We’ve decided to line up the best Civilization games for you to have a look at, and know more about the ace series. This series is all about it turn based strategy offerings with a 4X twist. The games grant you the joys of creating a civilization on a macro-scale, and taking it from prehistory up to the near future. The grand scale on which it is played forms one of its main highlights, apart from other gameplay features which look to amplify the fun with their unique consequences. These include the ability to research technologies which in turn grant you the cultural, intellectual and technical advancements needed for your civilization to flourish. Military conquest also forms a major part of these titles, leading to some really memorable scenarios which fans will always be heard talking about. Created by none other than Sid Meier, the series saw its first entry coming out back in 1991 for the DOS platform. And with its hit offerings, the franchise took no time to find its groove. Over the years, with the emergence of newer possibilities and fresh hardware, it has evolved a great deal, and we now have a lot many games from the series to look back at. Here we will be listing all the main games from the series in our order of preference, based on what they had to offer to avid gamers of today. Let’s have a look at them then.
1 – Civilization IV
By all means, Civilization IV is the top game from the series. This is thanks to its bold innovations which gave fans and newcomers alike some ridiculously addictive turn based strategy gameplay. Available for PC and Mac, it not only perfects the series’ core gameplay concept, but also introduces new options which add a lot of flavor to the whole deal. Civilization IV’s advanced 3D engine enables smooth zooming from world map levels down to individual squares, whereas its visuals and sounds too manage to take you deeper into the experience. Universally acclaimed by fans and critics from around the world, 2005’s Civilization IV has even been blessed with two equally awesome expansions titled Warlords (2006) and Beyond the Sword (2007).
2 – Civilization III
Even as you embark upon your journey of building an empire from 4,000 BC till the modern day in Civilization III, you are asked indulge in activities such as constructing and improving cities, training military and non-military units, improving terrain, researching for new technologies, building Wonders of the World and a lot more. This highly addictive game was launched for PC and Mac back in 2001, and had managed to build quite a fan base for itself in a very short amount of time. Play the World, its first expansion added an option of indulging in multiplayer gameplay, whereas the second one, named Conquests presented gamers with nine more historical scenarios.
3 – Civilization V
The most recent among the lot, Civilization V is the finest looking game from the series till date, thanks to its detailed graphics. It’s a neat experience to indulge in for fans as well as those unfamiliar with the previous titles. One of Civilization V’s main highlights is its overhauled tactical combat system which is dynamic and utterly enjoyable. The game’s diverse victory conditions which include everything from research and exploration to diplomacy and military conquest give you a lot to play for. Civilization V also adds a number of automation features which help you keep your focused fixed on the main job. Released for PC and Mac in 2010, it has received two expansions till date, in the form of Gods & Kings which blessed the game with religion and espionage aspects, and Brave New World which gave it features such as international trade routes, a world congress, tourism and more.
4 – Civilization II
Setting you on the course of a journey from the Stone Age to the Space Age, Civilization II asks you to either align yourselves to military conquest or to technological research during your progress. And no matter what approach you decide to take, careful planning with regards to your economics, foreign policies, scientific development, infrastructure and lots more is needed for your civilization to thrive. Unlike the first game’s a top-down view, Civilization II provided gamers with an isometric perspective. This title was initially released only for PC and Mac in 1996, but in 1998 it also made its way to the PlayStation along with a redesigned interface so as to take advantage of the console’s controller. And it has received two expansion packs as well, in the form of Conflicts in Civilization which added included 20 new scenarios, and Fantastic Worlds which a number of unique settings along with its fresh scenarios.
5 – Civilization
Many might argue that the first game from a series has to be the greatest one, since it’s the reason why the others exist in the first place. As much as we believe that’s true, we’ve adjudged this list on the basis of which games will be more fun to play in today’s times, and Civilization has been picked last due to the fact that it’s a small DOS game. Mind you it’s not an unenjoyable offering by any means. Often referred to as the one of the finest PC games ever created, it has given the turn-based strategy genre some of its most revered elements.
Conclusion:
With that we conclude our list of the best Civilization games you can lay your hands on right now. All these addictive offerings are heaven for turn based strategy fans, and should definitely be given a try by them.