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. Helios
    Oct 11, 2010
    4
    I've been a fairly long-term fan of the series; I played Civ2 when I was a kid and then a couple of years ago got into Civ4, and it really immersed me in a beautiful and epic world of unparalleled strategy and thoughtfulness. After spending over $50 on Civ5 and playing for just over 20 hours, I can tell you that Civ5 is the death of all that was good about the Civilization series. TimeI've been a fairly long-term fan of the series; I played Civ2 when I was a kid and then a couple of years ago got into Civ4, and it really immersed me in a beautiful and epic world of unparalleled strategy and thoughtfulness. After spending over $50 on Civ5 and playing for just over 20 hours, I can tell you that Civ5 is the death of all that was good about the Civilization series. Time and time again we are seeing the profit motive take precedence over well-developed and ground-breaking games and this is the saddest instance I've ever experienced of that. Below is just a short list I've compiled of the problems experienced after 20 hours of play:

    - No micromanagement of happiness in individual cities
    - Many culture policies are absolutely useless, and you 'buy' them with culture 'points' just like technology... why have two tech trees?
    - Most culture policies are repeated verbatim in a wonder that does exactly the same thing
    - Most wonders cost way too much production to build and it's actually better to not bother building 3/4 of them at all
    - No civics, no religion, no health, no forest regrowth, less technologies, no espionage, and no tech/culture slider... - City states offer so little in terms of strategic advantages (you have to pay to maintain the relationship with gold) that you are better just invading them
    - Many buildings are simply copies of earlier buildings that you have to build first (eg. market and bank both just give 25% wealth increase; coliseum and theatre are the same, university and observatory are practically the same as well...) -Only a handful of buildings are worth building at all once you factor in their huge production cost
    - The diplomacy system is next to useless, there is no useful information on other civs as in Civ4, and vassalage is not even an option in the game
    - There is no indicator telling you how another civ feels about you, so you can't tell whether they are 'friendly', 'pleased' etc. outside of the fact that they either threaten you or declare war on you out of nowhere
    - The AI is terrible - in the Noble-difficultly game I was playing, Suleiman, despite being able to expand across islands, only built two cities by the industrial period and was still using spearmen against my riflemen...
    - When I invaded him and took his two cities the rest of the civs went nuts and 4 of them (out of 9) invaded me even though previously they traded with me and signed defensive pacts ....talk about aggressive AI. None of them were allied with each other as far as I could tell, some hadn't even met one another (so it wasn't a brilliant strategy like the religious alliances in Civ4, it was basically just terrible AI)
    - Although the war wasn't really a problem as such because the Japanese leader just 'embarked' all of his knights etc. into the ocean (a new feature that allows you to send units into the sea, but they have 0 strength so get owned by anything hostile). So in the space of 8 turns I destroyed 8 of his units trying to cross the sea with ONE solitary caravel - he hadn't even bothered to build one ship...
    - Aside from these problems, the game is really poorly balanced - depending on the map you get the 'special abilities' each Civ gets (a poor substitute for the two traits from Civ4) are completely useless...eg. playing as Bismarck on an island map (he gets a 50% chance to convert a barbarian unit when he captures a barbarian camp, I didn't get one out of about the 6 that I encountered). Similarly with Suleiman - he gets the same thing but with barbarian naval units... why would you even bother? I would only expect this poor degree of balance in a beta release... Overall I have to say, definitely save your money and if you haven't got Civ4:BtS buy that instead. I will be uninstalling civ5 from my computer and going back to 4, at least until they release the proper modification code and the people over at Civfanatics put together a Civ5 to Civ4 total conversion mod that brings back what made the predecessor a brilliant game. Come to think of it, aside from the shiny graphics , single units and hex squares I can't think of anything new that Civ5 introduces that is actually worthwhile. Where Civ4 was nuanced and rewarded deep strategy, this deeply flawed thing was put together just to make money. The best analogy I can think of to sum up Civ5 is that where Civ4 was a piece of art, Civ5 is a used condom.    … Expand
  2. Megatanis
    Oct 30, 2012
    0
    I don't know where to start. I grew up with civ, it was the very first game I played when i was a kid. It had, as most of the products in that time, an aura of legend around it. I learned history from civ. All of a sudden, I wanted to know who exactly was Shaka of the Zulus. My mind expanded imagining alternate histories. When you played civ, you got smarter. Yes of course it had problems,I don't know where to start. I grew up with civ, it was the very first game I played when i was a kid. It had, as most of the products in that time, an aura of legend around it. I learned history from civ. All of a sudden, I wanted to know who exactly was Shaka of the Zulus. My mind expanded imagining alternate histories. When you played civ, you got smarter. Yes of course it had problems, it was just a game after all. But one of those games you would forgive anything, simply because it has something magical around it. Civ 4 is, as many have pointed out here as well, the pinnacle of the series. Again, of course it had aspects which could have been improved, and btw the Civ series was NEVER the hardest, toughest or most complicated strategy game out there. Try playing the Europa Universalis or Hearts of Iron series, or many others, and you'll see what I mean. Civ has always been a coulourful, entertaining gem, a perfect mix of micro and macro managing, even though the AI was never any good, and some mechanics were certainly improvable. Now we have this..I don't even know how to define it. So, Dear Sid, all of a sudden, after 20 years of pure genius, you decided that people saying "oh no, I have to actually research a tech that will allow me to build transport ships and THEN I must load my units on them?? BOORING" were the ones to listen, while those that made it possible for you to be in business today, those that bought and supported your products in a time when even owning a PC was something (I don't live in the US by the way), were to be insulted in this way. For the respect I still have towards your past wonders, I'll just stop it here, because you know what I'm talking about, the negative comments are really not necessary. You, above everyone else in this world, know perfectly well what has happened to the Civ franchise.

    I firmly believe a compromise between complexity/Traditional civ (for the old fans) and simplicity/moar money (from sales/ influx of newcomers) would have been perfectly doable, and it would have been accepted by everyone.
    To screw up a game like civ in this way is totally unbelievable.

    So bottom line, sure there is nostalgia involved, but I tried to give a balanced judgement. Civ 5 is a shallow, unintersting, boring game. Graphics are only marginally better than civ4, and who cares about "amazing" graphics anyway (in a turn based strategy game). It seems to be riddled with bugs. Gameplay choices are reduced to a minimum, illogical and outright broken mecahisms are everywhere. And, of course, it's a game for 12 years old kids. On top of this, since it's a successor to a great series (and because it's called CIV FIVE), old fans will inevitably compare it to the previous titles. And this is not good. You know it, I know it, everyone that should knows it. The ones that don't, probably have no idea who Sun Tzu was or where the hell is Costantinople, and are wondering why they can't headshot Montezuma, so why bother. You just want their money.
    Right?

    ps I just hope you are spending more money to buy these "The best Civ ever!!!" reviews (LOL) than what you made by selling the game. Maybe when you'll realise that alienating what were probably among the most loyal videogamers in history (civ fans) was a bad marketing decision, you'll see your error. But it will be too late

