Sid Meier's Civilization IV

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1176 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 926 out of 1176
  2. Mixed: 148 out of 1176
  3. Negative: 102 out of 1176
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  1. EP
    Nov 13, 2005
    9
    This is easilly the best civ game ever made. The quantity of viable options and strategies available has exploded while issues with the arduous micro management and boring end game have been all but erased. I will have to deduct a point from my rating for two things, though: Firstly, while the new graphics look nice, I find them somewhat superfluous and unnecessarily restrictive. I'd This is easilly the best civ game ever made. The quantity of viable options and strategies available has exploded while issues with the arduous micro management and boring end game have been all but erased. I will have to deduct a point from my rating for two things, though: Firstly, while the new graphics look nice, I find them somewhat superfluous and unnecessarily restrictive. I'd love to play this game on my laptop as well. Secondly, some areas of the game, such as the civilopedia and the advisor screens, lack a bit of polish. I'm sure official patches or fanmade mods will address these issues eventually.… Expand
  2. YannickB.
    Oct 29, 2007
    9
    It's a great game with a whole range of concepts and stuff, you can spend hours creating your empire, it's just sad there's only a turn-based mode, i'd love to play without the turns.
  3. JohnR
    Dec 14, 2008
    9
    This is my first experience of Civilisation and I'm impressed. I love the 'Great Person' feature and the Golden Ages. There are some excellent unique units and buildings - I always play as Peter The Great because Cossacks give me a distinct advantage over Cavalry in the middle part of the game. There are some excellent wonders to build as well. Always save the Globe Theatre This is my first experience of Civilisation and I'm impressed. I love the 'Great Person' feature and the Golden Ages. There are some excellent unique units and buildings - I always play as Peter The Great because Cossacks give me a distinct advantage over Cavalry in the middle part of the game. There are some excellent wonders to build as well. Always save the Globe Theatre and National Park wonders until the end of the game when you'll have a large population (my biggest city had a population of 40) ! My only gripe is a complaint I would also level against games such as Rise of Nations : at the end of the game the original uniqueness of the different civs has disappeared and every civ is pretty much the same. I suppose this is realistic though. Also, micromanagement can get a bit tedious when you have 30 or 40 cities. However, this is a game that I'll come back to time and time again because it has plenty of depth and every game is different. I wish there were more old school PC games in development. We can only hope. Another winner from Sid Meier.… Expand
  4. jarnold
    Dec 22, 2011
    9
    A revolutionary game for its time, Civ IV is still good nearly 7 years later. By far a better game than Civ V, IV is complex and engaging with more to learn every time you play. If you buy this game, there is a strong chance you will become obsessed and spend hours on end playing. So long as you have the time, Civ IV is much more worthwhile than many of the newer, more expensive games out now.
  5. CivforBrains
    Jun 4, 2011
    9
    Great game. Other than some issues with the ATI card I had at the time, I've thoroughly enjoyed this game. Definitely the high water mark of the series.
  6. island
    Aug 31, 2011
    9
    One of the best strategy games ever. The realistic and a little complex gameplay makes this game a masterpiece. The music is awesome, the graphics is acceptable and it has a great technology tree as well. I only don't like the limited rounds.
  7. cub317
    Jun 27, 2013
    9
    I can't say I really enjoy strategy games that much. Admittedly, I usually pick them up, and get bored of them really fast. However, I still play them anyway because despite how bored I get of them, I can often see where people who love this genre to death would love these games. That was the case with this game. While I got bored of it and hopped right back into Skyrim, I can totallyI can't say I really enjoy strategy games that much. Admittedly, I usually pick them up, and get bored of them really fast. However, I still play them anyway because despite how bored I get of them, I can often see where people who love this genre to death would love these games. That was the case with this game. While I got bored of it and hopped right back into Skyrim, I can totally see where strategy gaming fans will love this game. It truly is a fantastic game. It takes turn-based strategy to whole new levels. There is no real story to this game, however, it does not even need one. The story is really your own. You get to choose your own famous civilization, and set out to conquer the world through one of six victory conditions. You start out in ancient times with only one warrior and settler in most games. However, you will soon progress further to make giant civilizations that will span across the globe. The graphics and sound are also quite good. There is not a lot of detail in the graphics, however, there does not need to be any detail. The graphics are fine just the way they are. You can easily distinguish how everything looks in this game, so detail is not needed. Everything sounds just the way it should too. The game has a beautiful soundtrack, and the units also sound good. The gameplay is also very good. The game works perfectly as a turn-based strategy game. You make your decisions in turns, so you and your opponents (other civilizations) will each get a fair fight as if it were a more complicated game of chess. However, that's not to say the game is too complicated. The truth is, while this game is very advanced, it is simple at the same time. If you are unsure of what to do in the game, you can just set the difficulty level to its lowest setting, and the game will give you help by recommending certain options over others. It's one of those games that is easy to learn, but hard to master. That is probably the best thing about this game's gameplay. However, there is much more to it than that. The decisions you make can positively or negatively effect your civilization over time, and there is an almost limitless amount of decisions you can make in this game. You can form an alliance with other civilizations in hopes of having a peaceful victory in the end, or you can go to war with them to achieve a conquest victory. You can choose which technology your civilization should advance in, what landmarks it should have, what religions it should practice, and much much more. Believe it or not, there is even more to the gameplay than this. The game is also loaded with extra features. It has an encyclopedia, telling about every unit in the game, along with the history of every civilization (and yes, the history is 100% accurate). This makes the game a nice little history lesson. There are also several mods included with the game that change the way the game is played. There are some mods that follow history, such as mods that are made to completely recreate it, or a specific part of it such as World War II. There are also mods that tell a completely different story, such as a war going on between Russians, and mods that have absolutely nothing to do with history, and instead focus on a kind of fantasy. These mods included really change the game for the better. Overall, despite how bored I get of this game, it really is fantastic. I believe that every strategy gamer will love this game, and it is well deserving of a 9 out of 10.… Expand
  8. gist95966
    Dec 28, 2012
    9
    This is a really decent game. I've "only" played civilization 1, 4, and 5 and 1 and 4 were my best experiences. This isn't a review for the other civs, so I will try to limit it to this one. The graphics look better than the screenshots suggest so don't let something like that deter you. What makes this game and civ 1 so great is the level of complexity that goes into your relationshipsThis is a really decent game. I've "only" played civilization 1, 4, and 5 and 1 and 4 were my best experiences. This isn't a review for the other civs, so I will try to limit it to this one. The graphics look better than the screenshots suggest so don't let something like that deter you. What makes this game and civ 1 so great is the level of complexity that goes into your relationships with other countries and your many choices to make during the course of gameplay. Most things you don't like you can turn off. There are only 2 things that bring this game down from a perfect score for me.

