Galactic Civilizations II Ultimate Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Galactic Civilizations II Ultimate Edition is the latest and best installment of the Galactic Civilizations series, packing in both currently-available expansion packs in addition to the base game. It is a turn-based strategy/conquest game, allowing play to stretch out over days or even weeks. There is a lot to this game, but once you get the hang of how to play this game it is very much worth the time and effort.
To be very clear, this is a turn-based game, not a real-time strategy game or a first-person shooter. If turn-based games do not appeal to you, look elsewhere. If you have not played a turn-based game in the past, it is a different experience from most other games on the market in that the planning and strategizing require thinking in a different way, and this style of play is not something everyone enjoys.
One of the very first things that a player will notice about this game is that the graphics are absolutely stunning. Stardock put an incredible amount of effort and care into the interface, from the menus to the cut scenes. Everything is smooth, seamless and, well, beautiful.
Although the graphics are well-done, the interface is exceptionally complex and busy. The player manages almost every conceivable aspect of the game - economy and tax rate, research direction and funding, relationships with other civilizations, planetary production, fleet composition, trade and more. It is very easy to get lost in the sheer volume of options available.
Gameplay starts with several choices, most importantly race but certainly not the only option. Victory conditions (more on that shortly), universe size, star cluster density, frequency of viable worlds, number of other civilizations, and a few other options are all specified at the start. After making all of these selections, the player gets a single planet, a colony ship, a survey ship and an asteroid miner.
Every turn consists of a number of important choices. The player decides how to allocate all of the resources available and takes steps to better their position, with the ultimate goal of meeting the victory conditions specified at the start. This may include exploration of space junk (there is frequently much benefit to doing so), colonization of a new planet, or perhaps cranking up the tax rate. Once all of the desired options have been selected, the player ends the turn and a new turn begins after all selections have been executed.
One of the most interesting aspects of the game is in designing new ships for the fleet. The player gets to pick hull type, armament, sensors and everything else a ship needs to be a successful contributor. Once a design is complete and named, any starport orbiting the player's planets can build those ships. It is important to keep in mind that some designs may not work well through the entire game but that sometimes a design should be retired in favor of new, more advanced designs.
Gameplay continues until victory conditions are met. There are several conditions that can be specified - military conquest, diplomatic victory (peace treaties with all other major civilizations), technological victory (done through research) or even a cultural invasion.
Every choice a player makes affects something else within the game. For example, higher taxes can cause a planet to mutiny and join a different civilization. More important, though, is how choices affect relations with the other civilizations. Most civilizations pay attention to ethical alignment and military might, and depending on how strong or weak a player's civilization can even incite a war. Finding a good balance is the key, and finding that balance is inherently tough.
As this version comes with both expansion packs, there are three campaigns that are available for play. I have not tried any of these so I cannot really comment on them.
This is a very engrossing game with slick graphics and many, many choices for the gamer who wants absolute control over every aspect of the game. If this style of play is appealing to you, seriously consider picking up a copy for yourself and say goodbye to your free time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Galactic Civilizations II Ultimate Edition

Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Edition includes the best-selling and award-winning space strategy game Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords and the two AddOns Dark Avatar and Twilight Of The Arnor in one comprehensive collection! Alternative map sizes and victory tasks Players can now design new starships from the main game menu All game campaigns have been updated to be playable within Twilight of the Arnor New user manual Numerous new game setup options Updated diplomatic options New planetary governors for automating the building of planets Revamped espionage system Auto-building for starbases Balance updating Improved graphics The Story In the year 2225, mankind's thirst for domination has spread to the stars, where the battle for conquest rages on. Humans struggle for supremacy over the other Galactic powers, who have their own plans for the cosmos. In Galactic Civilizations II, you will use technology, diplomacy, colonization and war as your tools to build a far-reaching interstellar empire. Key Game Features:
All in One- Comes with Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords and both expansions, The Dark Avatar and Twilight of the Arnor
Spacecraft Customization - State of the art 3D engine enables users to create their own ships from scratch!
Additional Maps - Experience New maps, units and scenarios
New playable civilizations
Enhanced graphics and soundtrack - Experience Galactic Civilization II's new look and feel
Triumph in an Epic Interstellar WarIn Galactic Civilizations II The Ultimate Edition, you'll utilize military prowess, technological advancements, economic might and cultural expansions to triumph in an interstellar war. The all-new map system helps you stay in control of your forces, while the 3D engine delivers incredible graphics. Discover why this game has won so many rave reviews and "Game of the Year" accolades as you enter a unique strategy experience.