    Quoque tu, Sid    … Expand
  3. Arctarus
    Dec 24, 2010
    2
    2 points for graphic improvement over previous versions. The rest is garbage and the same old concept with this Civ traditional game. It looks like Civ 5 has seen an upgrade in graphics but got a downgrade in the process by it. Since it is turn-based, it plays like a risk game, but the turns are creating a new phenomenon called "creative boring royale" syndrome. You wait and wait and2 points for graphic improvement over previous versions. The rest is garbage and the same old concept with this Civ traditional game. It looks like Civ 5 has seen an upgrade in graphics but got a downgrade in the process by it. Since it is turn-based, it plays like a risk game, but the turns are creating a new phenomenon called "creative boring royale" syndrome. You wait and wait and wait and wait until kingdom come to the point it's ridiculous to even try. That tells you there is a problem with the game code programming in itself. Good games runs flawlessly and require less space to begin with. Looking at the game sheer size for a turn-based, you get a good idea how bad it will be on your pc. I dub Civ5 The "please wait" civ game instead, and I'm certainly not alone with that saying. Saying no to 2k games for a while and you may actually get better results. Why give them good grades when they don't deserve it? Peace.… Expand
  4. Suyadon
    Dec 25, 2010
    2
    I give this game a FAIL. I would rate this game quite differently based upon its playability, but considering the fact that the game can become unplayable due to CTD's. No crashes BEFORE the December '10 patch release, but now always crashes one I reach the 1600's. I don't deal with games crashing on my PS3 or Xbox360 and don't feel I have to settle for less on my PC. OK, update driversI give this game a FAIL. I would rate this game quite differently based upon its playability, but considering the fact that the game can become unplayable due to CTD's. No crashes BEFORE the December '10 patch release, but now always crashes one I reach the 1600's. I don't deal with games crashing on my PS3 or Xbox360 and don't feel I have to settle for less on my PC. OK, update drivers and some tweeking, I'll take that and I make exceptions when this happens with mods, but c'mon, a clean install of civilization V? I would prefer to get slugged in the face then spend another minute getting half-way through an epic strategy game only to have the game end with CTD's.… Expand
  5. McKampela
    Jun 9, 2011
    5
    The game is aesthetically good looking and the combat system is interesting. But the game sucks, mostly because of really poor AI, that fails all warfare and is boring. The AI takes the worst parts from human players and regular Civ Ai and mashes them into a poorly executed abomination. The AI is unpredictable, in a bad way, stupid and can't grasp the basic concepts of warfare. It alsoThe game is aesthetically good looking and the combat system is interesting. But the game sucks, mostly because of really poor AI, that fails all warfare and is boring. The AI takes the worst parts from human players and regular Civ Ai and mashes them into a poorly executed abomination. The AI is unpredictable, in a bad way, stupid and can't grasp the basic concepts of warfare. It also takes serious amounts of computing power to just move its million worker units from place to place, doing nothing. The game also lacks any feeling of wonder. If you want a supereasy strategy game, this is a game for you.… Expand
  6. Xyz
    Nov 19, 2010
    7
    What to say about this one? The first thing that comes to mind is that it still is Civilization. BUT it's Civilization dumbed down for masses. If you want features that made this series great, go back to Civ4. Don't get me wrong, this is a good game, the thing is, its worse than its predecessors. It has got better graphics, and some improved features (I for one enjoyed the new combatWhat to say about this one? The first thing that comes to mind is that it still is Civilization. BUT it's Civilization dumbed down for masses. If you want features that made this series great, go back to Civ4. Don't get me wrong, this is a good game, the thing is, its worse than its predecessors. It has got better graphics, and some improved features (I for one enjoyed the new combat system), but if you're a Civ fan like me, this one looks like a step back... To conclude: if you've never played a Civ game, this one is the perfect entry point, but when you master it and want more complexity go back to previous games, you wont be disappointed… Expand
  7. Nandoalbando
    Aug 3, 2012
    6
    pro: the exagon strategy system
    cons: no religion, no espionage, empire limitation system, the cost of the road system, console-enterface of city management
  8. Amathev
    May 16, 2012
    8
    I hated it at first, and then I loved it.
    I guess that at first I had an idealized image of what the series was, but after actually having gone back to play the old games I came back with a fresh look on CIV V.
    This is now my favourite game in the series, although there are some things missing that I would like, but they're apparently going to be re-introduced in the upcoming expansion.
  9. chevmech
    May 5, 2012
    9
    Civ 5 is not a bad game. I think they just went the wrong direction with it. The graphics are updated beautifully but the depth has been stripped back some. This will change to some degree with the release of Gods and kings, but if you are looking for more depth and content, you are better off loading Civ 4 mod Caveman to Cosmos. The mod is everything I hoped 5 would introduceCiv 5 is not a bad game. I think they just went the wrong direction with it. The graphics are updated beautifully but the depth has been stripped back some. This will change to some degree with the release of Gods and kings, but if you are looking for more depth and content, you are better off loading Civ 4 mod Caveman to Cosmos. The mod is everything I hoped 5 would introduce including so much depth and content it's almost TOO much to process. Some improvements that were made in 5 are: City-states- a cool new addition. Ranged units are ACTUALLY ranged units being able to attack from more than one space away. Hex grid is way better than square and unit stacking is gone. I find it more realistic, but it is a pain in the @$$ when you have to move garrisoned units to produce more. Gods and Kings will re-introduce a religion resource and units will receive a large bump in HP. I'm anxious to see how this will affect overall game strategy. Overall the game is solid and I must give it a thumbs up.… Expand
  10. mrpepperkitty
    Nov 2, 2011
    2
    Terrible, played it for 4 hours, won, put it back in the box. Where is the 'civvyness' in it? My enemies never scheme against me, never see through me mechanations against them, Hard here feels like beginner in civ IV. If you're new to the series, don't like thinking too hard, love mediocre graphics and gameplay, then this is for you. And if all the Civ games had been like that I would notTerrible, played it for 4 hours, won, put it back in the box. Where is the 'civvyness' in it? My enemies never scheme against me, never see through me mechanations against them, Hard here feels like beginner in civ IV. If you're new to the series, don't like thinking too hard, love mediocre graphics and gameplay, then this is for you. And if all the Civ games had been like that I would not be nearly as disappointed, or for that matter, have bought it. But as a sequel it is an Elementary school play released after a Blockbuster movie, and it even costs more than the movie! Disappointing.… Expand
  11. Redoer
    May 27, 2012
    4
    I've played all the civ games since 2, but this is the biggest disappointment. I bought this game on release, excited about what they would do with the hexes and the built in mod API, and I can't say I felt satisfied. The mod API is nice, but everything else is just meh. There is no more espionage or religion, war is the only answer to anything; I feel the game has been greatly simplifiedI've played all the civ games since 2, but this is the biggest disappointment. I bought this game on release, excited about what they would do with the hexes and the built in mod API, and I can't say I felt satisfied. The mod API is nice, but everything else is just meh. There is no more espionage or religion, war is the only answer to anything; I feel the game has been greatly simplified to attract a larger market. No unit stacking is more of a pain than anything, micromanaging doesn't seem worth it, time between turns is agonizingly long. The long wait between turns is not helped by the boring background music that doesn't seem to ever change. All in all, I'd probably recommend Civ 4 over this if you haven't bought it already.… Expand
  12. Viper482
    Nov 7, 2013
    0
    Overrated game because the combat absolutely sucks. Basically have more units than your enemy, you will win. Except on harder levels where instead of raising the level of AI they raise the level of units you need to survive ANY encounter. It is a stupid system and because of this alone I give this game a crap score.
  13. Czar
    Sep 28, 2010
    7
    To be honest I was hoping for more. I have played all the civs starting with the first one. The additions to this version do not remove the jaded feel I have playing it. Its fun, but so was the previous one. The city states are nice addition. Hexes don't add anything. Non stacking of armies is a bit annoying and unrealistic. Gfx are very nice. I
  14. morpj
    Oct 6, 2010
    5
    After 32 hours of playing I have to put this game aside until the bugs are fixed. I am playing on a large map and I'm experiencing crashes when loading saved games, plus the game occasionally hangs while AI are taking their turns. I can't believe all the "professional" reviewers overlooked the bugs! It is all definitely worse in the modern age, when there is lots going on. The AI is alsoAfter 32 hours of playing I have to put this game aside until the bugs are fixed. I am playing on a large map and I'm experiencing crashes when loading saved games, plus the game occasionally hangs while AI are taking their turns. I can't believe all the "professional" reviewers overlooked the bugs! It is all definitely worse in the modern age, when there is lots going on. The AI is also very, very poor - diplomacy is broken, and the Persians just gifted me half their civilization (something like 20 cities) after I attacked with only 6 mediocre units. Very annoying.… Expand
  15. kram789
    Jul 27, 2011
    6
    Some good stuff in this game, but also a lot of idiocies. The good stuff, is that the multiple paths to winning really work. Previous versions were all about expanding, but in this version a compact civilization can do very well. The bad is that the game is unecessarily hard to manage. A lot of techniques that existed in prior versions are missing. Such as being able to set your citySome good stuff in this game, but also a lot of idiocies. The good stuff, is that the multiple paths to winning really work. Previous versions were all about expanding, but in this version a compact civilization can do very well. The bad is that the game is unecessarily hard to manage. A lot of techniques that existed in prior versions are missing. Such as being able to set your city preferences across the empire from one city. Or, being able to go to a city screen from the F2 city summary view, or being able to change production in the same F2 view. It also is cheap that you the game does not take into account production to date when purchasing a building. All of these were probably left out to help sell the sequel in typical Sid Meir fashion.… Expand
  16. Ashton2571
    Oct 19, 2010
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Civilization V was unfortunately dumbed down to the point which all the advanced features were gone, features such as espionage. Another disappointing feature was the victory screen, where was the video? where was the spaceship flying to alpha centuri? the victory screens were unfortunatly simple and boring. Not to mention the numerous bugs (such as the infinate iron and horse bug); Besides that, Civilization 5 had much more interesting game combat and the introduction of social policies was also exciting. 6/10… Expand
  17. profusious
    Oct 20, 2010
    6
    I'm a huge fan of the series, but this was just a let down. They took some interesting mechanics and tried to push the genre forward, but ended up introducing a lot of buggy gameplay -- barely working multiplayer, poor matchmaking and lobby efforts, bugs all over the place, and an unbalanced game. This one should have been left in the oven another 6 months to bake. Too early, and leavesI'm a huge fan of the series, but this was just a let down. They took some interesting mechanics and tried to push the genre forward, but ended up introducing a lot of buggy gameplay -- barely working multiplayer, poor matchmaking and lobby efforts, bugs all over the place, and an unbalanced game. This one should have been left in the oven another 6 months to bake. Too early, and leaves me with a doughy taste in my mouth.… Expand
  18. ashlambert
    Dec 19, 2010
    5
    One word to describe Civ 5 perfectly: simplification. Or maybe: disappointment.
    They should really have called this game Civ Revolutions 2, because that is how it plays like.
    As a long term Civfanatic I played every Civgame since Civ I, and I can't help but feel terribly disappointed by Firaxis newest game. Although, after the bad Colo game I saw it coming. The Major flaws imho: hexagon    One word to describe Civ 5 perfectly: simplification. Or maybe: disappointment.
    They should really have called this game Civ Revolutions 2, because that is how it plays like.
    As a long term Civfanatic I played every Civgame since Civ I, and I can't help but feel terribly disappointed by Firaxis newest game. Although, after the bad Colo game I saw it coming.
    The Major flaws imho: hexagon tiles that look weird, the one unit / one tile - rule - come on, as if that is realistic...it complicates a lot of things to the point where I feel bothered playing this game, it's a real bummer. The compulsory Steam - love it or hate it. Also there are too few Civs in vanilla but this can be fixed, as well as the missing wonder movies.
    The half baked civic system isn't worth mentioning.
    Imho one should wait 1-2 years til the modders fixed the game to a point where it is playable.    … Expand
  19. Keplar
    Mar 1, 2013
    7
    I have trouble reviewing this game, because I know it is a good game, but I don't like it. Civ V doesn't feel like Civilization, and Civilization is what I wanted.

    If you're a fan of old-school tabletop wargames, definitely get in on this action. If you didn't like previous Civilization games, give this one a try it's completely different. If you liked the previous 4 Civilizations,    I have trouble reviewing this game, because I know it is a good game, but I don't like it. Civ V doesn't feel like Civilization, and Civilization is what I wanted.

    If you're a fan of old-school tabletop wargames, definitely get in on this action. If you didn't like previous Civilization games, give this one a try it's completely different. If you liked the previous 4 Civilizations, which allowed you to build giant empires of carefully managed cities, spreading like locust across the land as you blazed through the tech tree and slammed out wonders to the beat of the bass, this is sadly not that at all.

    Snail's pace expansion that's severely hampered mechanics even on the easiest levels keeps you from expanding like previous games. Barbarians constantly spawn encampments right on your borders, spewing endless units in to the mists anywhere you don't have it constantly under surveillance. City-States seize vital resources and moan to you about their neighbors constantly, while claiming protection from foreign powers you've barely even encountered yet. Restrictions on support numbers from given resources add realism, but again hamper the expansion and fun of the previous titles in the series. Everything seems focused on creating a series of tiny countries where the cities serve merely as focal points for the fighting, rather than being the actual focus of the game like before. The focus is on the combat, and the combat just isn't very engaging. Even on large worlds, space seems constrained, and you can't bring power to bear the way you can in earlier Civs.

