Sid Meier's Civilization V

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2963 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,247 out of 2963
  2. Mixed: 454 out of 2963
  3. Negative: 262 out of 2963
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  1. DexEngineer
    Aug 14, 2020
    9
    Addictive game... One more turn... Sleepless nights. Hundred hours played. Lots of fun if you are determine to explore the rules.
  2. Sean-M
    Jul 23, 2020
    7
    This is a nice game, but comparing to CIV IV, it is not as good. 8 out of 10.
  3. gracjanski
    Dec 20, 2022
    10
    The best version in my view, togehter with Civ IV: the unit system is better in my view, than stacking them all in one field. The social politic system is great, because detailed. The idea of neutral city state is nice also.
  4. HaloFever
    Nov 22, 2019
    7
    This review is for Civ V complete, with the Gods & Kings and Brave New World expansions. The "vanilla" game is a stripped down version that offers very little game play. Fortunately for you, the game is so old that the complete edition is super cheap.

    Civ V is a delicacy. The game is missing core features from old civ games but adds a lot of great features for fans of strategy games.    This review is for Civ V complete, with the Gods & Kings and Brave New World expansions. The "vanilla" game is a stripped down version that offers very little game play. Fortunately for you, the game is so old that the complete edition is super cheap.

    Civ V is a delicacy. The game is missing core features from old civ games but adds a lot of great features for fans of strategy games. The good: the hex based strategic combat feels smart for the first time in civ history. No more stacking units to take a city or facing a stack of doom from the computer. You can win wars by playing smart. The bad: the game rewards only a few styles of play and does not offer a risk-reward for player choices.

    On that bad part, the game punishes the player for building an empire. Ever new city increases unhappiness to the point that any amount of cities greater than 4 leads to happiness problems in the early game. Conquering enemy cities generates even more unhappiness, and many a campaign of conquest ended with a peace treaty because of it. The notion of happiness if fine, but the execution is terrible. The result is that most players stick with civilizations that reward small empires.

    More on the bad. While some choices are essential, such as choosing to focus on a few cities to preserve happiness, others are inconsequential. For example, you can choose the Patronage social policy tree to lower the cost of gold needed to bribe city states. Or you can choose a policy tree that increases you gold earnings. Later on, you can choose the Freedom ideology to increase the generation of great people by 25%. Or you can choose Order and to increase the generation of great people by 25%. None of these choices have a drawback. Choosing Patronage will not hamper you ability to generate money or increase science. The same goes for Rationalism, which increases science with no extra cost to your civilization in happiness, culture, or gold generation. Every choice you make is a winner, which makes the choices extremely boring.

    A little side note on city states: you can buy their allegiance or do some very gamified quests to gain their allegiance. There is little nuance, and for the most part, the city states do little to enhance the game. For the most part, I used the city states as shields in the early game and then as a source of votes in the late game for a diplomatic victory. Overall, though, I think they clutter the map and are a sink for gold in the diplomatic game. I often half the number of city states or leave them out of the game entirely.

    Civ V has a great mod support from the community. If you are on PC. On Mac, you have access to many mods, but not the most game changing mods that fix all of the problems I mentioned above. On PC, you want to go with the Steam version (even though I find it bothersome to have to launch Steam to play a game) and find the Vox Populi mod. I would have preferred if the developer opened up the game to tweaking by the user as old civ games did. (For example, I edited some text files in Civ II to increase gold per turn so I wouldn't have to bother moving caravans. Fortunately Civ V automates caravans.) At least the mods add some life to the game. Mult-player still works and people do play it. Head over to the Civ V reddit page if you are looking to find people still playing.

