Don't Get Hooked...

I’m morally obligated to tell you right off the bat: Don’t buy Civilization III unless you have hours upon hours of your life to throw away. But if you do, you won’t be disappointed.

The premise, of course, is that you are the ruler of a small tribe, and must eventually lead them to greatness. This familiar-enough outline is presented in the form of a turn-based game, focusing more on long-term strategy than other, more war-based games (such as the Age of Empires series). This format takes a lot of concentration, and much less of the hand-eye coordination and focus than other real-time games go.

Your civilization is completely under your control, and it’s up to you to make it great. You choose the type of government best suited for your type of state. You determine where to build cities, and what sorts of buildings or units they will produce. You’re in charge of keeping your people happy. So basically, you’re in for a challenge.

Your state isn’t the only one in the game, either, and that adds a whole new level of complexity. The AI-controlled nations can openly trade with you, enhancing both of your civilizations. Or, you can declare all-out war and see who the big dog really is. And while the military aspect is a very important part of the game, victory does not always come to the aggressive champion – other options include gaining cultural influence, getting voted head of the United Nations, or being the first to build a complex space ship.

As you may have picked up, this is a lot to keep up with. But surprisingly, the streamlined interface makes it fairly easy to keep up with everything. Your “advisors” help you easily keep track of cities, trade routes, military units, foreign civilizations, culture, and scientific progress. Once you figure out what everything means, the city interface and unit windows make sense too. It takes some practice, but the tutorial is very helpful for getting started.

The sheer expanse of the game deserves some recognition, as well. You begin in 4000 BC, and most games finish at 2050 AD. In between, researching technologies enables you to advance your civilization. There are hundreds of units, from spearmen to tanks. Numerous buildings can improve your cities. And Great Wonders (yeah, like the Pyramids) can give your civilization huge advantages, but only if you’re the first to complete them.

The Complete Edition offers even more than the original game. Let’s say that you’re getting bored with playing against the computer and want to see how you compare to an actual human being. Presto – the “Play the World” expansion enables network play, leading to enormous bragging rights for some and ultimate humiliation for others.

The final addition to this massive package is the “Conquests” expansion. Like “Play the World,” eight new civilizations are added, further adding to the replay value. New units, buildings, and wonders also appear. But the most striking addition is that of shorter Conquest games, which take much less time to play and focus on specific periods of history. These more historically-accurate games often include special units and civilizations, creating an interesting twist on the original game.