    I don't want this to sound like Civ V is a bad game it isn't. This is a good game for people who like the wargame/simulation genre. Heck, I'd probably even like it myself... if I wasn't looking for a Civilization title! Civilization was one of the first PC titles I ever really got in to, and its successors Civ 2, Alpha Centauri, Civ 3, and Civ 4 all held my attention for hundreds of hours. Civ V is not Civilization, and despite more than 50 hours and several attempts, I just can't enjoy it.    … Expand
  20. CoreDave
    Dec 18, 2014
    9
    Fantastic installment in the series, at launch there were a lot of issues and the multiplayer was all but unplayable but over the years the various expansions have massively enhanced and improved this game into the utter gem it is today. Great single player, great multiplayer, probably the best turn based strategy game I've ever played. Love it.
  21. Shadowbane
    Oct 22, 2013
    9
    I never cared for the Civ series all that much. It was always playable, but slow tedious and boring to me. Oddly I enjoyed the heck out of Civ 5. It was easy to get into, faster paced than I expected and a hell of a lot of fun multiplier with my mates. A couple things I didn't like, AI was a bit dumber than expected on hard, late game really slows down, and the tech tree for the modern andI never cared for the Civ series all that much. It was always playable, but slow tedious and boring to me. Oddly I enjoyed the heck out of Civ 5. It was easy to get into, faster paced than I expected and a hell of a lot of fun multiplier with my mates. A couple things I didn't like, AI was a bit dumber than expected on hard, late game really slows down, and the tech tree for the modern and space age was to simple. They really should have spread out the tech more at the end. Overall a highly recommended game I will play well into the future.… Expand
  22. jack_the_BOSS
    Aug 1, 2013
    10
    Civilization V is truly the ultimate experience in casual (and a higher difficulties, hardcore) strategy gaming. Having played Civ III for many hours as a kid (I'm 18) and picking up a used copy of Civilization Revolution for PS3 a few years back, this was the first game that I bough when I re-entered the PC gaming world, and I was amazed. The graphics are astonishing for a turn-basedCivilization V is truly the ultimate experience in casual (and a higher difficulties, hardcore) strategy gaming. Having played Civ III for many hours as a kid (I'm 18) and picking up a used copy of Civilization Revolution for PS3 a few years back, this was the first game that I bough when I re-entered the PC gaming world, and I was amazed. The graphics are astonishing for a turn-based strategy game with water effects rivaling any blockbuster of today. Huge selections of empires with plenty of unique structures and units all wrapped up into a very fluid user interface make this a game worth experiencing. The music and voice-work are top notch, but it is really the gameplay that matters. Firaxis knows how to balance a game and any issues that existed at launch of both the base game, and DLCs were quickly patched. Historical knowledge is abound in the so-called "civilopedia" providing photographs and histories over all of the world leaders, wonders, city-states, and more. This game does also have Steam workshop support letting players modify it in all crazy ways if they do get bored. This coupled with the two expansions and the overall long term support allow this addictive game to force anyone to replay it time and time again.
    With this said, the AI is not perfect and the game can occasionally lag even on my PC (which exceeds recommended system requirements in each regard). Inability to stack certain units (i.e., great people, trading units, workers) can be frustrating, but for military units, it is one of the games shining innovations that changes the state of warfare only for the better. The new diplomacy victory and Shoshone empire are currently overpowered in the latest expansion, but I'm sure that will be balanced as Gods and Kings was so perfectly balanced.
    This is a game with infinite replay whether it be in single-player, scenarios, or the flawless multiplayer. This is the Grand Theft Auto of strategy games, a culmination of many superb parts working together to form an even more perfect whole. In the end, I'd give it a 9.8/10 if only to see if Firaxis can out-do itself in Civilization VI.    … Expand
  23. muzziklover
    Jun 1, 2012
    9
    I'm just going to let it out that this is the first Civilization game I have ever played and you know what? I'm glad I played this first because I want to play the rest of the Civilization games and see how they evolved. Civilization V to a new comer like me is pure straight addiction. When I first played this game, I couldn't stop playing until it was 8 in the morning and I was startingI'm just going to let it out that this is the first Civilization game I have ever played and you know what? I'm glad I played this first because I want to play the rest of the Civilization games and see how they evolved. Civilization V to a new comer like me is pure straight addiction. When I first played this game, I couldn't stop playing until it was 8 in the morning and I was starting to hallucinate from the lack of sleep. I was determined to build my empire, I wanted my enemies to burn for defying my empire and I wanted to get every single hexagon spaces for my cities. This game is so addictive that I try my best to avoid playing it. Getting my personal experience out of the way, I'm going to say how Civilization is from a new comer's perspective. I think this game is really good. I don't know how the previous Civilization games played or how their mechanics work or how good they were but I really like the turn based style of this game. The board game like nature of the game made me think harder than most strategy games and I also thought the overall mechanics of it was really deep. What I think is that this game is for people who are completely new or just being introduced to Civilization as I have seen some gameplay of the previous games and they look quite complicated, maybe even more complicated than this. I say if you want to be introduced to this franchise, check Civilization V out. I know I did.… Expand
  24. DGDSN
    Oct 19, 2010
    5
    I have never played Civilization I, II, III, or IV.
    I decided to try the demo and I was hooked.
    However, after a few long games I think it is pretty apparent that the AI is severely lacking. AI players don't appear to be motivated by anything but expanding their territory and conquest. They don't appear to ever attempt a victory through, diplomacy, culture, or technology. The    I have never played Civilization I, II, III, or IV.
    I decided to try the demo and I was hooked.
    However, after a few long games I think it is pretty apparent that the AI is severely lacking.
    AI players don't appear to be motivated by anything but expanding their territory and conquest. They don't appear to ever attempt a victory through, diplomacy, culture, or technology. The leader/diplomacy screens look great and are fully voiced, but the AI doesn't seem to respond to diplomacy in any meaningful way.
    Basically, in single-player, any type of victory besides conquest, and any action besides building up your military is a waste of time.    … Expand
  25. rave_rd
    Mar 8, 2011
    5
    I have to say that this 5 is hard for me to give, mostly because I'm a big fan of the Civ series, but this game has so many bugs in it (still, even now after Firaxis patched the game a couple of weeks ago) that it's almost impossible to enjoy. And believe me I'm trying to--If you can get through all of the glitches and crashes (I've had to force quit several times or just end up on myI have to say that this 5 is hard for me to give, mostly because I'm a big fan of the Civ series, but this game has so many bugs in it (still, even now after Firaxis patched the game a couple of weeks ago) that it's almost impossible to enjoy. And believe me I'm trying to--If you can get through all of the glitches and crashes (I've had to force quit several times or just end up on my desktop when I'm trying to START a game) the gameplay itself is quite good...
    Yes there are a few things missing for fans of Civ IV (I particularly miss the religion aspect...as has been mentioned many times elsewhere) but the gameplay seems solid...the AI hasn't given me too many problems and I like the fact that only one unit is able to be in a square at a time (no more gigantic stacks of units slowing gameplay down).....but in the end...it's a fun game in principle (thus my 5), but with so many flaws that it's really hard to sit down and enjoy.

    I hope to change this review in the future if it gets fixed    … Expand
  26. ravenblade
    Dec 3, 2010
    5
    The good things first, wars are more fun now and less of a dice game. It does look really good in DX11 mode. Alot things have been streamlined and even so playing it still gives you the typical Civilization feeling. However there is alot of things which clearly were not mentioned in official reviews at all. Despite best intentions the game is still littered with exploits, game-stoppingThe good things first, wars are more fun now and less of a dice game. It does look really good in DX11 mode. Alot things have been streamlined and even so playing it still gives you the typical Civilization feeling. However there is alot of things which clearly were not mentioned in official reviews at all. Despite best intentions the game is still littered with exploits, game-stopping bugs and ghastly performance issues being the result of poor optimization with the latter two coming to bear in games featuring large and huge maps. The UI is tends to be a cause for frequent lock-ups and confusions and also feels rather clunky. The AI behaves rather erratic and illogical, refuses to cooperate and to be offensive altogether even when it would be far better for it to do so. On the sound side there seems to be a step back altogether, whereas Civ4 would offer era-typical scores for your cultures it is now just back to using licensed scores of somewhat awkward choice and mediocre quality.… Expand
  27. giskard
    Mar 6, 2011
    5
    I got this game shortly after it was released and quickly realised this was not a Civilization game at all. The game play of this game consists mostly of next next next with the AI handling most things for you. All the challenges and fun of the series has been stripped away and replaced by want feels like a console version of Civilization. Also dipsite the patches, the slow down and lackI got this game shortly after it was released and quickly realised this was not a Civilization game at all. The game play of this game consists mostly of next next next with the AI handling most things for you. All the challenges and fun of the series has been stripped away and replaced by want feels like a console version of Civilization. Also dipsite the patches, the slow down and lack around the 15th century is still so bad, I doubt I will be able to finish it. So far I have lacked the will power to try. Civilization 1 and Civilization 4 remain my 2 favourites, just so you know where I am coming from and what I liked about the Civ series.

    Fans of the old Civ games seem to have a universal hate for Civilization 5, where as new fans that have never seen it have no idea whats missing and so like it.    … Expand
  28. bohb
    Mar 9, 2011
    5
    CIV 2 was a better game in almost every single aspect !!
    they have taken the very soul of the franchise and turned it into something quite abhorent... something to look at. I was proud of being a fan of a game that was just that; a game.
    PLEASE stop trying to improve the graphics evry time! do chess or card games benefit from pretty pictures? NO!
    let us all pray that CIV-VI will one for the fans
  29. 1010101
    Jun 11, 2012
    6
    My first Civ game was Civ2. I loved it. I've played each Civ game to follow. Maybe I've just become jaded and bored with the series, but Civ5 didn't capture my interest at all. The first game I played, I went the entire game without ever attacking anyone or being attacked. All I did was click 'next turn'. In my second game, I decided to try the expansionist strategy, only to discover thatMy first Civ game was Civ2. I loved it. I've played each Civ game to follow. Maybe I've just become jaded and bored with the series, but Civ5 didn't capture my interest at all. The first game I played, I went the entire game without ever attacking anyone or being attacked. All I did was click 'next turn'. In my second game, I decided to try the expansionist strategy, only to discover that the game designers hate the expansionist strategy. As for new features, the no unit stacking rule is kind of cool, and city-states are OK but clutter up the map. Some things never change, though: the AI is still a joke.… Expand
  30. Triggerhappy
    Oct 15, 2013
    6
    An decent strategic game, grossly overpriced at the release. It looks quite fine and has some great art, but not even that justifies the terrible performance issues, meaning you won't be able to play huge maps, as the waiting time between turns grows unbearably long.

    It felt not complex enough at release, having no religions, a silly culture mechanic, no spying at all and absolutely    An decent strategic game, grossly overpriced at the release. It looks quite fine and has some great art, but not even that justifies the terrible performance issues, meaning you won't be able to play huge maps, as the waiting time between turns grows unbearably long.

    It felt not complex enough at release, having no religions, a silly culture mechanic, no spying at all and absolutely horrible, worthless diplomacy. It was still decent. If you really want to give it a shot, I'd say you have to purchase the GoTY edition, which only gives this games enough complex features to justify playing it. Or even calling it Civilization.