Click here for more information about Galactic Civilizations II Ultimate Edition

Read More...

Civilization 3: Conquests Expansion Pack Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a GREAT expansion pack. Particularly if you skipped "Play The World" (as I did). There's more, more, MORE of everything, and enough interesting gameplay tweaks that it makes Civ 3 feel like a brand new game.
What makes it so good?
* New tribes to play. Or, perhaps more importantly, new tribes to play against. The Mayans can be a terror.
* New tribe attributes. Seafaring! Agricultural! OK, that doesn't sound that exciting, but it definitely has an impact on gameplay and strategy. Agricultural favors the AI such that the new Killer AI tribes are almost always those with the Ag trait, like the Celts.
* Boosted navy! Combined with the Seafaring, navy is still underpowered, but way better than before. On an archipelago map, seafaring can mean the difference between a breezy success and a slow slog.
* Boosted airforce! Bombardment in general is boosted, so everything from catapults to stealth bombers feels a little more useful.
* Fewer resources! Wait, fewer resources? Well, not fewer KINDS of resources. Just fewer all around. You either have to learn to play very nice with the AI or very mean.
* Entertaining scenarios! From the cradle of civilization to the 20th century, you can have your turn (sorta) re-enacting historical events. These can be fun, fast, intense, changes of pace from the epic game.
* New techs/wonders/governments! The unit-producing Statue of Zeus and Knights Templar are a hoot. The Temple of Artemis is amazingly powerful (but very short-lived). The Internet--well, like all the modern wonders, it seems a little too late. But it ain't bad. Fascism is a blast to play if you want to live out your Great Dictator fantasies, but you can see the AI self-destruct with it, too, unfortunately.
So, how was this Really Good Thing screwed up? Bugs! Bugs o' plenty! If you're a casual player, playing particularly on Chieftain or Warlord levels (maybe even Regent), you might not notice the bugs. Not at first, anyway. There are patches, oh, yes, there are patches, unofficial though they may be. But the situation seems to have arisen because the game was yanked out of public beta toward release-time, then tweaked and re-tested internally. Unfortunately, this game is too deep and often too subtle to be effectively tested by any in-house crew. Result? They managed to break trade, corruption and resource-distribution in the final release.
An official patch will eventually be released. Probably before the summer. Until then, you have the choice of living with bugs, or living with a beta patch (which might introduce its own bugs), or simply waiting to get the game.
There's an even more serious problem, really, underlying these changes. Trade is absolutely vital with the resource reduction. Either you find a way to trade, or you find a way to conquer, which may not be a play style you want to be forced into Every Single Game. The problem is, the trade and diplomacy systems are not sophisticated enough to meet this increased need. If you need iron, but it's all being traded, you can't offer the AI any incentive to trade it to you when the current deal is up. Those deals get made in-between turns, so you often don't have a shot.
So these fabulous changes are not only marred by bugs, the whole game creaks under them. And it's a long way to Civ 4.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Civilization 3: Conquests Expansion Pack

Civilization III: Conquests takes you on a journey through the ages as you pursue victory through conquest!

Click here for more information about Civilization 3: Conquests Expansion Pack

Read More...

