Release of the week: Civilization V – prices compared

Sid Meiers’ Civilization franchise has walked a long road since its humble beginnings in 1991. Despite the evolution of the industry, with a firm focus shift moving towards instant gratification, high-intensity action games and online gameplay, the franchise has held its niche position as the turn-based civilization manager of choice. 

The imminent release of Civilization V is cause for celebration for PC gamers who enjoy a more intellectually gratifying experience. We were fortunate enough to see the game at E3 as well as have access to pre-release code over the past few months, and as an avid fan of the franchise, I am confident that I will lose many sleepless nights to the next iteration of this iconic series. Check out our hands-on preview of the game.

I am particularly excited about the revamped combat system. Unlike previous Civilization games, only one unit can be placed per tile. This means that players cannot amass unstoppable armies into a single tile and bulldoze their enemy with it. The effect is that the game becomes far more tactical.

Additional tweaks have been made to the combat, and now when defending from a higher vantage point, players will have a strong advantage in battle.

The new hexagonal tile set also makes for a more dynamic gameplay experience. 

14 Minutes of Civ V gameplay

Civilization V pre-order pricing comparison

If you are still on the fence, you can download the demo from Steam.

Discuss Civilization V on the MyGaming forum.