Things We Liked:
Great, realistic look
Hexagonal tiles introduced - more chances to surround, flank, and generally plan against individual troops and cities
Options - so many options with construction, research, use of land, placement of cities and troops, and so much more
Expansions - two DLCs are out - Gods and Kings and Brave New World, with a third on its way.
Doesn't get dull, even over long periods of time
Single player's good - even without internet this game is pretty fun
Multiplayer is really good - hours and hours more fun to be had here
Active and Passionate modding community - can only be used effectively in single player, but there are a few gems to find here
Things We Didn't:
Games are LONG - we're talking 24-36 hours for a large map (2 players, 22 NPCs)
Can be difficult to just 'jump' into - better to get help from someone who knows the game
Turn based - this could be annoying to some, but I don't mind it
Overall Score - 9/10
Sid Meiers' Civilization V was released in 2010, so it's amazing that the game's still up to date and people are still buying and playing it. There have been two DLCs released on the game, and both have kept the game fresh and current. I only have the vanilla game at the moment, but these DLCs may be reviewed another time.
The premise of Civ V is a turn based strategy game in which you take on the role of a great leader of history. You have multiple means to victory - the typical domination (take every capital city in the world), science (have the highest tech level come 2050), culture (have the most culture at 2050) and can also be determined by many other factors (tiles owned, troops maintained, etc).
There is no 'story mode' in single player or multiplayer, but games are possible to role play if you enjoy that sort of thing. It can also be difficult to just jump into the game without knowing anything about it - you may need to play the tutorial slowly and get your bearings, or get help from someone who knows the game well. It's definitely better to try some easy single player matches before throwing yourself into the multiplayer community.
Civ V is a definite improvement of the Civilization series - (much) better graphics and hexagonal tiles (as opposed to squares) allows for more complex planning and many more strategic options.
This game is good in single player, but multiplayer is where this game thrives, where hours upon hours upon hours of game-play lie. There are always at least ten games going on in your area (country-wise) which means language gaps etc. are rarely come across.
I've only played a few games myself, but I really enjoyed them, and so did everyone I played with - especially when Ghandi 'the war monger' declared war on (and defeated) the Aztecs, who were a simple, peaceful folk. It's moments like that that keep the game entertaining, exciting, and interesting. Unfortunately, there is no voice chat in multiplayer, so to talk you either use the text box (for both private and public messages). Personally, I prefer to use a third party program.
Overall, this game is a must own, with over 50 hours of game-play in single player alone. It is sincerely recommended.
Euan
XNPC - Reviews for games on the Xbox, Nintendo and PC Platforms