Mention Civilization to any guy who went to college in the mid-90's and you'll hear a big sigh: "I almost failed out because of that game."

Civilization lies somewhere on the spectrum between Sim City and Starcraft. Navigating your way through history, you begin in the stone age and try to increase your population, technology, and territory. As all grow, you build cities, improve technology and wage wars against other civilizations. The winner is the civilization who conquers the entire world or is first to colonize another planet. If you're a fan of simulation games like Warcraft and sim city, you'll love this game.

Civilization III is a big improvement over previous versions in the games graphics. You move from 2D to a 3D board. The game has become more complex as well, expanding game-play in diplomacy and trade. Fans of Civilization II will be well rewarded to upgrade to this newer version.

And the drawbacks? Be prepared to find yourself looking up at the clock only to see it's 3 am - and then telling yourself "Just 15 more minutes." Most people form a love-hate relationship with the game and keep playing until a friend intervenes.

If you have the self-discipline to play for a limited amount of time, this is a game I would highly recommend. If you have an addicted personality, my advice is to not even touch the box.





Recommended: Yes