    I would love to score this game higher as Civ is my favorite game series of all time (though I hated, hated, Civ III). Maybe if I would love the game more if had a PC instead of a Mac, and ran the Vox Populi mod. But I don't, and after hundreds of hours of gameplay, I can safely say this game has much less to offer than it seems, which is kind of sad.    … Expand
  5. Cemossunal
    Mar 10, 2014
    5
    I quite mixed up, when I first play this game. That's because I saw good quality of the pixels, soundtracks and interface is wonderful. However, there's a huge failure of Sid meiers' and it is called the absence of religion! When I saw this I was shocked. There're a lot of social policies (which are good) and there's a religion related policy too! It is good that they improved the cityI quite mixed up, when I first play this game. That's because I saw good quality of the pixels, soundtracks and interface is wonderful. However, there's a huge failure of Sid meiers' and it is called the absence of religion! When I saw this I was shocked. There're a lot of social policies (which are good) and there's a religion related policy too! It is good that they improved the city management, but they removed the health level that was In civ 4. For example, I missed the natural disasters, vermin etc and especially vassal states. My another disappointment was the espionage system. Additionally, civ leaders and negotiations are improved. To sum up, i still recommend this game to you, but with dlc's. You can purchase this game with brave new world expansion p, it suffisticates me with additional benefits, such as trade routes. Have a nice game :) I lstill ove all the series… Expand
  6. thehumangerm
    May 26, 2014
    8
    Great game but you will want to pick up the first expansion at a minimum to truly enjoy the game. Brave New World really fixes almost all of the game mechanic issues found in this series. Combined they are a 10 in my book.
  7. RodrigoFD99
    Sep 5, 2018
    9
    All you need to know is that this game is a masterpiece, a must-have... Stop wasting your time and purchase it.
  8. Rangaman
    May 3, 2017
    8
    A great game, with a few problems that drag it down. I've logged almost 300 hours on this game, more than any other game I own. Yes, I know that's pretty small by Civ standards, but it's particularly impressive by mine.

    So those problems: well, the easiest is Universal Happiness. It's a mechanic designed to limit expansion. In theory, population growth and city building add unhappiness,    A great game, with a few problems that drag it down. I've logged almost 300 hours on this game, more than any other game I own. Yes, I know that's pretty small by Civ standards, but it's particularly impressive by mine.

    So those problems: well, the easiest is Universal Happiness. It's a mechanic designed to limit expansion. In theory, population growth and city building add unhappiness, so you must please your population before expanding further. Sounds good, right? Wrong. Natural resources play a big part in this, and if you don't have any population-pleasing resources in range, you're screwed. On top of that, happiness is completely random at times. Dropping from 2 to -3 for seemingly no reason on one memorable occasion.

    Oh, and the AI is rock-stupid. And it will declare war on you for no good reason.

    But aside from those issues, Civ V is a fun, well-executed strategy game that, while perhaps not as well-balanced as its legendary predecessor, is definitely more accessible.    … Expand
  9. VoxMare
    Mar 15, 2017
    7
    Настоятельно рекомендую к покупке. В общем-то, я не знаю чего можно написать о Циве такого, все знают, что такое Цива, но выделю моменты, которые мне НЕ понравились.

    1. Боевые действия невыгодны. Может я неправильно воюю, но куда проще нафармить злата и подружиться со всеми взятками и уступками, чем тратить деньги на армию, время не перекидывание войск и вообще все осуждают войну. Мой    Настоятельно рекомендую к покупке. В общем-то, я не знаю чего можно написать о Циве такого, все знают, что такое Цива, но выделю моменты, которые мне НЕ понравились.

    1. Боевые действия невыгодны.
    Может я неправильно воюю, но куда проще нафармить злата и подружиться со всеми взятками и уступками, чем тратить деньги на армию, время не перекидывание войск и вообще все осуждают войну. Мой милитарист негодуетЪ

    2. Убрали статистику в конце игры, а ту, что оставили, порезали до примитива и это весьма плохо!

    3. Дипломатия здесь сводится к тому, кто больше заплатит. Можно, например, подкупить все города-государства на выборах ООН и победить в дипломатической победе, даже если вы будете страной-изгоем. Да и вообще, вся дипломатия тут -- один сплошной недостаток.

    4. Долгие загрузки. Игра довольна стара и почему она так долго грузится -- мне не понятно.

    5. Стратегический режим слишком громоздок, а некоторые значки неинформативны. В 6 с этим, вроде как, получше будет.

    6. Шпионаж бесполезен(времени на воровство технологии нужно столько, что к тому моменту вы уже на 10 технологий вперед уйдете), а зачем нужна религия -- я так и не понял, ее единственная польза -- в закупках за очки веры. А, ну и возможность создать веру в Бога-Императора радует.

