons. I think some sort of thought (along the theme of the armies but with less dependance on random occurance) in combining units (and also for workers for clearing pollition) would have made life a whole lot easier, and made my girlfriend less likely to turn on me with a knife and demand the computer be turned off....!

A sham Civ

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 15
Date: October 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

CIV3 is unrelated to the Civ2 and SMAC. It is only a CIV in name. The real heir to the CIV series is Rise of Nations designed by Brian Reynolds, the same person who designed CIV2 and SMAC. CIV III is a poorly designed game on half baked ideas. The game is dummer (no pun intended). The AI is dummer (it knows nothing of diplomacy) and the 'puter cheats harder. It is, however, winnable if you out-cheat the 'puter. Save often, fight wars, try verious fighting sequence at the same turn until you have produced a leader. You are on your way to winning at any level. It is a laborious and boring way to playing. But what can I say, it is a poorly designed boring game.

Addicting Game, but too time consuming

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The game starts off being relatively exciting with the building of an empire. But as the game progresses, the time seems to go by at a crawl.

The game was also relatively easy to master as I basically defeated my rivals within the first few hundred years of the game.

Other than that, the game is very addicting but, however, could not be completed in one siting. I would suggest that you buy this game if you have alot of time to kill or if you just enjoy simulation games.

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