Name: Master Marcus Email: - About: - I think Korn 469's review is pretty much complete and is the kind of extensive analysis every addict should read.I'd like to share brief comments through a more vulgarized formula based upon ign.com compounds. The idea is to put a short reading for newcomers - but a complete one as well. categories ratings guide --gameplay 9.5-9.9: revolutionary masterpiece --interface&presentation 9.0-9.4: masterpiece redefining the genre --graphics 8.5-8.9: CIV III : exceptional, with minor flaws --sound 7.5-8.4: good, above average --replayability 6.5-7.4: average game 6.4- : below average --GAMEPLAY: 9.1/10. This is where Civ III shines and everything runs smoothly, though you need a fast system especially with huge maps. The click system and hotkeys are well intricated and you need to use both in order to run efficiently the game. The mechanics, the icons are easy to access but this is a thinking man's game: you must be patient. --INTERFACE & PRESENTATION: 8.2/10. Very good, but I've seen better. The windows system can take a while to getting used to, and has the paradox to be user-friendly AND having some kind of a learning curve ( for instance just to know how adding items in the build queue with [shift] ). All in all Civ III is well crafted, even if I find some compounds like Civilopedia, Hall of Fame, build queue, UN election, etc... needing some background details. As for the story and civs presentation, this is standard but not perfectly matched within the gameplay. Nothing can beat SMAC in that matter so far. --GRAPHICS: 8.1/10. Very good for the genre. The units designs on the terrain are superb and I easily consider them as the most impressive graphical display for military units in a TBS so far ( Q4 2001). Maps & frontiers are O.K.; the overall 1024x768 construct is a success and quite readable. However coloring is mediocre, and I miss in-game movies ( I know, I know, they wanted to avoid a second disc ). --SOUND: 8.6/10. For what is there ( I mean by that how I miss VOICEOVERS - again, to avoid a second disc...), the sounds are awesome and the music coding is exceptional. Side effect: with extended listening, the music score becomes annoying and can get on my nerves on a point I have to disable it for quite a while ( like many players ). --REPLAYABILITY: 9++/10. One word: ADDICTIVITY. For anyone playing the game, this is self-explanatory and it has an even greater addictivity effect than most other TBS classics when played for the first time: Civ II, Master of Orion I & II, SMAC, CTP. The stronger AI challenge and maps versatility combined with the graphical enhancements already show us, although it's too soon to quantify exactly, how Civ III will undoubtly be played in the few years to come. Consider many months/hundreds of hours of challenge for every addict. THE + + +: -the AI expansionism and defense; -the units design ( on the terrain ) and sounds; -overall balancing upgraded next to Civ II and SMAC: not optimal, but at least the ending part- Modern era - of a game is much less exponentionally overpowering, less tedious when the player dominates. -culture engine; -no MAJOR bugs ( serious...). THE - - -: -no multiplayer at release; -the AI offensive actions, better than most TBS, but still evasive; -some combat rating system, like units attack/defense power are unlogical ( like a cavalry beating a Tank ). Air units are underbalanced and insignificant, this is already said by numerous fans. Quite the contrary to the overpowered choppers in SMAC. -many MINOR bugs of course, but can be easily fixed. NEUTRAL: corruption & waste system. It is a good idea to control ICS ( infinite city spread ) and the balance after mid-game. It needs work, and Firaxis has announced a fix - tone down a bit - in the first patch. I hope they'll work also a bonus for a more standardized corruption at the advantage of Communism. I'm eager to see it as a solid counterpart to the overpowered Democracy, but not at the expense of the global balancing. Make the AI use it also. OVERALL RATING: 8.7-8.8/10. Reviews Index