    Если говорить в целом, то 4 часть мне нравилась больше. Может со временем, я смогу снова запустить Циву5 и наконец-то распробую ее сполна и тогда начну ее любить, но пока что 4 лучше. Но это не значит, что пятую часть нужно проигнорировать -- в пятой части много интересных фишек, как то новая система войск или "артефактов", которая позволяет создать страну-"курорт". А учитывая низкую цену игры -- то сомнений быть не должно, надо поиграть.    … Expand
  10. Barnes1987
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    This is just quality. The game that got me properly hooked on CIV. Endless hours spent on this game.
    Best to get the complete edition if purchasing and comes highly recommended. 10/10
  11. ISCybercoreSI
    Sep 1, 2017
    10
    A todas las críticas negativas, que dios les perdone porque yo no, preparaos para la guerra!
    Nah, hablando en serio creo que el juego nos sería lo mismo sin Brave New World, aunque de todas formas la saga es un gran logro no solo en lo técnico y jugabilístico, sinó que es un buen punto de apoyo cultural :)
  12. miccael
    Jul 29, 2019
    8
    Lovely game, even better than 6. 6 looks like a mobile game with some improvements.
  13. Dco326
    Feb 14, 2022
    8
    Pamtim je kao zanimljivu igricu, bila je top oduvek sam voleo civilizaciju ali za mene nema replayability nikaakv realno.
  14. veedub
    Dec 21, 2016
    10
    Overall an amazing game. Procedural generation of the world makes it feel fresh, especially when you disable start biases. Doing well at the game requires an overall balance of strategy -- doing well in one area might make you deficient in others and leave you open to getting beat by someone else, running out of resources, being unable to expand the way you want, or getting dominated byOverall an amazing game. Procedural generation of the world makes it feel fresh, especially when you disable start biases. Doing well at the game requires an overall balance of strategy -- doing well in one area might make you deficient in others and leave you open to getting beat by someone else, running out of resources, being unable to expand the way you want, or getting dominated by your opponent's superior military (either in numbers or in technology).

    Game looks good, plays well on a full range of hardware.

    Gandhi declares nuclear war? America embraces Communism? Aztecs the most technologically advanced nation? Pacifist Germany? HECK YEAH BABY!    … Expand
  15. bigcountrylolz
    Nov 2, 2016
    10
    My 1st 10 rating!!! One of the best games IMHO of the last 5+ years. I have thousands of hours into it, and I am not finished yet. I got VI, but I'm already sliding back into V. The community and the mods and the everything really, has made this game what it is. I am still getting converts even today. If you like 4x games this one is a MUST OWN.
  16. JakGLaDOS29
    Dec 30, 2016
    8
    As my first taste into the Civ series, this game doesn't disappoint. It seems as though the game can go anyway you want to go, which is why it is difficult to review as your journey in the game can be completely different to someone else. I find that when I'm winning, I'm more impressed by the game and want to play more. I find myself biting nails during wars. This game is not withoutAs my first taste into the Civ series, this game doesn't disappoint. It seems as though the game can go anyway you want to go, which is why it is difficult to review as your journey in the game can be completely different to someone else. I find that when I'm winning, I'm more impressed by the game and want to play more. I find myself biting nails during wars. This game is not without fault but with 55 hours of game time I still havent won a game (lol) but its been enough for me to see that this game is not for those who are impatient. A solid game but it can be very interesting, or very boring, it all depends on your style of play.… Expand
  17. Roke_
    Mar 23, 2017
    10
    Fantastic strategy game as it really is one of the best of its kind as the single player is interesting even though the difficulty need to be a bit higher on some higher difficulties and later the AI do just start cheating but its fun and has massive replay-ability as you can do what ever you want in the game as there are hardly any restrictions and they also included scenarios which areFantastic strategy game as it really is one of the best of its kind as the single player is interesting even though the difficulty need to be a bit higher on some higher difficulties and later the AI do just start cheating but its fun and has massive replay-ability as you can do what ever you want in the game as there are hardly any restrictions and they also included scenarios which are really cool as you play out historical events which can be really fun but they could be better if they were multiplayer as you could verse each other in historical events. Also the multiplayer is fantastic even though it can be hard to setup as there are problems with servers and glitches but once you get playing its so addicting and fun to play.… Expand
  18. PimN
    Feb 28, 2018
    9
    Civilization V starts with your settlers founding your first city. From there on, your civilization will grow and expand by your command. As the game progresses you will meet other civilizations, and you will start trading, and getting involved in international politics. The ultimate goal is to get your civ to defeat all other civs. This can be done in multiple ways. You can win with aCivilization V starts with your settlers founding your first city. From there on, your civilization will grow and expand by your command. As the game progresses you will meet other civilizations, and you will start trading, and getting involved in international politics. The ultimate goal is to get your civ to defeat all other civs. This can be done in multiple ways. You can win with a Military, Science, Cultural, Diplomatic or Time victory.

