"A True Classic"

Sid Meier really is a genius when it comes to designing video games, and I think Civ2 is the greatest example of that. The goal of this game, essentially, is to build up an empire and conquer the globe.

You start off with one group of settlers. You must take them and find a starting location for your first city...ideally something with lots of resources nearby. Once you have established your first city, you can begin building an army, expanding with more cities, climbing the technology tree, explore, and a whole bunch of things I probably forgot.

The gameplay is entirely turn-based. Each turn you can move your units around, collect resources with each city you have (and in turn, spend them), and other fun stuff. Eventually, you'll run into other burgeoning nations. Once this happens, you can form alliances, trade gold and technology and maps, and of course, go to war. One weird thing about the game is that it's almost always in your interest to be a conniving backstabber. I guess it stays true to real life that way...

Attacks are based on unit strength. Each unit has a set of stats, and when two units fight, usually the one with the higher stats wins, unless the defender is behind city walls, or fortified in a fortress. There is still a luck element, so nothing is guaranteed...and it's always a good idea to have reinforcements.

As the game progresses, you'll get more and more technology, and suddenly you aren't fighting with horsemen and catapults, but with stealth bombers and nuclear weapons. You'll also have to start dealing with pollution, the senate, and keeping people happy. You'll always have a team of advisors to, well, advise you...but their advice tends to be pretty bad.

The one fault with this game is the end game. The problem is that you've likely wiped everyone else out long ago, and you're left with little to do other than build space parts and research future technology. Also, turns become really long, but without substance. Luckily, this is only the end game, and it'll all be over quick.

The game is so large and so well thought out that it just boggles the mind. The graphics and sound haven't exactly aged well, but the gameplay makes up for it tenfold.

The Good:
-Empire management

The Bad:
-Long end-game turns
-Rewarded for being a backstabber

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/24/06