    That said, this review concerns only the original release priced now at 30EUR. I would say there are better options of spending your money right now.Only with all the DLCs, it feels somehow complete and fully enjoyable. You would have also had spent 100EUR on it, if you were buying it one DLC after another, so. Alpha Centauri cost me some 20 when it was new. Just sayin'.    … Expand
  31. Choppa
    Sep 10, 2013
    1
    I bought the game with the Inca expansion pack, I had just finished reading about the Incas and was hoping to get some sort of Spaniards vs Incas gameplay. The Inca set has NOTHING to do with the Incas and the landscapes do no even begin to reflect it (ooooh +2 agility points to maneuvering through mountains!! GMAFB). After accepting it has little bearing on the historical figures itI bought the game with the Inca expansion pack, I had just finished reading about the Incas and was hoping to get some sort of Spaniards vs Incas gameplay. The Inca set has NOTHING to do with the Incas and the landscapes do no even begin to reflect it (ooooh +2 agility points to maneuvering through mountains!! GMAFB). After accepting it has little bearing on the historical figures it portrays, I continued to play this game for 7 hours straight, with every turn you're hooked thinking something will happen, maybe a few more turns, a few more, then you finally give up realizing it's a joke... nothing happens, efforts in this game amount to nothing, it is a time wasting cycle of thinking something will happen. Civ5 is one of the most pointless game I've ever encountered in 20 years of gaming. If you get this, don't come crying to me about wasting your time and money.… Expand
  32. bosnian
    Apr 9, 2012
    6
    There are few changes from previous iterations that work great, namely 1 unit per tile. But bad AI and incredible resource hog on larger maps, as well as the unecessary simplification of the game take away from the experience brought on by the previous versions.
  33. ifnotmoreso
    Mar 26, 2012
    6
    Fun game. Once. But surprisingly little replay value. If you're looking for depth, the buildings/tech/armies/culture aren't elaborate enough to make you want to slog through it more than once or twice.
  34. totem
    Mar 29, 2012
    0
    Mac OS X version is unplayable on my system despite meeting the stated computer requirements: check forums regarding compatibility before purchase. //While the Mac platform isn't known for excellent gaming, I'd never had any problems with Aspyr ports in the past. However, Civilization 5 runs so choppy on my system even at the lowest resolution and graphics settings that it becomes aMac OS X version is unplayable on my system despite meeting the stated computer requirements: check forums regarding compatibility before purchase. //While the Mac platform isn't known for excellent gaming, I'd never had any problems with Aspyr ports in the past. However, Civilization 5 runs so choppy on my system even at the lowest resolution and graphics settings that it becomes a massive waste of time after turn 100. Reading other user complaints, there seem to be an abundance of tech issues on both the PC and Mac platforms. IMO, the publisher is delinquent for releasing a title that plays so poorly according to its own recommended specs. Make sure other users with systems similar to yours don't have issues before purchase.… Expand
  35. vicente
    May 25, 2012
    5
    I had high hopes for this game, but when I finally played this game, I felt really disappointed. Right in the childhood. While I liked some improvements or additions like city-states (which were quite interesting), a lot of stuff that made the previous games so good were just plucked out and replaced with useless stuff, or are just not there. Like religion. OH MY GOD I MISS RELIGION. HowI had high hopes for this game, but when I finally played this game, I felt really disappointed. Right in the childhood. While I liked some improvements or additions like city-states (which were quite interesting), a lot of stuff that made the previous games so good were just plucked out and replaced with useless stuff, or are just not there. Like religion. OH MY GOD I MISS RELIGION. How could they not retain religion? I mean, it has shaped history significantly whether good or bad. Other than that, I quite missed stacking units. Although, with those new hexes, you can work out strategies better, like flanking and 'outmaneuvering' your enemy, getting around seems harder, so my reaction to that is quite mixed. AI is dumbed out as ever, and the game is plagued with bugs.. Diplomacy and trades felt really dull, too. I also wished that the live-action advisors from old buddy civ 2 would make a come back (*remember Elvis?). Well, not live action, but animated like the leaders of the civs you encounter. That would be quite sick. Other than that, the music was great, although it gets a little exaggerated at some occasions, like some war themes. Overall, I felt quite sad by this game, being a fan of the previous civ games. This would've rocked had they not remove major pieces of content in the game.… Expand
  36. Zenren
    Jun 14, 2012
    5
    I started out playing Civ I way back when and I always looked forward to the next incarnation of Civilization. Up until now, each new version, was always a step forward, this is the only game in the Civ franchise that seems to have taken a step backwards. I would recommend Civ III before I would recommend this game to someone. Oversimplified, it takes out much of what makes Civ fun toI started out playing Civ I way back when and I always looked forward to the next incarnation of Civilization. Up until now, each new version, was always a step forward, this is the only game in the Civ franchise that seems to have taken a step backwards. I would recommend Civ III before I would recommend this game to someone. Oversimplified, it takes out much of what makes Civ fun to play, and instead creates an monotonous experience, best avoided. I know I'm not alone when I say, I'm sticking with Civ IV and praying for more from Civ VI.… Expand
  37. Atr0s
    Jun 23, 2012
    3
    It's actually insulting to think of this game as the sequel of the much-more-awesome Civilization 4. Besides the combat system, which saw some neat improvement, everything else was dumbed down to the point your only management consist of choosing what's next on your cities' production queue. Extremely accessible for newcomers, an insult for old gamers. The User Interface looks good if youIt's actually insulting to think of this game as the sequel of the much-more-awesome Civilization 4. Besides the combat system, which saw some neat improvement, everything else was dumbed down to the point your only management consist of choosing what's next on your cities' production queue. Extremely accessible for newcomers, an insult for old gamers. The User Interface looks good if you say you're playing it on facebook though.… Expand
  38. Muan142
    Mar 14, 2013
    5
    It's good enough to almost make me forgets how much better Civ IV was.The AI still sucks. Diplomacy is impossible. The hex system, you can basically forget it's there. Its only purpose is to make the 1 unit-per-tile thing playable. The game-speeds basically boil down to unplayably fast (epic or faster) or mind-numbingly slow (marathon). Luckily though, they dumbed the game down so muchIt's good enough to almost make me forgets how much better Civ IV was.The AI still sucks. Diplomacy is impossible. The hex system, you can basically forget it's there. Its only purpose is to make the 1 unit-per-tile thing playable. The game-speeds basically boil down to unplayably fast (epic or faster) or mind-numbingly slow (marathon). Luckily though, they dumbed the game down so much that it can basically play itself while you're not at war so I just turn it to marathon and read a book while I play.. One thing they still haven't fixed with mods is the sound-track. it repeats a couple of stereotypical game tracks ad nauseum, but that's what ipods are for. Also its glitchy and the loading times are horrible. Without a bunch of mods it's not worth playing. I got it for 75% off though so I can't complain too much.… Expand
  39. theGoodVibes
    Aug 3, 2012
    5
    This is my first time playing a civilization game since I played Civ 3 as a kid, although I play RTS games often. At first glance, Civ V is great - it has spectacular graphics, and a great soundtrack. The social policies system and the Science system are interesting and seem well thought out. But underneath the surface, Civ V doesn't quite live up to the hype. The game is a buggy mess -This is my first time playing a civilization game since I played Civ 3 as a kid, although I play RTS games often. At first glance, Civ V is great - it has spectacular graphics, and a great soundtrack. The social policies system and the Science system are interesting and seem well thought out. But underneath the surface, Civ V doesn't quite live up to the hype. The game is a buggy mess - often times, I won't be able to click the Next Turn button, for example, because it says "A Unit Needs Orders" when I have given all of my units orders. This is after installing all available patches, two years after the game's initial release! The combat in Civ V involves very little strategy - as long as your units aren't hard-countered by the enemy's (this is VERY easy to figure out) all that matters is who has the largest military. Civ V's strategy lies entirely in what order the player researches technologies, adapts policies, chooses to produce, etc. and has little to nothing to do with combat - reading Sun Tzu's The Art of War won't help you here. Capturing a city takes at least three turns, even if your opponent has no military and you have several strong units attacking the city. Multiplayer support is horrible, with people constantly disconnecting and crashing while I'm either in the lobby trying to get a game together, or already playing one. There is no way to change game settings once you click the "Host Game" button and open your lobby. To do so you have to kick everyone out and start a new game. This is ridiculous, strategy games from a decade ago have the ability to change settings while in the lobby. Diplomacy with AIs is impossible - even a long-time ally, who I've had multiple trade deals and research agreements with, who is far weaker than me, will declare war on me for no reason... twice! The only indication I had (which was quite obvious) was that the AI stationed its military units close to my territory for several turns before attacking. Nothing on the diplomacy screens hinted that the AI disliked me. However, the AIs have supposedly been improved in the Gods & Kings expansion... I'll see if there's any truth to that.

    I have to give Civilization V a 5/10 because it's fun to play, and it seems like some effort was put into its creation. From what I've been told by longtime fans of the series going back to Civ 3 or 4, Civ V is prettier, but a step backwards where gameplay is concerned. The exclusion of key gameplay features from earlier Civ games, such as espionage and religion, was clearly a cash grab for Firaxis, now that they are charging $30 for an expansion to add these feature to Civ V. I'm sick of developers churning out pretty games that have worse gameplay than their predecesors. Civ V is a prime example of this, therefore I really can't kiss Firaxis' ass and give them a positive review.    … Expand
  40. ZEMTEK
    Aug 18, 2012
    1
    I have been playing civ since the first one came out. I bought civ5 from a store and you cant even play the game if ya dont have internet to activate. Which is stupid. To cap it off you had to sit there and download yet another aplication to activate it. Why did the game designers not have this other ap on the disc? poor design ? Then after i fianlly got the game activated I was so veryI have been playing civ since the first one came out. I bought civ5 from a store and you cant even play the game if ya dont have internet to activate. Which is stupid. To cap it off you had to sit there and download yet another aplication to activate it. Why did the game designers not have this other ap on the disc? poor design ? Then after i fianlly got the game activated I was so very disapointed in the game. Less options than other versions. time between turns is stupid long. Load times take for ever and i have 4gigs of ram dual core. I would feel sorry for anyone trying to play this game on some older model computer. The only thing i actually liked about civ5 is razing cities. Unless they were former capitols or those city states which could not be razed. They also got rid of the stupid public works which was a nice change.liked the new culture thing. Things i hated were not able to raze capitols and city states. Not able to pass or do anything with mountains,
    No mags to move troops faster. Could not terriform. Stupid other nations would not even trade resources i had to go over an just take the resources from them.
    Could not activate till i went to a place with internet.
    Had to down load another stupid program to activate. the scenario editor dont work. When Civ VI comes out i hope it will actually be an improvement all the options of the old civs.    … Expand
  41. jesterx7769
    Jan 13, 2013
    3
    I enjoy strategy games but this game is unbearable to play. It is SO slow moving and boring. A single game will take you 20 some hours to play even on the quickest time setting. There is a multi-player option which is pointless because you will never finish a game. If you want to play on a tiny/small map with the quickest time setting you may finish some games but what is the fun in that?I enjoy strategy games but this game is unbearable to play. It is SO slow moving and boring. A single game will take you 20 some hours to play even on the quickest time setting. There is a multi-player option which is pointless because you will never finish a game. If you want to play on a tiny/small map with the quickest time setting you may finish some games but what is the fun in that?

    The game does everything to slow you down it seems. The movement restrictions are ridiculous, hills/forest/marshes are everywhere and waaaay overloaded simply to slow you down. When it comes to actual gameplay it is your average typical strategy game and you will be able to get way ahead of the computer barring the hardest difficulties.

    If you want a strategy game play Crusader Kings 2, this game is a dumbed down pour excuse for a game with their length making it seem hard and deep. There are no special diplomatic mechanics with the game and the units are very bland to choose from. Even if you spend hours to get your research up you will be disappointed.

    There is also not much difference in leaders which is lame. Each leader gets a bonus and some are clearly better than others which limits who you will play as right away. Some of the special units or building are helpful but hardly make a huge difference on the overall game.    … Expand
  42. Tastycakes
    Jul 17, 2014
    10
    Phenomenal, honestly. If you're a fan of 4x, poltics, management or strategy games this is truly a staple. Customization, replayability and incredibly addicting gameplay keep people playing this for hundreds and thousands of hours. The game has one major flaw, and that's if you get the base game with no expansions, packs or DLC then it can feel empy, which is a flaw. Though, at this pointPhenomenal, honestly. If you're a fan of 4x, poltics, management or strategy games this is truly a staple. Customization, replayability and incredibly addicting gameplay keep people playing this for hundreds and thousands of hours. The game has one major flaw, and that's if you get the base game with no expansions, packs or DLC then it can feel empy, which is a flaw. Though, at this point with all the bundle sales if you can get anything along with it it feels fleshed out and is probably one of the best games on the market for your money considering how many hours of gameplay it gives.… Expand
  43. Surgery
    Aug 21, 2013
    10
    RTS is my lifeblood in gaming. With all the expansions including brave new world, this turn-based strategy game simply has no equal in its scope and complexity. The fantastically addictive concept of creating and growing your perfect civilization through the ages holds as much sway today as it ever has and this is the only franchise to offer it on such a legit level.

    This is a    RTS is my lifeblood in gaming. With all the expansions including brave new world, this turn-based strategy game simply has no equal in its scope and complexity. The fantastically addictive concept of creating and growing your perfect civilization through the ages holds as much sway today as it ever has and this is the only franchise to offer it on such a legit level.

    This is a magnificent achievement by Firaxis...this game needed a number of years to mature but now I'd say it ranks as the best strategy game of all time alongside Starcraft I and II, and easily the best turn-based RTS ever made. Wait for the sale on steam and take the bite, you'll get the value of what this game is should worth for a value conscious buyer (especailly when buying all the xpacs).    … Expand
  44. Creardo
    Aug 12, 2013
    8
    It´s important to look at details in every work that has its history of doing great things. But what most bored me in Civ V were, beyond the details, the feelling. The feeling that the old and invincible atmosphere of great games, like Civ II and Civ III, or til the good job from Civ IV, were completely missed by a kind of test or adventure to try a "new thing" that perhaps would make someIt´s important to look at details in every work that has its history of doing great things. But what most bored me in Civ V were, beyond the details, the feelling. The feeling that the old and invincible atmosphere of great games, like Civ II and Civ III, or til the good job from Civ IV, were completely missed by a kind of test or adventure to try a "new thing" that perhaps would make some revolution... here is the thing: they tried, but they couldn´t. Civ V is a disrespect to everything that previous Civilization games gathered.… Expand
  45. mckw
    Oct 31, 2013
    9
    This game is addiction, it defines addiction. But being addicted to a game does not always mean its good. But Civilisation as a franchise is great. There are issues, but it does not hide the fact that a good game exists here. Just one more move
  46. laggypancakes
    May 1, 2013
    7
    I never played the earlier versions of Civ but I got a good amount of enjoyment out of this one. The vanilla version became stale after a while (before Gods and Kings); I do have to admit that.

    Even with that addition however there were still some very annoying/lacking aspects of gameplay. Luckily there is a decent modding community behind the game that ended up fixing a good amount of    I never played the earlier versions of Civ but I got a good amount of enjoyment out of this one. The vanilla version became stale after a while (before Gods and Kings); I do have to admit that.

    Even with that addition however there were still some very annoying/lacking aspects of gameplay. Luckily there is a decent modding community behind the game that ended up fixing a good amount of those issues for me.

    The multiplayer is incredibly lacking- I could only stomach one game before giving up on it entirely.