    First, is the %'s that the game tells you that you have of winning a fight. It will say something like 98.9% chance for victory... and you lose more like 1/3 of the time. This makes combat a bit frustrating - you never really know your odds of victory and what you resort to doing is saving before a fight so that you don't have to rely on luck to win. If these percentages were accurate I might choose to live with the consequences, but they aren't.

    The other downside and perhaps one that is merely opinion - but I feel enough people agree that it's worth mentioning anyway... is that the game is difficult. I play on the lowest difficulty settings and without feeling like a total wimp (for example giving myself more allies than the enemy has) I usually don't win. I don't play with barbarians anymore, but when I did having them around made the game MUCH more difficult. You can turn them off but it's something to be aware of.

    The first flaw is the only one that feels like a major pain though.. win or lose I still have quite a bit of fun playing.    … Expand
  9. SamisGodzirra
    Nov 29, 2012
    9
    The best turn based strategy ever (in my opinion), better even than any of the empire earth games! A great game that keeps me entertained to this day.
  10. Diddlethumb
    Oct 15, 2013
    9
    Sorry, went to the wrong game lol and reviewed the wrong game sorry. Can someone perhaps delete my previous one?...ugh...oh well! Off to visist the Civ 5 one!
  11. Ydun79
    Feb 11, 2019
    9
    Very good and addictive game. Also very good in multiplayer. It has somewhat of a learning curve but stick with it.
  12. Archoniz
    Jul 5, 2015
    9
    1 of the most anticipated game through my life, next to Starcraft 2 and Sins of Solar Empire. The game is quite a good time-consumer which are varied in different way to win or deviate a plan on every part of the game. Good time to spend on 6 hours ++, Good animation, less 'buggy' and its awesome. CIV IV is fun to be in multiplayer and Skirmish, even it doesn't have campaign. THE verdict1 of the most anticipated game through my life, next to Starcraft 2 and Sins of Solar Empire. The game is quite a good time-consumer which are varied in different way to win or deviate a plan on every part of the game. Good time to spend on 6 hours ++, Good animation, less 'buggy' and its awesome. CIV IV is fun to be in multiplayer and Skirmish, even it doesn't have campaign. THE verdict is, its a real-time long chess match to be honest.… Expand
  13. Babutto
    Jan 20, 2022
    9
    I hated this game after Civ 3. But now, I changed my mind.

