Civ Lite
So I'm a big PC gamer. I'll try anything on a PC just to see how it goes try out the new graphic cards and see what the new machine can handle and all of that. The one game that got me into PC gaming the most was Civilization. Not anything you would write home about graphics wise or even something that would really take a toll on your CPU but it is what I think PC gaming is really all about. That single player sit at your computer and become the ruler of the world in the comfort of your own room. I loved the game instantly and I have played just about every version of the game since. Now to me Civilization is a PC game and I was very interested to see how they would take this series to the console (I know there was a console version of Civ 2 but we don't like to talk about that). On their latest attempt to bring this PC juggernaut to the console Firaxis and 2K games have done an amazing job of scaling down the Civilization experience into a fun fast pace game more suited for the console. They have managed to tone down the micro-managing portion of the game while still maintaining the sheer thrill of ruling the world in style. The Civ 4 graphics engine has gotten a bit of a boost with some more immerrsive action packed battles. Some graphical upgrades on units, city upgrades, and even those ever present advisers. The upgrades were not just graphical but they added a little flair with some comedic situation with battles with the previously annoying barbarians as well as those advisors butting each other out of the way when advice is given.
Removing some of the minutia involved in previous games allows for more direct strategy. Your workers are now mostly automated, while you can tell them what the city should be focusing on you don't have to spend time send ing them to specific squares to change what's happening. Roads are also simplified with out taking away the strategic portion away by making roads cost gold that could be in short supply especially early on in games. There has also been a great improvement to the AI from Civ 4. Other civilization will now pay attention to what you are working on where you are weak and will exploit that regardless of how strong they might be. For instance, if Japan knows you are about to send a spaceship off to Aplha Centari they might go ahead and figure this would be a good time to change their government so they can attack you with everyhting they have to stop you from winning. If the Greeks know you have a Democracy and are about to wipe them off the face of the planet they're going to offer that olive branch knowing you have to accept it.
While some of the hardcore Civilization fans may be a bit upset with the lack detail you can be involved with, the overall experience is very enjoyable and you wont find yourself sepnding 20+ hours on one game. Civ Lite it may be but thats fine by me...
Pros: Fun fast pace action, Great Graphics upgrade, Good AI, no epic 3-4 day games.
Cons: Occasional slows downs, PS3 controls can be slightly clunky at times, Must always be building something.