    Overall the vanilla version of the game seemed incomplete and lacking to me. I'm still not sure if I'll be getting the new DLC as my backlog is a bit deep but if you can get this game DLC on a steam sale I'd definitely give it a shot.    … Expand
  47. AWG
    Jul 21, 2013
    6
    I've never been a big fan of strategy games, and in fact I'm not a big fan of this fifth installment of the Sid Meier's Civilization saga, even if it looks and sounds cool.
  48. Gatoneo
    Aug 13, 2013
    10
    A game that is totally worth buying. Maybe different from other Civs (I played civ III and a lot of civ IV), but it feels fresh and easy to adapt. Something I hated the most of Civ IV was the stacked units in huge armies. That is gone, and now it feels like really playing a board game. As well as easy to learn from the game to play it. But yet, hard to master.

    I didn't rate ir with a    A game that is totally worth buying. Maybe different from other Civs (I played civ III and a lot of civ IV), but it feels fresh and easy to adapt. Something I hated the most of Civ IV was the stacked units in huge armies. That is gone, and now it feels like really playing a board game. As well as easy to learn from the game to play it. But yet, hard to master.

    I didn't rate ir with a 10, because I still miss how the characters in Civ III changed their clothes as time passed (that was great). I mean, you can see in the old ages George Washington using his 1700's clothes. But this game totally worth buying.    … Expand
  49. PCgamesreviewer
    Sep 4, 2013
    7
    Pros:
    -Keeps you entertained for many hours
    -Lots of buildings, units, wonders and nations in a huge world.
    -Lots of strategy

    Cons:
    -Nations are similar
    -Diplomacy does not work.
    -Late game becomes boring
    -Needs the expansions before its a true masterpiece.

    Conclusion: Without the expansions it has many flaws but is still entertaining for many hours.
  50. Hanzl
    Oct 16, 2013
    3
    Big dissapointer. The only thing i liked were the graphics and animations. For the rest the game sucks and is nothing more then a cheap quick, simpel wargame. I played Civ 1 and 2 and i love Civ 2 (still do and play it now and then). I just got Civ 5, played it a few hours and removed it. Not going to play it anymore. The negs? To small world, slow responding... well read the negativeBig dissapointer. The only thing i liked were the graphics and animations. For the rest the game sucks and is nothing more then a cheap quick, simpel wargame. I played Civ 1 and 2 and i love Civ 2 (still do and play it now and then). I just got Civ 5, played it a few hours and removed it. Not going to play it anymore. The negs? To small world, slow responding... well read the negative reviews here. No need to say more. I support them all. This game is a waste of time and money. The reviews gave me hope and i will try Civ IV. Otherwise i stay to Civ II. I can't believe the positive reviews. They dont come from ppl who played Civ before (or they are payed by Sid Meier).… Expand
  51. pcamp1224
    Oct 27, 2013
    10
    They have really improved on this installment, the hexagons are far superior to squares, the graphics look great, and it has endless replayibility. The best Civilization game I've played.
  52. Ebelon
    Nov 8, 2013
    9
    Another great sequel to an awesome series. All the additions to 5 make it stand out form past entries and the visuals are just amazing. Playing offline is very fun because games could last you months; you come back and play whenever you want. Online matches take a while but they're a blast; kind of like monopoly in a way. I would love to see an port of this game to next gen consoles. 9/10
  53. mc10
    Nov 11, 2013
    10
    With the God of Kings and the Brave New World expansion packs, Civ V is clearly the most fleshed-out game in its series. Civ V still holds the infinitely replayable value of the previous games, while introducing new and well-thought-out mechanics, like the overhauled combat system and the presence of the World Congress.
  54. PKsoon
    Jan 23, 2014
    0
    thumb down to the max. worse game of the civ series. fell aslept in the game halfway. zero excitement. still enjoying Civ IV and don't think will buy Civ 6 if it ever launch.
  55. eMDeX
    Feb 20, 2014
    10
    Premise: I own and played every single Civ game since Civilization (1991) and I played over a thousand hours Civilization V. That doesn't mean I'm a good player, but it means that the longevity and replayability are priceless and unbeated.
    The first iteration of Civilization V was awful: easy, absent AI, bugged and unbalanced. The expansion Gods & King added religions and espionage,    Premise: I own and played every single Civ game since Civilization (1991) and I played over a thousand hours Civilization V. That doesn't mean I'm a good player, but it means that the longevity and replayability are priceless and unbeated.
    The first iteration of Civilization V was awful: easy, absent AI, bugged and unbalanced. The expansion Gods & King added religions and espionage, cleaning bugs (MANY) and finally building AI worth the challenge. The last expansion, Brave New World is really awesome: trading, united nations and ideologies and some good victories condition revamps. To this level, Civ 5 is really the best Civ I have ever played, obscuring even Civ 4 Beyond the Sword.
    Only two things missing: random events and pollution.    … Expand
  56. Isten
    Feb 26, 2014
    8
    I played the hell outta Civ3, skipped Civ4 and play a lot (like 400 hours +) of Civ V.

    It is a great casual time sink that still captures the spirit of the Civ experience. We joke it is spreadsheet empire creation, but really there are a lot of ways to win. I do miss world effects like Pollution, greenhouse, planting trees etc. I also think that the last expansion are Weak. Brave    I played the hell outta Civ3, skipped Civ4 and play a lot (like 400 hours +) of Civ V.

    It is a great casual time sink that still captures the spirit of the Civ experience.

    We joke it is spreadsheet empire creation, but really there are a lot of ways to win.

    I do miss world effects like Pollution, greenhouse, planting trees etc.
    I also think that the last expansion are Weak. Brave New World, not worth it. Culture / Tourism is awful and dull. Stick with Gods and Kings.

    Stacking armies I can take or leave. For me the effort it takes in Civ V to PROPERLY surround and take entrenched enemies / cities is a PERK not a down side.

    It does run a bit rough over the Multiplayer (I often switch to Grid view) later in the game as it tries to keep up with all the renders, AI actions and fights.

    Solid game. Just don't expect Civ 3 (or I guess 4)    … Expand
  57. DaveAus
    Sep 3, 2014
    5
    While Civ V is a great game, and probably the best turn based 4x game out, that is mostly because it has no competition. It has a lack of unit and civilization diversity, with poor patching and performance issues.

    The AI is as dumb as ever, despite it apparently focusing on winning the game, rather then just role playing a country. Some AI civs will go for a cultural, or diplomatic    While Civ V is a great game, and probably the best turn based 4x game out, that is mostly because it has no competition. It has a lack of unit and civilization diversity, with poor patching and performance issues.

    The AI is as dumb as ever, despite it apparently focusing on winning the game, rather then just role playing a country. Some AI civs will go for a cultural, or diplomatic victory, completley ignoring their military, and being invaded by a neighbouring civ. Even offers to join the war on their side, or ask for open borders, to help defend them, has them ignoring you and not accepting, until they are eventually conquered.

    It also requires steam to install and patch, whether or not you purchase a physical copy of the game. A major let down.

    But like I said, it is still the best game of it's type.    … Expand
  58. FrogDataMiner
    Feb 2, 2015
    10
    I did think it's boring, but I was wrong. I just want to play this game some before sleeping, but it's already 2 a.m.! Okay, i need to sleep, one more turn... (5 minutes ago) AW! It's already 5 a.m.! Okay, next turn and going sleep... (5 minutes ago) 8 a.m...
  59. Overtake
    Aug 18, 2014
    10
    I play Civilization games since the 1, and liked every and each one. But the 5 is certainly my favorite. Graphics are great, sounds are great, AI is great (even if there is a big difference when the map is small islands, much easier to win then). The freedom to have mods developed is also great.

    But what makes me like it above the others is how Culture is treated. This gives the game a    I play Civilization games since the 1, and liked every and each one. But the 5 is certainly my favorite. Graphics are great, sounds are great, AI is great (even if there is a big difference when the map is small islands, much easier to win then). The freedom to have mods developed is also great.

    But what makes me like it above the others is how Culture is treated. This gives the game a great new side, you can make a civ that doesn't attack the others and still win the game. (Note: you need all the DLC installed for this to be true)

    The no pile up rule is also a welcome aspect. In Civ4 it was easy to lost account of how many pieces you had on each square, so no more of this problem now. I only wanted the map scale to be bigger, so we could still have more pieces in battle at the same time, and more detail on pieces abilities on terrains.

    Anyway Civ5 is great and I really like it. So much I already play it for 725 hours. And still struggling to win all the time on level King!    … Expand
  60. XenonGTX
    Sep 9, 2014
    7
    It feels rushed. A lot of hardware compatability issues. Over all a unique experience. Great mods and scripts available. Features many civs and map choices. Pushes your CPU to the limit though.
  61. chris_evans
    Oct 3, 2010
    3
    This is a franchise that has lost it's way. Civ2 is perhaps my all time fav game, I am no hater. Civ5 is a piece of bloatware that has lost it's focus.

    Perhaps the developers felt that it was not commercially viable to release a 2D game, but the 3D characters do not serve the core vision of what the game is, they detract from it and limit the potential audience. I have an 8 core PC, why    This is a franchise that has lost it's way. Civ2 is perhaps my all time fav game, I am no hater. Civ5 is a piece of bloatware that has lost it's focus.

    Perhaps the developers felt that it was not commercially viable to release a 2D game, but the 3D characters do not serve the core vision of what the game is, they detract from it and limit the potential audience. I have an 8 core PC, why does it take up to 25 seconds to go to complete a turn?

    I will not nit pick individual decisions I feel were poor; which there were plenty of. But central core things, like the interface, are extremely lacking. The interface is a complete unreadable mess as you progress. Civ is a game about dealing with data, so why is it getting harder and harder to view and manage the data in these games?

    The user experience at the time the game should be the most fun (lots of cities, lots going on) is a complete, barely usable mess, and the game grinds to a halt.

    I don't need 3d animated flocking swarms of fish on the map, I will take a fun game and an easily readable fish icon.    … Expand
  62. obrien1984
    Apr 30, 2011
    0
    Extremely clunky game that does not warrant the franchise name nor the $50 I paid for it. Could not be more frustrated or disappointed. Am curious and wish I could determine how many of these ten scores were posted by company employees protecting their paychecks. Release of this game will likely hurt the company. Alas, the CEO probably got a $3 million bonus for keeping to schedule.Extremely clunky game that does not warrant the franchise name nor the $50 I paid for it. Could not be more frustrated or disappointed. Am curious and wish I could determine how many of these ten scores were posted by company employees protecting their paychecks. Release of this game will likely hurt the company. Alas, the CEO probably got a $3 million bonus for keeping to schedule. Just so you know, you won't be getting $50 from me again. Trust has been broken and is now irreparable.… Expand
  63. Nafod
    Sep 30, 2010
    3
    Overall it feels unfinished. Necessary information is difficult to come by if not missing in total. Production queues are so ridiculously slow that tech progression will usually cause one to obsolete units before building (m)any. And you'll be building units mostly as buildings are unimpressive, have ridiculously maintenance costs, and one CANNOT destroy them at a later date. WondersOverall it feels unfinished. Necessary information is difficult to come by if not missing in total. Production queues are so ridiculously slow that tech progression will usually cause one to obsolete units before building (m)any. And you'll be building units mostly as buildings are unimpressive, have ridiculously maintenance costs, and one CANNOT destroy them at a later date. Wonders are extremely disappointing. Expansion leads to significant penalties to culture, making only a diplomacy or conquest win feasible if one has more than 5 or so cities.