    Pros.: - The main advantage - it's simpler and faster. Game mechanics now are super convenient. There is no need to make dozens of units. Just have one dozen and it's enough to advance your troops. - Religion made some problems but with the proper management it creates a deep boundaries between neighbors. - Sharing borders is    I hated this game after Civ 3. But now, I changed my mind.

    Pros.:
    - The main advantage - it's simpler and faster. Game mechanics now are super convenient. There is no need to make dozens of units. Just have one dozen and it's enough to advance your troops.
    - Religion made some problems but with the proper management it creates a deep boundaries between neighbors.
    - Sharing borders is not a big issue now.
    - Dimplomacy became significantly better.
    - More civic policies.

    Cons.:
    - Maybe the same as before. If you fail to invest in the army at the beginning - you're done. The neighbors will attack.
    - A bit complicated with the city attacks. But it elevates the role of the artillery. Developed further in the following games.

    So, it's almost a perfect game. Lol. 20 years ago I would have said it's a disaster.    … Expand
  14. KaleSungurCrane
    Nov 20, 2020
    9
    OVERALL - 93%

    Gameplay - 8/10
    Graphics (for time) - 6/10
    Story - 5/10
    Game Length - 10/10
    Characters - 6/10
    Level/Area Design - 8/10
    Atmosphere - 7/10
    Sound Effects - 9/10
    Soundtrack - 9/10
    Replay Value - 10/10

