"It will keep you coming back for more and more."

Civilization II is a turn-based strategy game that is the sequel to the original Civilization. Civilization II takes the original ideas from Civilization (building a vast empire from the most meager of beginnings, waging war on hated enemies, developing the technology that drives the world, growing an economic system, etc.) and builds a completely new level of reality.

Replay: 10
To begin, I shall start with the end. This game is replay incarnate. Since the game is based completely around the user and their specific desires, then an infinite number of different experiences can be drawn from this game. The game makes itself what the user wants it to be.

Ok, so maybe after years and years of playing, the player wants a change? No problem. One of the additions from Civilization is the ability to play pre-made scenarios and home-brewed. Hundreds of different variations on the original idea are available through this feature. Scenario creation is included with this, and the editor allows the user to manipulate almost all of the basic functions of everything in the game. Units can be given different strengths and icons, map tiles can be completely changed, computer controlled tribes can be manipulated and adjusted to suit the needs of the scenario. It is completely versatile.

Sound: 7
When first playing the game, the music is nice. It brings the player through several ages, mimicking the game, but on a much shorter time scale. The drawback to this is that this game is based on its strong replay value. After playing the game for 500 hours, I got really tired of the music. I then turned it of, and put on some other music to fill the silence.

The in-game sound affects are pretty nice. They generally fit the situation, and tend to fall in the background more than sounds in other strategy games do. Along with the other editable things in scenario mode, all the sounds can be changed, removed, added, etc. to suit the needs of the scenario.

Graphics: 7

They are a bit static for my taste, but that can easily be overlooked. The game is top-down, so stellar 3D rendering is not really a necessity. The graphics (along with sound) make a surprisingly small impression on the game though.

Gameplay: 10

The game is just fun. Almost complete control over a developing tribe is given to the player, so the he/she values can be included in their experience. Say someone thinks that to survive, a country should remain peaceful and grow their economy into one that is very prosperous. The game allows him to do that, and even has a way to win (If that is your goal. The game can go on infinitely if so desired) through peaceful means. Or, maybe a person would like to see their influence cover the globe. They can build their tribe into a Spartain war-machine and crush all who stand in their way with the heel of their boot. Either end is acceptable, and either way can lead to ultimate victory or utter defeat.

Overall: 9

This game is the chess-match of video games. The emphasis on slower, good gameplay over snazzy graphics with hollow gameplay determines this. I recommend Civilization II to all, but consider the type of gameplay before deciding to purchase it. Watch the steep learning curve, and do not be afraid do keep the difficulty setting on ''Chieftain'' or ''Warlord'' for a while. If there is an antithesis of FPS games, this probably would be it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/19/02, Updated 10/19/02