    The one unit per hex limit and the hex game in general is an improvement. But simply put, Firaxis made a game it's AI cannot play. The AI is woefully inadequate at forming any sensible type of battle line and simply throws units at the player. Who with any hint of a strategy can destroy them in detail. It's a $60 nice looking game of Whack-a-mole.    … Expand
  64. GreenJelly
    Oct 28, 2010
    0
    I would love to give this game a higher score. The game has the heart to become top notch. I do not share in the negative opinions about the mechanics, I kinda see these reviews as being absolutely absurd, or people wanting CIV IV... ITS A NEW GAME!
    The reason I have to give this a 0... and I give it a 0 as being a completely worthless game, is because even AFTER the latest patch, the    I would love to give this game a higher score. The game has the heart to become top notch. I do not share in the negative opinions about the mechanics, I kinda see these reviews as being absolutely absurd, or people wanting CIV IV... ITS A NEW GAME!
    The reason I have to give this a 0... and I give it a 0 as being a completely worthless game, is because even AFTER the latest patch, the game crashes ever other turn in late stages. If I cant FINISH the game because of BUGS, I cant give it any credit. I hope to see more patches to come out, and would love to see the game become steady. At that time, I will change my vote, and probably highly recommend it. Now, it is a spot on my hard drive that I haven't bothered to delete.    … Expand
  65. Isisius
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    This is an abomination!!!!
    Civ 4 with its expansions is perhaps the best game ive ever played.
    Intricate Diplomacy, Religion, Corporations, basically EXCITEMENT. And missions, they were awesome. The game tells us to build 20 coliseums and we get a bonus. Now we have a choice, do we crank out coliseums and wear the halt in progress, or do we forgo the permanent bonus it would give us.    This is an abomination!!!!
    Civ 4 with its expansions is perhaps the best game ive ever played.
    Intricate Diplomacy, Religion, Corporations, basically EXCITEMENT.
    And missions, they were awesome. The game tells us to build 20 coliseums and we get a bonus. Now we have a choice, do we crank out coliseums and wear the halt in progress, or do we forgo the permanent bonus it would give us.
    Random events, forest fire, oh bugger, exocitc furs in yay for money. These made it interesting.
    This game has potential, and it gave us a couple of GREAT things, i love the hex combat, and i love the new modding system, but why, WHY did it have to take out everything that was good, interesting and exciting from the game, just to add a few good features.
    You have really dissapointed me here, i took the day off to play this game when it came out, simply because i assumed that i have spent so many hours on Civ4 i would need at least 1 day to get through this. Imagine my horror when i play this POS for 3 hours and am already bored with its complete lack of depth.    … Expand
  66. gerard
    Nov 19, 2011
    0
    I am a fan of civilization since CIV1 and I loved all the CIV until and including CIV4. And I am really disapointed by CIV5 concepts. The game is totally unrealistic and boring. It is not pleasant to play. I will not play any longer to CIV5.
  67. Blackadar
    Sep 30, 2010
    10
    Civ V is somewhat a dramatic and almost unexpected departure from the venerable series. Given how polished and excellent Civ IV and the Beyond the Sword expansion is, it would have been easy for Firaxis to slap a fresh coat of paint on that game and release it as Civ V. In fact, that's one of the reasons that some Civ IV fans aren't happy with Civ V. Go read reviews for a description ofCiv V is somewhat a dramatic and almost unexpected departure from the venerable series. Given how polished and excellent Civ IV and the Beyond the Sword expansion is, it would have been easy for Firaxis to slap a fresh coat of paint on that game and release it as Civ V. In fact, that's one of the reasons that some Civ IV fans aren't happy with Civ V. Go read reviews for a description of the game because the feature set sounds much like past Civs. Yet this one plays quite a bit differently. Gone is religion, squares, transports and the stack of doom. In their place is a very different Civ, with an emphasis on fewer units and cities, tactical combat and overall happiness. There's fewer units and cities so overall there's less micro-management. But yet there's more micro-management per unit and city because each one is so valuable. In many ways, Civ V is far more nuanced than prior versions, yet the options are there if you want to keep it on a high level. You'll spend more time in this game husbanding units and maneuvering for tactical combat and perhaps a bit less on the building of your empire. Also, unlike in some past games, Civ V will make you make a decision on the direction of your empire that you can't reverse. Scarcity in gold, hammers and civics makes a player think about these key decisions. This is a pretty radical departure in the series, but one that I welcome.

    There's no doubt there are some issues on release, notably with the tactical AI and opaque diplomacy. Gone too are things like wonder movies, which helped add personality to past games in the series, and religion, which drove diplomacy . Some fans like these decisions, others don't.

    All in all, Civ V deserves your hard-earned dollar. It's greatly entertaining, deep and fun. It's not without flaws and it's a pretty different direction for the Civ series, but the core of what made Civilization the premier TBS game in all of PC gaming is still here. It's a worthy successor to the crown.    … Expand
  68. derpderpderp
    Sep 24, 2010
    8
    First things first; All credit goes to Firaxis who still show faith in the pc by releasing civ V, even though they have given nods to the consoles with Civ Revolutions in the past.

    I think Civ V overall is a well designed game. It is a completely different game compared to IV, and that is also saying something in an era where a rehash is simply enough to guarantee equal sales. And the    First things first; All credit goes to Firaxis who still show faith in the pc by releasing civ V, even though they have given nods to the consoles with Civ Revolutions in the past.

    I think Civ V overall is a well designed game. It is a completely different game compared to IV, and that is also saying something in an era where a rehash is simply enough to guarantee equal sales. And the radical changes that make the game so different work very well, and give a new experience after 20 years of civilization.

    Some changes really add extra depth and flexibility to the game, but overall it does feel like Civ V compensates a bit too much when it tries to appease the market of new civ enthusiasts. If you are a fanatic of the previous games in the franchise, you will notice how the total weight changes suck the depth out of the franchise. Some changes are huge improvements, but Civ V seems to go overboard at times. I cannot blame them, because Firaxis needs to extend it's market appeal to the new crowd. As said, if you are a civ veteran, you may feel that the game is a bit more restrictive in it's radical changes.

    Also, I am not too fond of the long waits between turns later in the game, or the games high specs. it will need alot of love from the developer with patches and expansions, and a dedicated modding community to make it appealing for the hardcore civ fan. But the expansions and mods added a lot to Civ IV(that was haunted by similar problems), so I believe that this game will be great.    … Expand
  69. bishopknight
    Oct 7, 2010
    7
    Good game but the AI sucks in water and the time between turns takes too long. Even with a great graphics card, expect slowdown, this game is not polished.
  70. Staiden
    Oct 4, 2010
    0
    The game is great but the AI needs to be cleaned up you cant play a game on a map larger than the "small" size without it taking over 30 seconds between turnss at about turn 300. This makes the game unplayable at this point. If you continue it just takes longer. Its not my computer either. I have a core I7 920 overclocked with 6 gigs of DDR 3 ram. with two GTX 260s in SLI. The game looksThe game is great but the AI needs to be cleaned up you cant play a game on a map larger than the "small" size without it taking over 30 seconds between turnss at about turn 300. This makes the game unplayable at this point. If you continue it just takes longer. Its not my computer either. I have a core I7 920 overclocked with 6 gigs of DDR 3 ram. with two GTX 260s in SLI. The game looks great but if you cant play it whats the point. Im sad I wasted my 50 bucks on it.… Expand
  71. BlueBangkok
    Jun 29, 2011
    4
    I have played all the Civ games since the very first one. After playing Civ 5 for a few days and fiddling with mods, I've finally decided to give up. This game probably has the most inconsistent gameplay I have ever seen.
    THE GOOD
    The graphics look really nice, especially if you run it under DX11 and have a pretty beefy PC. The new combat system, ranged attacks, and one hex = one military    I have played all the Civ games since the very first one. After playing Civ 5 for a few days and fiddling with mods, I've finally decided to give up. This game probably has the most inconsistent gameplay I have ever seen.
    THE GOOD
    The graphics look really nice, especially if you run it under DX11 and have a pretty beefy PC. The new combat system, ranged attacks, and one hex = one military unit rule are just brilliant. Too bad AI is unable to utilize it effectively. Oh, and I like the new UI. That's about it.
    THE BAD
    Everything else is just plain broken. The AI is so stupid it's breathtaking. It is simply not an option to evade war and win a non-combat victory. AI just keeps insulting you and declaring war for no reason. I've tried playing as Gandhi and did everything the AI asked (even not settling near their borders which is, frankly, retarded request). Still, they kept denouncing me and declaring war. No matter what you do, no matter who you befriend, you always end up in a global conflict with AIs declaring war on you and each other. And when you actually get in combat with AI, it is laughable. They NEVER send more than 4-5 units at once, even on higher difficulties.
    It's fascinating someone is actually able to program an AI that is stupider than Civ 1's and slows down to a crawl even on high end quadcore systems (late turns during an epic game on huge map slowed down to 1-2 MINUTES on 4Ghz i7 processor). Moreover, there are annoyingly long load times. Add poor optimization and frequent crashes to the mix and realize you will be spending a LOT of time doing virtually NOTHING!
    Granted, Civ 5 was developed for multiplayer - but even multiplayer is somewhat disappointing due to the lack of any depth and features (no espionage, no religion, no government...). You could redistribute your national income any way you saw fit even in Civ 1. You cannot do so here. No research or culture boosting... In other words, Civ 5 has been bastardized in every possible way. Fewer playable civs (without DLCs) than in Civ 4? Check. Idiot-friendly micromanagement (no wealth redistribution, global happiness...)? Check. Stupid AI and super-easy gameplay? Check. No vanilla Earth map? Check.
    After playing a few games, I realized Civ 5 is not a game. It is more like a framework for future DLCs, patches, and most importantly, mods. The AI, balancing (you research really really fast while everything else takes ages), engine.... nearly everything is either broken or in stages of beta version (even AFTER many patches Firaxis has released!). Wait for a year or two before buying this game. Hopefully by that time it will be patched properly and some nice modpacks will allow you to play a balanced game with more features. Until then save your money for something else.    … Expand
  72. f0lly
    Mar 5, 2012
    4
    I played Civ 1 right at the beginning, and then Civ 2. Missed the other iterations. Coming back to Civ V is a big disppointment. Very dumbed down version of what I remember Civ to be. No complexity, no challenge, no fun. Boo. UPDATE: I've now bought Civ IV, and played it for a few hours. Immediately obvious that its much better than Civ V. Its what a Civ game should be; not dumbed downI played Civ 1 right at the beginning, and then Civ 2. Missed the other iterations. Coming back to Civ V is a big disppointment. Very dumbed down version of what I remember Civ to be. No complexity, no challenge, no fun. Boo. UPDATE: I've now bought Civ IV, and played it for a few hours. Immediately obvious that its much better than Civ V. Its what a Civ game should be; not dumbed down for the button masher crowd.… Expand
  73. almaniac
    Oct 12, 2010
    3
    What's good? the new hex-based terrain and the combat are both vast improvements over previous versions of the game.

    What's bad? Everything else. The game mechanics are seriously dumbed-down. A lot of the interesting trade-offs are gone. Elimination of health and religion really hurt the game mechanics. The tech-tree is over simplified. Allowing any unit to self-embark into water    What's good? the new hex-based terrain and the combat are both vast improvements over previous versions of the game.

    What's bad? Everything else. The game mechanics are seriously dumbed-down. A lot of the interesting trade-offs are gone. Elimination of health and religion really hurt the game mechanics. The tech-tree is over simplified. Allowing any unit to self-embark into water is a mixed blessing. The AI very predictable, especially in diplomacy. AI army use is very bad; you can always destroy them in detail.