    The best Civ game since Civ II. Leonard Nimoy adds so much character to the game and I'd happily play this game even now.
  15. MPGSpotter
    Dec 12, 2020
    9
    By far the best Civilization game vanilla. With mods it takes on the entire 4X genre
  16. ertyz
    Jan 13, 2022
    9
    very addictive
    very nice game if I need to compare among all other games by the way.
  17. RTCWFAN
    Aug 29, 2023
    9
    Civ IV is the best entry of the franchise. After getting into the mechanics, I played about six hours without a pause. Overall rating: 9.2.
  18. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 24, 2023
    9
    As good as all previous civs, with beautiful graphics and more options... Objectively the best civilization of the saga, but each new version loses freshness step by step
  19. CarloR.
    Jan 16, 2006
    8
    Good game. Potentially addicting for spurts of time, but also potentially repetitive, predictable and tedious. A 9.3?? Alongside such classics as Baldur's Gate II, Quake or Civ 2?!! Ridiculous. I was blown away by Civ 2, dissapointed w/ Civ3, and found this one to be good, but not deserving of the effusive praise seen here.
  20. SaschaP.
    Nov 1, 2005
    8
    It's no Alpha Centauri, but better than Civ 3 at any rate. I would greatly prefer a classical iso perspective, but every game has to be 3D nowadays, whether it makes sense or not.
  21. EarlG.
    Nov 5, 2005
    8
    Ok, did some extensive "testing". The game is really impro?ved and immersive - in general. But... - As already said, the eras pass too fast and your units get obsolete before you can use them. - Religions need to be improved by patches. Christianity and Islam are almost never adopted as state religions. There is no incentive for the AI and the player to do so. - Streamlined gameplay also Ok, did some extensive "testing". The game is really impro?ved and immersive - in general. But... - As already said, the eras pass too fast and your units get obsolete before you can use them. - Religions need to be improved by patches. Christianity and Islam are almost never adopted as state religions. There is no incentive for the AI and the player to do so. - Streamlined gameplay also causes the cities to get easily idle. To few buildings to build. - The PC can't keep up with the late game on a standard map. The delays and lag can become horrible. The same when you zoom out on a messy map. (CPU 2,8 and 512 RAM) Obvious pros: - Religion adds a new layer. - Culture conversion is a viable option, but not too easy achieved. - Civics are nice. I'm not sure if I am happy with the graphics. From a perspective of functionality 3D was surely not necessary. And it's a drain on system performance. On the other hand... well, I don't know. I guess you get used and grow fond of them. All in all a good game. I hope it will get better with patches.… Expand
  22. WalterR.
    Oct 30, 2005
    8
    I'm a big fan of the series but this time around I'm left wondering why such a big departure from the others. I still rate Alpha Centauri as the best and still play it on occasion. Most of what disappointed me about this one is the combat units... too big for one, no reliable way of knowing defensive strengths and why the bowman is such a defensive powerhouse. The graphics are I'm a big fan of the series but this time around I'm left wondering why such a big departure from the others. I still rate Alpha Centauri as the best and still play it on occasion. Most of what disappointed me about this one is the combat units... too big for one, no reliable way of knowing defensive strengths and why the bowman is such a defensive powerhouse. The graphics are beautiful but sorry to say they aren't easier on the eyes, leaves me cockeyed really and why the change from left to right click for unit movements. Here's hoping for Alpha Centauri II...… Expand
  23. EdoardoD.
    Jan 2, 2006
    8
    Excellent game! Not as complex as Civilization 3, but there are some new things to compensate! I don't understand the need for a 3d world, it makes the game graphic quite heavy and slow down everything, especially in multiplayer. Nevertheless the best Sid Meyer's Civilization!
  24. PeterM.
    Jul 2, 2006
    8
    Great game, although it stops in 2780 AD. Probably my civ is too large. At end turn, the game stops.
  25. ClaudC.
    Nov 29, 2005
    8
    It improves on some points of the game such as getting rid of waste/corruption and replacing it with a city maintenance cost. But I would have to agree with some of the other people here that they broke the civilopedia, and not being able to trade resources and tech is silly. To Lee H. what civ have you been playing in the previous versions of civ the combat animation consisted of a guy It improves on some points of the game such as getting rid of waste/corruption and replacing it with a city maintenance cost. But I would have to agree with some of the other people here that they broke the civilopedia, and not being able to trade resources and tech is silly. To Lee H. what civ have you been playing in the previous versions of civ the combat animation consisted of a guy swinging a sword or firing a gun real "in-depth". To Ed "If you've never played a Civ before, you should, but once you've played any one of them, you've more of less played them all" if you tell me you played civ 1 and then civ 2 and you think they are all the same then you were sleeping when you played 1. Wel I think this game is an improvement overall even though they did break some things so it get an 8.… Expand
  26. Oyster
    Jun 18, 2008
    8
    This game is very fun to play, but it's pretty unbalanced.
  27. Tubey
    Jun 30, 2012
    8
    Strategy gaming at it's finest. People may argue that the graphical development has taken precedence over gameplay in Civ 4 (the culture system a bit hit and miss, and the end game can end up a bit of a quagmire) but for me the game play is still exceptionally addictive.

    If you enjoy games that make you think before you act, Civ 4 is for you.
  28. Sean-M
    May 27, 2020
    8
    This is probably the best entry in Civ series. Considering when you have all the expansions. 8 out of 10.
  29. danielrocks
    Feb 3, 2014
    8
    This game is very time consuming and can get frustrating at times but overall it is amazing.....
    It is worth getting defiantly but play other games.
    P.S. Play on the american revolution mod. Its good
  30. Wiebe
    Feb 25, 2020
    8
    Best of the Civs, an 8 for its time, even though the game play on the board with the tiles and army movement is quite limited (and the balance for the army part as well).
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2005
7
#7 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
8
#8 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 50 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 50
  3. Negative: 0 out of 50
  1. IGN
    94
    While the game hasn't lost any depth or detail, every aspect of the design has been streamlined to make it easier for new players to jump in and less monotonous for veterans. Die-hard fans will definitely find that the game offers up so much more variety this time around.
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  2. Yahoo!
    90
    Firaxis shows an impressively consistent grasp of what to abstract and what to detail, and a remarkable talent for presenting large-scale strategic challenges in a format that's easy to digest.
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  3. 1UP
    90
    From the mellow sounds of Leonard Nimoy's narration to the polished world view that allows you to smoothly scroll from satellite view to up-close and personal, this is the consummate update of a classic.
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