Genre: 4x Strategy
Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2k Games

As Civilization has evolved over the years through its many versions, the visuals have always been pleasant but more focused on functionality than eye candy. Civ IV is as functional as its predecessors, as it uses clear menus, fonts, and lots of status guages and the like, so it's easy to see at a glance the state of your game. There is a bit of pizazz though as well if you take into account the flashy FMV sequences that show periodically throughout gameplay and the completely 3d world and units.

Civ IV is a rare game where the sound conveys the state of the game as well as the visuals do. Many events trigger short sound effects or jingles, and when you're whipping through mid-game turns like mad Civ IV manages to create a distinct omnium gatherum of aural stimuli that work well together.

It would be a tough sell for Sid Meier to simply re-release Civ III with better visuals. So he made some fairly dramatic tweaks to the gameplay, closing loopholes, adding new tactics to the AI, and even making slight alterations to core gameplay mechanics. The end result is that you must continually adapt your play to the situation. The outstanding interface makes pursuing any strategy a snap and even after a dozen or more hours of play, the interface continues to surprise with its little nuances meant to anticipate the player's every need at every turn.

Seldom do I encounter a game with the addictive qualities of Civ IV. Early, mid, and late game stages are all engaging, and while seasoned Civ fans might be a little uneasy with the tweaks made in this fourth edition, it's impossible to fault Sid Meier for making a better, more balanced, and more challenging game. The plethora of multiplayer modes, combined with some excellent AI and a wide range of game options make this the premier 4x strategy game on the market.