    I love the CIV franchise and I've owned literally every single version (including the board game). This could have been the best ever but the dumbing-down of the game mechanics has ruined it. Spend your money on CIV 4; you'll be much more satisfied.    … Expand
  74. arkangel
    Nov 4, 2010
    2
    Oh dear. I've been a Civ addict for many years and I was really looking forward to this one. What a disappointment! I want to like it; I've tried to like it - but I've played for many hours and I still hate it. I play the dx10/11 version with maxed-out graphics and I still don't agree that it looks better than Civ4 - it simply looks like those trading/settling games that I find ratherOh dear. I've been a Civ addict for many years and I was really looking forward to this one. What a disappointment! I want to like it; I've tried to like it - but I've played for many hours and I still hate it. I play the dx10/11 version with maxed-out graphics and I still don't agree that it looks better than Civ4 - it simply looks like those trading/settling games that I find rather tedious. In my (very humble) opinion, strategy games should be about strategy - tactics, planning, logic, and common sense. (You don't improve chess by painting the board pretty colours!) Why can't more workers be used to build a road more quickly? How can I use a ship before I've built one? And (unless I'm missing something here), why can't I know what workers are doing or how long they'll take without having to click on them all? And why did I only get a DVD in the box? (Okay, that one's easy - they've saved money on the manual and chart.) Oh well, it's back to BTS...… Expand
  75. baalsoptio
    Sep 23, 2010
    9
    The newest Civilazation entry is yet an another awesome advance in the series. Everything is more streamlined, but the depth is not really sacrificed (other than the omission of religion and espionage...which in my opinion were among the weaker aspects of Civ IV). My only major complain is that the diplomacy options in this new Civ are poorly handled. Diplomacy with City States is veryThe newest Civilazation entry is yet an another awesome advance in the series. Everything is more streamlined, but the depth is not really sacrificed (other than the omission of religion and espionage...which in my opinion were among the weaker aspects of Civ IV). My only major complain is that the diplomacy options in this new Civ are poorly handled. Diplomacy with City States is very clear, and you know exactly where you stand with each of them. Diplomacy with other nations is a total mystery though...you have no idea how they feel about you, or others, and the interface is not as clear as other aspects of the game. Since this will no doubt be addressed in a future patch, and does not break the game in any way now, it is a negative but does not lower the games score too much. Out of the box this game is a 9, but some clever patches/expansions could push it to a 10. Definitely worth buying...a marathon civ session awaits!… Expand
  76. stuntaneous
    Oct 24, 2010
    0
    It got the mainstream treatment. Easy to spot when Meier's there saying it's been "streamlined" ahead of release. One of a few words to fear. This is a good game but nothing more. Certainly not worthy of the Civ franchise name and a huge shame the series has come to an abrupt and unwelcome end. I'm sticking to Civ 4.
  77. hk-47
    Dec 30, 2010
    2
    I permanently hate turn based strategy games because of Sid Meier i had the game en in the first ten minutes i put it in the blender so there is one less copy of that lame game .
  78. wolverdick
    Mar 15, 2011
    3
    Take everything you ever loved about the CIV franchise and then delete half of it. Then dumb it up some more so a twelve year-old can play it on his X-box and that is CIV five. This game is a huge disappointment. The graphics upgrades are less than exemplary, almost cartoonish. The removal of all the sophisticated strategy elements leaves you wondering why. Recent patches have fixedTake everything you ever loved about the CIV franchise and then delete half of it. Then dumb it up some more so a twelve year-old can play it on his X-box and that is CIV five. This game is a huge disappointment. The graphics upgrades are less than exemplary, almost cartoonish. The removal of all the sophisticated strategy elements leaves you wondering why. Recent patches have fixed some of the game imbalances and absurd city-state mechanics, but on a whole this is the worst CIV game ever.… Expand
  79. Reo
    Aug 22, 2011
    1
    I have been a CIV 1 to 4 addict. I am trying to get into CIV5, but over the last 4 months every time I get a good game going I get to around turn 390 to 410 and then somthing always goes wrong. It wont load, or validate. The game crashes. I am sick of it. The only game I have completed is one I started in the industrial age and beat the game in under 200 turns. It seams you can only playI have been a CIV 1 to 4 addict. I am trying to get into CIV5, but over the last 4 months every time I get a good game going I get to around turn 390 to 410 and then somthing always goes wrong. It wont load, or validate. The game crashes. I am sick of it. The only game I have completed is one I started in the industrial age and beat the game in under 200 turns. It seams you can only play the game on standard or quick speed, on normal or small worlds. Have not been able to play past 400 turns on a large world. The game looks great and plays great only on standard settings with very few civs. The whole steam thing sucks! It takes for ever to load a game and then it crashes. Worse, it freezes and you dont know, becouse it normaly takes 5 minutes to load. Check integrety? This has never worked. It says it cant be verified and it has to be reloaded. You wait and wait and finaly its done and you go threw the 5 min wait to load another game and the it freezes. You try to post about the problem and they tell you a patch is coming, only I get the patch and it works fine on a new game, so you play it and boom the same thing at about the same point. I like the social policy thing and the game is balance tword world domination, thats ok. But I think the MODS may be the problem becouse all my crashes and freezes tend to happen during a mod game. But the vanilla civ 5 is not that fun. There are alot of aspects to this game I like, but what good are they if you cant play a game from ancient to futer with alot of turns. I am trying for a culter victory or a science, but I always end up freezing or crashing. Gonna try Historic speed as the only mod on a random map and see if that crashes or freezes, if it does I am putting this game away.… Expand
  80. Tubie
    Oct 7, 2010
    8
    This is a very good game. I might not rate it higher because I over hyped myself too much over it but after a few marathon sessions I can say I am satisfied. I am not a long time fan of the series, I did play Civilization IV for longer than I should admit to so I can only compare the two and so far I think IV had a bigger impact on me.
  81. MrPozor
    Oct 14, 2010
    8
    Civ5 is great. The developers started from scratch, trying new things and throwing old ballast over board. Some people might not like the game because it is very different from Civ4. But the additions really make for a much better gaming experience (Hexagonal tiles, only 1 unit per tile etc.). The game is also very stable on my computer and looks stunning.
    On the downside, there are still    Civ5 is great. The developers started from scratch, trying new things and throwing old ballast over board. Some people might not like the game because it is very different from Civ4. But the additions really make for a much better gaming experience (Hexagonal tiles, only 1 unit per tile etc.). The game is also very stable on my computer and looks stunning.
    On the downside, there are still some bugs, the AI is dumb as ever and the game could benefit from more layers of complexity. The former will probably be fixed by patches, the latter by expansions as has been the case with previous installments.    … Expand
  82. gizm0steve
    Oct 20, 2010
    8
    The biggest problem with this game is that it's too true to a near-perfect form. It is a sequel like Sims 3 is to Sims 2. If I had not already burnt out on Alpha Centauri and Civilization IV, I would be just as hooked to the incredible gameplay. Updated graphics, better AI, and tweaked gameplay (arguably for the better). It's more robust while being more accessible. There are some majorThe biggest problem with this game is that it's too true to a near-perfect form. It is a sequel like Sims 3 is to Sims 2. If I had not already burnt out on Alpha Centauri and Civilization IV, I would be just as hooked to the incredible gameplay. Updated graphics, better AI, and tweaked gameplay (arguably for the better). It's more robust while being more accessible. There are some major flaws however with the diplomacy system. Maybe it's just not intuitive - or simply useless. For example, what does a Pact of Cooperation and Secrecy mean? No explanation in-game as far as I can see. A diplomatic win condition really has more to do with protecting city-states while dumping exorbitant loads of cash on them rather than maintaining peaceful relations with other players. Too many leader-characters have war-mongering bonuses. Overall the balance of the game could be more polished in these regards. However, it's still very recommendable to strategy or simulation gamers of all persuasions, especially if they have not yet been touched by Meier's greatness.… Expand
  83. capitalship
    Dec 19, 2010
    10
    There is a lot to love about Civ V. I been playing this series since the original first came out. This is Sid's passion and it has been improved with every version and V is no exception. It has to be the most addicting and nice looking Civ game to date. The interface cleaned up, no more stacks of units (SOD) in a space, now the game has hexes instead of squares. Why did they not implementThere is a lot to love about Civ V. I been playing this series since the original first came out. This is Sid's passion and it has been improved with every version and V is no exception. It has to be the most addicting and nice looking Civ game to date. The interface cleaned up, no more stacks of units (SOD) in a space, now the game has hexes instead of squares. Why did they not implement hexes long before I don't know but I am happy they did now. Range attacks are a great new element. Finally archers can shoot arrows into the enemy. Another cool touch is when you attack a city the arrows turn to flaming arrows which is epic! Something else that was added is city states and this makes the game much more alive. With these you can attack them or ally them and you get strong bonuses and resources if you ally them. Happiness is a global thing now and its a winner of a change. Some of the annoying useless things were taken out. Civics have been changed to social policies and gives a good broad range of ways to shape your civ using branches almost like a tech tree. The graphics and animations this time around are simply spectacular. I can't believe how far they came with graphics. This has to be the only game that has both graphics and game play. At last, this is just about the best strategy game money can buy. This is the one game you want for Christmas! The latest patch really shapes up the game. A 10 out of 10!… Expand
  84. Skulb
    Feb 13, 2014
    4
    In the fine new tradition of dumbing classic franchises down to appeal to the blind, the mentally impaired and people who hate gaming, Civilization takes a nosedive in the horrible fifth installment. Tons of stuff that made Civ IV timeless has been removed, including map trading, vassals, religions, flexible civics, unit stacks and attrition to name a few things. Meanwhile dubious thingsIn the fine new tradition of dumbing classic franchises down to appeal to the blind, the mentally impaired and people who hate gaming, Civilization takes a nosedive in the horrible fifth installment. Tons of stuff that made Civ IV timeless has been removed, including map trading, vassals, religions, flexible civics, unit stacks and attrition to name a few things. Meanwhile dubious things have been added like global happiness ratings which makes it pointless to make big empires (In a Civ game. It`s true) and city states that reposition your camera on them every time they have some pointless task for you to perform.
    The worst part is that some of it had been tried out in Civ 3, which was the least impressive installment until this release, and removed for Civ 4 because it made the game dull and uncool.
    So compared to Civ 4 there is less complexity, less freedom, much hand holding and worthless fluff, poor diplomacy and many many questionable design features. It is slow, boring and unexciting. The economy doesn`t work properly, there are no active trade routes like in Civ 4 but just automatic ones when you build roads and harbors. And to top it all off there is basically no AI anywhere.
    I just played a game as Persia and had 10 workers on auto. By the year 1100 AD all these workers had built 0 roads. None, zip, nada. Presumably they were waiting until all the forests had been cleared and every possible resource tile and farm had been finished before starting the roads. In other words the automation is pointless and you have to manually build roads if you want any.
    The less said about the enemy AI the better. It is unpredictable, stupid and never improves at higher levels. It just cheats. Give this turkey a wide berth and go get the real Civilization (Civ 4. hell even Civ 2 or the original DOS game is better than this.) immediately.
    Casual gaming at its worst.    … Expand
  85. Grim13
    Jun 23, 2011
    3
    What has happened to Sid Meier? Has he lost all self-respect? First Revolutions and now this piece of crappola! Next he'll be putting out a Facebook version of Civ, for F's sake! Oh, wait... What's that!? HE IS!?! Sid, 2K, Firaxis... some or all of the former are to blame for the decimation of this storied franchise. I've played this series since Numero Uno, spent thousands of hours onWhat has happened to Sid Meier? Has he lost all self-respect? First Revolutions and now this piece of crappola! Next he'll be putting out a Facebook version of Civ, for F's sake! Oh, wait... What's that!? HE IS!?! Sid, 2K, Firaxis... some or all of the former are to blame for the decimation of this storied franchise. I've played this series since Numero Uno, spent thousands of hours on every subsequent iteration, but can not bring myself to complete a SINGLE game of Civ V! They dumbed down all of the strategy elements that make a Civ game a F'N CIV GAME!!! Gotta get that casual/console market interested. Apparently, Core Fans just aren't good enough any more... Who cares if I've helped pave the way for you! Just another in a long line of greed induced SELLOUTS! F**K YOU, YOU GREEDY BASTARDOS!!!… Expand
  86. CivforBrains
    Jun 4, 2011
    2
    CivforBrains
    Jun 4, 2011
    2 CivforBrains Jun 2, 2011 3 I've been playing Civ games since the Civ I and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. (Civ III was my least liked Civ though.) This latest Civ however, I have tried my hardest to like but I just can't do it. Besides an awful AI and terrible diplomacy, this game flat out isn't very fun at all. It's streamlined and frankly quite dumbed down.    CivforBrains
    Jun 4, 2011
    2
    CivforBrains Jun 2, 2011 3 I've been playing Civ games since the Civ I and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. (Civ III was my least liked Civ though.) This latest Civ however, I have tried my hardest to like but I just can't do it. Besides an awful AI and terrible diplomacy, this game flat out isn't very fun at all. It's streamlined and frankly quite dumbed down. Expect a console version within 1 1/2 years after they finish their true love Civ World.