Heroes of Might & Magic 3 Complete Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There are a few games out there that can stand the test of time and replayability. This is one of them. The HoMM franchise has been around for some time, and fans and non-fans alike of the normally dry turn-based strategy genre have discovered that this game is a lot of fun. Whether you're looking for a quick game, or one that will last hours, HoMM3 Complete can and will satisfy your needs. Bottom line, this is a wonderful game.
For those not familiar with the franchise I'll elaborate. You take control of one or more heroes within the game. Each hero has a class (wizard, paladin, etc.) which corresponds with a specific type of town and commands an army of creatures. Both the towns and the creatures you command go through a wide array of upgrades, and your hero/heroine can discover relics which can improve him/her as well. In a turn-based format you strive to conquer random monsters as you explore the expansive maps, as well as your foes who at the same time are building and fighting as you are. Single player includes quick play based upon your settings, and mission based scenarios as well. Game include multiplayer play as well.
So capture those enemy towns, discover the ultimate artifact, and command an army of titans and dragons! This game is easy to learn, and quick to pick up and/or put down. It's replayability is very high, and it's one title that will be on your system for a long time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Heroes of Might & Magic 3 Complete

Now you can get the complete Heroes of Might and Magic III experience in one value package. This monster bundle will keep players building towns, raising armies, casting spells, and conquering foes for months. Look at all that awaits: 86 standalone missions, 14 campaigns, 38 single-scenario maps, quests for 138 magical artifacts (including 12 powerful combination artifacts), 8 town types to build and conquer, 16 hero classes, 145 combat units, and hundreds of adventure structures, including teleporters, neutral creatures, and special terrains with unique tactics. Missions can be self-contained single scenarios, linked together into multiscenario campaigns, or played as multiplayer scenarios against other human players across a network. As many as eight players can compete or team up via hot seat, LAN, modem, or the Internet. The random map generator lets you create unlimited battle scenarios. Create your own unique battles with a fully functional campaign generator and a map editor, ensuring customization for infinite replayability.

Click here for more information about Heroes of Might & Magic 3 Complete

Read More...

Heroes of Might and Magic 4 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Heroes 4 Does have many wonderful improvements that makes it more complex and in sum, more compelling than S3, but there are these little problems in the game that Heroes 3 didn't have. I don't understand why 3do chose to take away certain elements of Heroes 3 that were already perfect.
Steps Foward:
*I have to give it to the creators to add the "Heroes in Combat" function. This makes the combination of your armies a lot more complex. 3 Heroes with 3 monsters.. or An army of 6 heroes in all.. You choose!! And Each Hero can be specialized in his her own way..
*Skills- Each hero can have 5 major skills and 15 minor skills.. That's a whopping 20 total skills. That makes the heroes unique enough, huh?
*New Monsters!! - Need I say more?
*New Spells!! -Need I say more?
*Potions give a nice little addition to the game. Allows for more dynamics during battle.
*Monsters are a bit more complex in Heroes 4. Many of them have more skills.. and more specialties... Mages can cast different spells.. and there are choices to what type of monsters your town produces.
*Monsters are generated in each town per turn instead of per week.. makes more sense this way.
Steps Backwards:
* Like some other posters.. I don't understand why they don't tell you how much experience you get after each better.. makes it hard to keep track of the levels of your heroes.
*Heroes no longer have their own little specialization. So for example, it doesn't matter whether you start out with a priest named bob or a priest named Rob.. there's no difference. Remember, in Heroes 3, every hero had a special skill?
* Um.. graphics seem to be worse in some cases.. better in others.. yes.. 3d graphics.. but still worse in some cases (combat).
*Combat is worse. We need the squares!!! It's so hard to calculate the number of steps your units can move without some square indication. And the graphics are worse... Combat was a lot better in Heroes 3.
*I just like the monsters in Heroes 3 more.. they looked nicer....... maybe they need a new graphic designer.
* No upgrades for Monsters... arggghh.. why are there no upgrades for monsters?