    This is the best game of the franchise. I've spent rougly 200 hours in this game (only 100 hours on the steam version), and I think I have seen all of what Civ V has to offer.

    If you ever loved any strategy game, I think you should try Civilization V. It is simply the best 4X and best turn-based game out there. The game is very cheap on sales, so if you're hesitating, just get it on sale.

    If you're buying this you should get the complete bundle with all DLC packs, because the expansions are great.    … Expand
  19. Lordjosh286
    Mar 9, 2017
    8
    I'm going to begin with Vanilla Civ V leaves much to be desired but thats just how Civ games are until they begin releasing the expansions revealing what they truly have planned for a game. Now the first thing I was thrown off by was the change to a hex based system but in all honesty it made it easier for me to manage my forces so I am no longer force to compete with death stacks butI'm going to begin with Vanilla Civ V leaves much to be desired but thats just how Civ games are until they begin releasing the expansions revealing what they truly have planned for a game. Now the first thing I was thrown off by was the change to a hex based system but in all honesty it made it easier for me to manage my forces so I am no longer force to compete with death stacks but instead I can make a front to deal with enemy forces. Also the revamp to religion was great since now you have a more tangible benefit to becoming a religious nation other than for example Russia and I share a religious view +4 in diplomacy! While it is still there to help out with deals and negotiation the fact I can get increase production from fishing boats makes coastal cities very viable for you. The DLC is a must buy in my opinion if you don't own it already although you would be better served buying the complete edition from Amazon or Steam. I would highly recommend playing and if you have some friends and play just one more turn...… Expand
  20. Sokar
    Mar 18, 2017
    9
    I think that is one of the best strategic games in the world, you can do everything you want with your empire and this "everything" is made so so good.
  21. hiltong55
    Jul 16, 2018
    7
    Before I start my ramble I would like to say that only played the base game and from what I hear the game was greatly improved with DLC. My personal taste for turn-based strategy was shaped by the Total War series so naturally, I have that bias so take my opinion for what it is.

    With all that being said I can tell you that Civ V definitely has that one more turn, addictive nature to it.    Before I start my ramble I would like to say that only played the base game and from what I hear the game was greatly improved with DLC. My personal taste for turn-based strategy was shaped by the Total War series so naturally, I have that bias so take my opinion for what it is.

    With all that being said I can tell you that Civ V definitely has that one more turn, addictive nature to it. I actually really enjoyed the beginning moments of the game as you are trying to discover new blocks and getting into small battles with barbarians. This element of discovery and not knowing what is around you gives the game a sense of wonder. Building and expanding your nation is pretty easy to figure out without many handholdy tutorials in your face. You can find what you need to learn in the menu fairly easily. The technology upgrade system has a lot of different choices and is surprisingly detailed. The combat is kind of dull and simulation-based but that was to be expected. I was just hoping for some varied animations and creativity.

    The game for me really started to show its flaws around mid-game as I was discovering other nations. I quickly started to realize that the diplomacy system is not in anyway detailed or functional enough for what I would expect out of a civilization game. Trading seemed overly simplistic. If the nation likes you they will trade, if they don't they won't. From the very beginning, I was very confused as to what the winning conditions were and equally confused as to who I should be attacking and who I should be allying with (this just may be my lack of experience with this specific game).