    It is truly incredulous how the "professional" reviewers gave this piece of crap such high marks. Something definitely is rotten in the state of the gaming industry. Likely there are more than a few guerrilla posters on here as well. The developers also seem more intent on releasing DLC than properly fixing the game. In my opinion, 2K Games is largely responsible for ruining the Civ franchise. I don't blame Jon Shafer very much. This game was clearly released at least one year too early. Not much more to say. Perhaps they'll right the ship with Civ VI but I wouldn't count on it.    … Expand
  87. Psyche
    Jun 9, 2011
    10
    Love Civ V, absolutely no problems, beautiful graphics and wonderful game play. The introduction video looks so realistic and smooth, which is followed by its crystal clear pictures,
  88. rstencel
    Jul 11, 2011
    0
    Have to log into steam and have it running to install and play this game. Steam isnt an app I am willing to run on my machine cause of issues had in past with it, and even through bought from brick and morter store, have to run steam in order to use it. They do not take returns cause they say it says need steam in fine print on back of box, after looking for 10 minutes was able to findHave to log into steam and have it running to install and play this game. Steam isnt an app I am willing to run on my machine cause of issues had in past with it, and even through bought from brick and morter store, have to run steam in order to use it. They do not take returns cause they say it says need steam in fine print on back of box, after looking for 10 minutes was able to find the fine print about steam. Will never buy another 2k game and cant play this unreturnable game at all now. Am very displeased.… Expand
  89. mrvirtue
    Jul 12, 2011
    0
    I love this game. The game and its developers don't love me back. I won't buy another Fireaxis game again. My major issue with this game is the lack of effort on the developers part. On loading the direct x 11 option is not even selectable. I have to do some backdoor entry just to play the game properly. When I'm actually in the game I get the worst FPS in the history of a game whoisI love this game. The game and its developers don't love me back. I won't buy another Fireaxis game again. My major issue with this game is the lack of effort on the developers part. On loading the direct x 11 option is not even selectable. I have to do some backdoor entry just to play the game properly. When I'm actually in the game I get the worst FPS in the history of a game whois graphics look like crap. Just to be clear I'm not complaining about graphics. I like civ because it is turn base. The graphics could look like chess figures for all i care. I just don't like how I can play a game like Crysis on max settings and I get terrible fps in a game like Civ 5. I don't normally write reviews but this game compelled me to complain. Almost a full year into the game and still no major patches to correct this issue. I refuse to play on the lowest settings or direct x 9 when my computer can handle the best graphic intensive games out to date. This game and its developer have lost a fan of many years.… Expand
  90. mgstewart
    Nov 6, 2011
    4
    The game has come along way but took a wrong turn at Civ 4 and from there things have gotten worse. I started playing these games at Civ3 brilliant strategy game where you build an empire and gather culture or conquer the enemys. The best ever game was Civ3 Conquest which was able to maintain science-production-growth-gold really well and city building. However when civ4 was introduced itThe game has come along way but took a wrong turn at Civ 4 and from there things have gotten worse. I started playing these games at Civ3 brilliant strategy game where you build an empire and gather culture or conquer the enemys. The best ever game was Civ3 Conquest which was able to maintain science-production-growth-gold really well and city building. However when civ4 was introduced it focused more on not needing citys and how can u have an empire with 5 citys the bonus to civ4 was the fighting mechanics that was a great improvement. However now civ5 has changed once again the same problems as civ 4 but adding more content to make it even worse.

    Pros- Beautiful graphics - graphics dont make a good game but they do make for a fake review by critics    … Expand
  91. mscience
    Nov 5, 2010
    0
    It appears, from the many threads that have been started in the 2K Games forums, that Civilization V has many issues related to the latter part of the game, when one's empire stretches through many tens of cities as well as the opponents'. Time between turns starts to increase to over a minute after a few hundred turns, and later still, the game starts freezing or otherwise crashing. ThisIt appears, from the many threads that have been started in the 2K Games forums, that Civilization V has many issues related to the latter part of the game, when one's empire stretches through many tens of cities as well as the opponents'. Time between turns starts to increase to over a minute after a few hundred turns, and later still, the game starts freezing or otherwise crashing. This seems to happen irrespective of the computer's hardware specifications, as even very capable gaming setups have problems with Civilization V after a certain number of turns. This is indeed a very tricky situation, as I have discovered myself: I tried the demo version of the game and liked it, but later discovered that the game is prone to crashes. The demo version is restricted to only 100 turns, during which most users would not experience crashes (though a few still do). I am pretty sure that most critics who reviewed Civilization V, did so only based on playing the demo version, otherwise their scores wouldn't be as high as they are, and would not be such a wide gap between their score and that of the playing community.… Expand
  92. mccoyjf
    Nov 20, 2010
    3
    I've had Civ 5 for a couple of months now and played several games to completion. And now I'm getting bored with it. I expected better from a sequel to a game I played regularly for several years. But the fact is Civ 5 isn't very interesting or challenging.

    It's not like I'm a super-skilled player or anything. I make plenty of mistakes. But even at the highest difficulty levels I win    I've had Civ 5 for a couple of months now and played several games to completion. And now I'm getting bored with it. I expected better from a sequel to a game I played regularly for several years. But the fact is Civ 5 isn't very interesting or challenging.

    It's not like I'm a super-skilled player or anything. I make plenty of mistakes. But even at the highest difficulty levels I win easily. Where's the fun in that? The issue is that the computer opponents are very weak. They will fight wars with you, but are bad at it so that's not too hard to deal with. As for beating you through peaceful strategies like culture, science, or diplomacy, I don't think they can. At least, I've never seen them do it, even though in some cases had I switched places with one of them I could have achieved victory in just a few turns by taking fairly simple steps.

    So the game poses very little challenge after the first session or three. There are also plenty of annoying little glitches, the sort of stuff one might overlook in a really good game but that really get your attention if you're already a little bored or frustrated. Graphical overlays that don't disappear when they should. Bad pathfinding that forces you to micromanage unit movement, that sort of thing.

    In sum, it's not nearly as fun as Civilization IV. I'd recommend that game over this one any day.    … Expand
  93. Ian277
    Jan 24, 2011
    9
    i started with civ 2 and loved it. then civ 4 came and disapointed me. so i needed a pick-me up and civ 5 was the answere. the first game was so exiting. i love the diplomacy it makes the game revived after civ 4's failure in diplomacy. the combat system is great and fun it is not just #'s vs #'s. if you have less units you can win a war if you use terrain and uprades to your advantage.i started with civ 2 and loved it. then civ 4 came and disapointed me. so i needed a pick-me up and civ 5 was the answere. the first game was so exiting. i love the diplomacy it makes the game revived after civ 4's failure in diplomacy. the combat system is great and fun it is not just #'s vs #'s. if you have less units you can win a war if you use terrain and uprades to your advantage. this is for REAL STRATEGY GAMERS that know how unlike the civ 4 freaks that have only played #4 and have no idea what strategy is. you need to use your noggin to win. fun and addicting. deserves alot more attention.… Expand
  94. eliang98
    Sep 30, 2010
    3
    For a huge fan of the previous versions, Civ V is a HUGE disappointment.
    The game interface response is very slow. So slow that after playing for a couple of hours, I feel that I am not accomplish anything other than waiting for the turns to get over. To allocate the population of a city to work on a specific tile, it took me a few hours of menu reading to click-and-explore to figure it    For a huge fan of the previous versions, Civ V is a HUGE disappointment.
    The game interface response is very slow. So slow that after playing for a couple of hours, I feel that I am not accomplish anything other than waiting for the turns to get over. To allocate the population of a city to work on a specific tile, it took me a few hours of menu reading to click-and-explore to figure it out.
    I am definitely going back to play my Civ IV    … Expand
  95. IndyGuy
    Oct 2, 2010
    0
    As others have said, I get that they wanted to make a less complicated game for the masses, but they really outdid themselves on that count. This silly game practically plays itself. I'm really not a gamer and Civilization is by and large the only series of games that I have ever played with any regularity. So when a new version comes out, I want more complicated, not less, moreAs others have said, I get that they wanted to make a less complicated game for the masses, but they really outdid themselves on that count. This silly game practically plays itself. I'm really not a gamer and Civilization is by and large the only series of games that I have ever played with any regularity. So when a new version comes out, I want more complicated, not less, more challenging, not less. I really wanted to like it, but after playing for a while and getting a feel for the new setup it just dawned on me "Holy cow, this is actually lame". I am obviously not the target audience for Civilization V.… Expand
  96. shmackdaddy
    Oct 3, 2010
    0
    Until the A.I. can fuction in a 1upt environment this game is basically an RPG. As an RPG I'd give it 8.5. As a strategy game Civ V is basically a slap in the face. While it desearves a 4 as a strategy game I'm giving it a 1 as a protest for 2k releasing this BETA into the market.
  97. skuby
    Jul 24, 2011
    2
    I would recommend either part IV and or part III over part V.
  98. DrIron
    Sep 8, 2011
    1
    Get Civilization 4 and BtS instead (you don't need Warlords, BTS has all of Warlords in it).
    5 has worse AI, only just barely matches the visual quality of modded Civilization 4, is much harder to mod and thus barely enjoys any modding community unlike 4, and the game is just too damn easy due to how unbalanced everything is. On top of that, there's hardly any multiplayer support.
    Just get    Get Civilization 4 and BtS instead (you don't need Warlords, BTS has all of Warlords in it).
    5 has worse AI, only just barely matches the visual quality of modded Civilization 4, is much harder to mod and thus barely enjoys any modding community unlike 4, and the game is just too damn easy due to how unbalanced everything is. On top of that, there's hardly any multiplayer support.
    Just get Civ4. Want more civilizations than 4 has to offer? They've been modded in. Want better graphics? They've been modded in. Hell, you can get mods that make each nation's units look unique, so that a Portugese and a Dutch unit will not be clones like they are in 5. Then to make things worse, Firaxis has actually started -selling- civilizations, putting less work into them than modders do, for $5 each.
    This sequel doesn't even deserve to exist if it can't compete with its predecessor on any field.    … Expand
  99. Breat
    Oct 13, 2010
    8
    à première vue très simplifier comparé aux anciens opus, mais il n'en est rien. le point négatif principal étant le manque de civilisations, ce qui je pense sera corriger via divers DLC
  100. goodsnpr
    Oct 14, 2010
    8
    Very solid game that did alot of what it promised, yet compared to some aspects of CIV 3 & 4, its lacking some content. I've not played multiplayer, but singleplayer is a wonderful game that when played on the right difficulty, gives you enough of a challange without having to worry about stacks of doom rolling over your cities. Example: Held a single tile bridge chokepoint with nothingVery solid game that did alot of what it promised, yet compared to some aspects of CIV 3 & 4, its lacking some content. I've not played multiplayer, but singleplayer is a wonderful game that when played on the right difficulty, gives you enough of a challange without having to worry about stacks of doom rolling over your cities. Example: Held a single tile bridge chokepoint with nothing but a spearman and archer against a horde of enemies. Some of the downfalls is inbalance between civilization attributes and civil policies seem a bit bulky. Also noticed that you can fall into debt fast, and not have any way out short of war, and thats without building up a large army or alot of buildings.… 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.
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  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
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