"A very addicting PC game, for a very cheap price."

Civilization 2

Sid Meier’s Civilization 2 is a strategy game for PC that came out in 1996. It was designed by Atari. It's a great turn-based game and never gets old in my opinion. Basically, you build up your very own empire and control major historical events from about 4,000 BC to about 2020 AD. I know that last sentence doesn't really do the game justice, so let's just get straight to the story part for now.

Story 7/10

There's really no set story for the game. Civilization 2 lets you create your own story, which is one of the things that make this game great.

Gameplay 10/10

For me, gameplay makes or breaks games. Civilization 2's gameplay is what makes this game so incredible. Firstly, you choose you empire. You can choose from the default civilizations, such as the Romans, Germans, French, English, Indians, etc. If these don't suit you, create your own tribe. You can change your color, sex, name, etc. After this, Civ 2 gives you the options to create your own set of rules for your game. You can edit the difficulty, what is needed to win the game, and even choose your own opponents.

As the game starts, you are given either one or two settlers to begin your civilization. In the game, you use settlers to establish your capital, build cities, construct fortresses and more. Once you build a city, you can use it to produce more warriors for your army or build various structures that will greatly enhance your civilization.
The combat in the game is interesting. For me, the best thing you can do in a game is start a war with another civilization. The battles, although simple, actually require a certain amount of strategy. In a battle between units, one will die and the other will usually just suffer damage. So it's not like units can run away during the middle of a battle. Fight on land, in the air, or with your navy. Stock your army full of marines, nukes, battleships, cavalry, armor support and more.

The game also has a political side to it. You try to keep your peoples satisfied, establish trade routes, and build great wonders of the world as well. Choose how you rule your people. Are you going to be an absolute dictator, or will you citizens get a democracy? If that doesn't suit you, promote fundamentalism. There are so many ways you can customize your game.

Be sure to keep on the good side of at least some empires though. The game becomes really difficult if you can't keep good relations with a few of the other civilizations.
Let's recap. During the game, you will advance your empire's technology. You can use your cities to help build these new advancements, whether it is a new military unit, the Colossus, or a market place. Keep control of your people and build relations with other civilizations. And the best part of all, declare war on your enemies and fight them on land, in the ocean, or in the air.

Graphics 5/10

The graphics remind me somewhat of a board game. There's no real fighting. All you can see in combat is your health bar going down. When your pieces move, they just slide. Everything is in 2D. It doesn't take a lot away from the gameplay though. I didn't really care that the graphics weren't great. The gameplay eliminates all of that.

Audio (Music and Sound) 5/10

Another downside in the game. The sounds include battle cries, cheering, etc. It's really nothing special. The music is very repetitive, but you just kind of zone it out while you are playing. If you have something like Windows Media Player, you can play your own music during the game.

Overall 8/10

The game gives you a lot of freedom. You can play through it over and over, but you'll probably never have the same game twice. Civilization 2's replayability is amazing. The game was released 8 years ago and I'm still playing. I could play it for hours straight. I tell myself, ''Okay. I'll stop and save after I kill those musketeers''. Then I'll find something else that I just have to do before quitting. It's that addicting.

On a final note, buy this game or one of the several Civilization games out. You will not be disappointed. It comes cheap and will keep you busy for hours on end. It's a lot like Risk, only much better and more in-depth.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/22/04