    Overall I guess I can say I enjoyed the game but was disappointed with the overall mechanics of the AI. I would say to the developers that if this is the style of turn-based strategy that you are going to present you really need to focus on the depth and detail of your diplomacy. Also, just be a little more clear on what I should be focusing on to achieve victory. Good game 7/10.    … Expand
  22. Jack5switch
    Dec 19, 2017
    8
    This game is phenomenal. The gameplay is worth every second. The expansion packs are fantastic and add whole new levels to the game that can have you lose hour after hour to their contents. But to top it all off, it has a colossal modding community and a map editor, and was one of the most played games on Steam for a while, despite having been released in 2010.
  23. NZAnimeManga
    Dec 7, 2017
    9
    Excellent turn-based strategy game - hands down the best purchase that I made in the steam autumn sale (in a bundle with all DLC for just £8.06). Already put 42+ hours into it in the last 2 weeks: to the potential detriment of my university grades...
  24. WalterDisney
    Nov 14, 2017
    10
    My favortite game from the series. If you're debating between CIV V or CIV VI, definately choose CIV V.

    P.S The game was just on sale for $0.90... that's less than a damn coffee.
  25. gautamkumar633
    Dec 8, 2022
    9
    One of the best strategy games ever made. It is easy to learn for people who are unfamiliar with this type of game, but can still provide adequate challenge as there are 8 difficulty levels to choose from. Doing multiplayer with your friends can be even more fun. This is the first game I would recommend to anyone looking to get into turn based strategy games or just strategy games inOne of the best strategy games ever made. It is easy to learn for people who are unfamiliar with this type of game, but can still provide adequate challenge as there are 8 difficulty levels to choose from. Doing multiplayer with your friends can be even more fun. This is the first game I would recommend to anyone looking to get into turn based strategy games or just strategy games in general. A flawless masterpiece.… Expand
  26. randomphoenix03
    Jun 29, 2017
    10
    One of the best games I've ever played. It's addicting, but it's a good type of addicting. There is so much gameplay and content that you'll end up playing for hours upon hours without realizing it. And if the endless amount of content isn't enough for you, you can either make or download user-made mods so you can have even MORE content. The amount of gameplay and possibilities areOne of the best games I've ever played. It's addicting, but it's a good type of addicting. There is so much gameplay and content that you'll end up playing for hours upon hours without realizing it. And if the endless amount of content isn't enough for you, you can either make or download user-made mods so you can have even MORE content. The amount of gameplay and possibilities are endless, and you won't regret buying it.… Expand
  27. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    7
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  28. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    9
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good
  29. RagingPoet
    Aug 8, 2018
    9
    Civilization 5 continues success of its predecessors. It has pretty much the same strengths and weaknesses: it's highly addictive, accessible and replayable but has terrible AI ruining any chance at diplomacy.

    P.S. A lot of negative reviews here are outdated, the game at its current state has barely any bugs.
  30. nicholas06
    Nov 15, 2017
    10
    I've put 1061 hours into Civ V and its expansions. That's more than 44 days straight. It's a great game and probably one of my favorites all time alongside The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and maybe World of Warcraft.

    The number of civs you can play as + the number of ways you can win + a randomly generated map every game = a game that has paid for itself over and over and over. The    I've put 1061 hours into Civ V and its expansions. That's more than 44 days straight. It's a great game and probably one of my favorites all time alongside The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and maybe World of Warcraft.

    The number of civs you can play as + the number of ways you can win + a randomly generated map every game = a game that has paid for itself over and over and over.

    The only negatives are that there are clear strategies that are head and shoulders above the rest. The AI can also be infuriating with "forward settling" where the map is wide open, but they still insist on plopping a city right by you. But, these are nitpicks.

    The complete edition of this game is probably so cheap and easy to play on current PCs that it's one of the better games you could possibly get!    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PC Game of 2010
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
3
#3 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 70 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 70
  3. Negative: 0 out of 70
  1. Thunderbolt
    Apr 3, 2011
    90
    Despite my gripe with the animations in multiplayer, Civilization V is the perfect entry for the series' debut in the current generation of gaming.
    Read full review
  2. games(TM)
    Jan 20, 2011
    80
    We're just a little bit disappointed that this Civ evolution isn't as polished as we'd expected. [Issue#102, p.108]
  3. Eurogamer Spain
    Jan 15, 2011
    80
    An old franchise that knows who to evolve to adapt to modern times. Its latest new ideas might not be perfect, but serve the purpose of making the game even more interesting.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »