Video Game Review: Civilization V (PC)

Megalomaniacs rejoice! Global domination is now within your grasp as you guide a nation through the epochs of history to become the dominant military, economic and cultural powerhouse of the planet. For all you budding Hitlers out there, this is for you.

Being the fifth instalment of the franchise one might view Civ V with some trepidation. All too easily have we seen games that unambitiously coast on past successes. Fortunately the team at Firaxis have resisted the urge to ride on its historic 19-year old flag-ship franchise, forging a fresh, addictive and ultimately compelling addition to the series. Civilization V will feel familiar to veterans, but adds much to make it different. Easily accessible, difficult to master, it will surely hook a new generation of Civ addicts.

While graphics traditionally have never played a great deal of importance in turn-based-strategy games, Civilization V happens to go to town with beautifully coloured tiles and astonishing attention to detail. So polished is the scenery that you will literally space out watching the sea sparkle as the gulls fly overhead. Scan over your borders to watch workmen plough the patch-work farms that criss-cross your land. This really is the most visually appealing and lively virtual board game you've seen since Jumanji.

One of the biggest changes to this new Civ is the shift in map styles from a grid of squares to a honeycomb of hexes. Much was made of this in previews of the game, however in reality I didn't notice too much of a change in how I moved my units about the map. The most revolutionary renovation however is warfare. Gone are the days where you would just be able to stack tanks and role over your enemy's borders at will. Now only one military unit can occupy a 'hex' at any one time, effectively limiting the amount of units you can build. This makes the business of war that much more tactical given the finite nature of your forces, also forcing you to more carefully consider the approaches they can take to their target, making for something akin to a global game of chess. As much as the technological edge of your military matters, it's even more important on how you position your forces. You must take into account river crossings, flanking bonuses and the bombardment range of enemy units. Units like archers and artillery pieces for example are almost exclusively distance weapons, meaning their use is now differently governed. Cities themselves have become incredibly formidable units. No longer do you need to garrison them as they are able to bombard approaching enemies with their inbuilt defences. Indeed, taking a city requires more thought than ramming the front gate with your mechanized infantry. With a mini-health bar of its own, capturing one usually requires at least four turns and several units.

Where this is a huge leap forward for Civ, it is also part of its downfall.  If you have a large military, it can actually become tedious moving your units around individually. The AI also has a nasty habit of ineptitude, unable to grasp some of the new nuances of combat. Frequently it would casually roll one of its artillery pieces in front of my melee units. Further, on higher difficulty the computer doesn't start displaying a new tactical genius, rather, it gets a resources boost and overruns you with numbers human wave style. Somewhat disagreeably combat actually begins to take centre stage as the AI proves to be overly aggressive. This puts pursuing the peaceful victory conditions somewhat on the back-burner as you juggle the demands of war instead.  While it is a nice touch for opposing leaders to warn me that they won't stand for my troops sitting on their border, they are equally prone to spontaneously declaring war without provocation after long and mutually beneficial periods of peace with them. In one instance, seeking to develop my civilization quietly and without bother, I did my utmost to keep the peace with my neighbours. Having not got involved in the petty squabbles of men, I thought myself safe from any aggression, only for that infamous pacifist, Gandhi, to turn around, ally with Germany's Bismarck and attack me.

Also new is the government system, taking on a kind of RPG skill tree. You must constructs buildings and wonders in your cities which generate 'culture' points. When you generate enough, you may choose to unlock a civic which will give your civilization a boost in any number of ways, from science, commerce and productivity to military bonuses. If you unlock all eight trees you can begin construction of the 'Utopia Project', with its completion being one of the four victory conditions. Science works in much the same manner; construct buildings which generate science points which you can in turn use to uncover new technologies. Once you have researched the relevant tech, you can begin construction of a spaceship and which, upon completion, earns you victory. I have had trouble achieving either of these two victory conditions however as I have remained unable to gain either enough culture or science points before the game ends in 2050. I'm sure there is probably a knack to it, but I have yet to discover it. There are also two other victory conditions. The first is the diplomatic victory, whereby after constructing the United Nations building countries take a vote on global leadership. Predictably, nations vote for themselves, so it falls upon another new addition to the game, independent city states, to vote for you at the UN. You must gain their trust and allegiance through carrying out tasks for them and giving them tribute, which in turn they will offer you their resources and military aid should you go to war. Whilst a fun little addition to the game, it's disappointing that the only way these fickle NPCs remain on your side is if you constantly pay them. This makes the diplomatic victory somewhat underwhelming. For example, in another game I merely paid off all the city states just before they were due to vote so that they all voted for me. While I had exhausted my treasury to pay off the city states, the victory still felt kind of cheap. The final condition is, rather unsurprisingly, all out conquest and annihilation of your opponents. Of course, there is technically a fifth - running down the calendar and seeing who has the highest score at the end - but that's no fun.

Resources also come under revision. There is a neat little concept on how they are now treated. For example, if you now only have one horse, you may only build one mounted unit. This adds a whole new dimension to resource management and allocation as you must now prioritise. It also adds emphasis on their value and scarcity, making war over vital resources that much more worth it. Science also becomes a resource. You can no longer trade with your allies for quick advancement, making falling behind in technological development potentially deleterious. Simply put, if you don't research it, you won't get it. All this essentially forms the core of the game; you must prioritise the shape your civilization takes. Do you build temples and broadcast towers in pursuit of a cultural victory? Or maybe you should concentrate on libraries and universities in your quest for space travel? On the other hand, perhaps it more straight forward to construct barracks and armouries in order to smash your rivals. The fact of the matter is, you will not be able to do all three in any one game. This takes Empire management to a whole new level in considering the opportunity cost of your policies.

While I may have appeared to bemoan many of the new implementations in Civilization V, most of them are actually minor quibbles and are rather a critical analysis of areas which could be fine-tuned. Sid Meier's team have been bold in revamping the franchise but they have done an excellent job. This is actually a great game and I will certainly be playing it for a long time. It is not only addictive to the point of keeping you up till 3am wondering where all that time has gone, but it also boasts endless replayability. Such are the numerous victory conditions and different civilizations from which you can choose, each new game will be unique. Civ V is both new and old at the same time and while not necessarily the best in the franchise, it would be impossible to say which, if any of the five incarnations are. It does however have its own particular place, offering a fresh approach with an emphasis on combat. But before you go out and play, a word of advice. Don't trust Gandhi. He has nukes.