As we covered in ourE3 Preview ofCiv IV,this time around the game is getting more than a facelift. Aside from fully 3D graphics, the title adds new elements like religious beliefs into the formula. But at the same time, this is a smoother, gentlerCivilization.Firaxis recently visited GameSpy HQ so that we could watch the game in action.
It seems to us that Firaxis is sticking to the game's roots. This looks to play more like the originalCiv,with fast-paced turns and games that can be finished in a few hours, as opposed to the weekend-long benders that were required to muscle through the later sequels. Combined with a new interface that'll feel more familiar to real-time strategy fans -- as well as a multiplayer mode that might actually work -- the new title should win over hordes of new fans while still keeping longtime players hooked.
What a Wonderful World (Soon to be Mine)
Screenshots of the new game don't really do the title justice. The new graphical engine (built with GameBryo, the same engine used for the 2004Pirates!remake) allows you to smoothly zoom in to see the lay of the land around an important battle, then zoom out to check out your empire as a whole. You can keep pulling out the camera from there, eyeing the whole world -- the map will round at the edges at that scale, looking as though the tilemap is actually wrapped around a globe that you can spin. The camera can even be rotated so you can get a better view around the mountains or just to admire the pyramids you've built.
Yes, you can see individual buildings on the grand strategic map. One of the things the team is trying to do is break down the artificial wall that existed between the "city screen" and the "map screen" in the older games. You can still click on a city to micromanage its citizens if you want, but many basic city functions (such as what it's constructing) can be adjusted from the main map. You can also see at a glance what improvements the city has because, well, they're right there in the screen in luscious 3D.
