I started playing Civilization sometime in the 90's.  I received my first copy for a birthday, but our computer at home couldn't play it.  I had to drive to my Mom's office to play on her computer there.  I kept telling myself "just one more turn" and before I knew it dawn was arriving as my first game drew to a close.  I've played most of the subsequent titles, including the Call to Power versions from Activision.  Recently I've been playing the Xbox 360 version and had a few thoughts to share.

I played the demo quite some time ago and it put me off.  I was so used to the PC controls and management options that the 360 version seemed foreign and inferior to me.  No map customization?  No penalty for more cities?  Limited worker options? Bah!

For some reason those concerns disappeared as the price dropped below $40 and I'm happy I picked this game up.  The controls take some getting used to and it still feels a little slow, but those are minor compared to the overall package.  The management options are simple, but it's almost because of that simplicity that the game is so enjoyable.  I don't have to worry about how many cities I have (other than making sure they're defended) or how far they are from my capital (other than making sure I can get troops to them when needed).  I'm not constantly telling my workers what they need to be developing; they just work and I pick an overall focus for the city.  I also don't have to tell my workers to build a road to another city and then wait 20 turns until it's done, only to do it all over again for railroad.  Now I just pay gold to have the road developed and it's there until the end of the game.

There are too many difference to list, so I won't waste everyone's time doing so.  I'll just say that overall the experience is a good one, even for someone coming with a lost of history from the PC versions.