Click Here to see more reviews about: Heroes of Might and Magic 4

In Heroes of Might and Magic 4, players will command armies composed of skillful heroes and fantastic creatures that fight enemies, capture towns, and collect vital resources and artifacts. Strategic planning and tactical cunning are instrumental in your goal to be the undisputed ruler of the new world. The game features heroes who are active participants in combat, six massive campaigns and dozens of standalone scenarios, a campaign editor with a map maker that allows terrain deformation, and an all-new magic system with five highly specialized schools of magic.

Get 73% OFF

Click here for more information about Heroes of Might and Magic 4

Read More...

Sid Meiers Civilization IV: Complete Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Civilization 4 is an excellent game, especially with the expansion packs. Everyone who enjoys strategy, empire building, city/nation management, etc. will love this game. It has it's flaws (most of these are opinions, however) such as culture identifying national borders (Berlin has been overwhelmed by the culture of Paris and has joined my Empire MWAHAHAHA!) but these do not detract from the gameplay value and the never-ending replayability. The game is tons of fun to play multiplayer as well.
However, be warned about this Complete Edition. The copy comes with version 3.13 of BTS of which several new updates have been released, however the Complete Edition is not compatible with these updates! To update, you will either have to alter your directory, or manually install. Not a big-deal at all, it just won't work with the auto-update in game.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sid Meiers Civilization IV: Complete

With Sid Meier's Civilization IV History As YouKnow It Is History.Product InformationWith over 6 million units sold and unprecedented critical acclaim from fans and press around the world Sid Meier's Civilization is recognized as one of the greatest PC game franchises of all-time. Now Sid Meier and Firaxis Games will take this incredibly fun and addictive game to new heights by adding new ways to play and win new tools to manage and expand your civilization all-new easy to use mod capabilities and intense multiplayer modes and options. Civilization IV will come to life like never before in a beautifully detailed living 3D world that will elevate the gameplay experience to a whole new level.Sid Meier's Civilization is a turn-based strategy game that challenges players to build and expand an empire throughout all of human history and become the most powerful ruler in the world. Choose one of 18 nations to lead and go head to head with some of the most famous leaders in history. Each civilization has its own special characteristics - some are fairly peaceful while others are expansionists and conquerors. You'll battle your foes with a huge arsenal of weapons beginning with primitive archers and warriors then catapults knights and frigates and eventually with modern tanks submarines mobile infantry helicopter gunships stealth bombers and nuclear weapons.Civilization IV is more than just a great combat game: you can also achieve victory through diplomatic cunning cultural or religious alliances and technological dominance.Civilization IV delivers faster mid and late game AI turns and offers greater control over your civilization's government and religions while at the same time de-emphasizing the less fun micromanagement (cleaning up pollution for example). And there's more! Civ IV has been designed from the ground-up to deliver fantastic multiplayer gaming options as well as unpreceden

Get 67% OFF

Click here for more information about Sid Meiers Civilization IV: Complete

Read More...

Sid Meiers Civilization IV Beyond the Sword Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Beyond the sword offers so much more than the previous one. Here is what I believe to be the best aspects:
Espionage is now a much larger part of the game. You may use funding to increase and decrease the amount you would like to concentrate on it. Just like science and culture.
Next war mod- This will add about thirty more techs to your tree in the end-game. Clones, mechs, and mind control centers are just a few examples. The only thing I don't like about this is you have to load the mod in order for it too work. Also, it is a tad annoying that the end-game music plays throughout the entire game if you choose this.
A bunch more leaders and few more civs- this is always a bonus. Holy Roman Empire and Byzantium are great choices. Being a fan of ancient Mesopotamian culture I appreciate the Babylonians and Sumerian civs being added as well. Native Americans are also a fun addition.
There is a new random event concept that actually adds a lot of fun to the game. Something good or bad happens at random and you make choices that either make things better or worse.
When it comes to the scenarios, it looks like they were going for a bit of experimentation instead of the usual. Still if you're anything like me you play these once and never look at them again.
There is one that is like a cyber-punk scifi where you fight zombies. Interesting idea but there isn't much to it. Just walk around in dark buildings while you are assaulted by wave after wave of zombies.
Perhaps the best one is an outer space scenario where you colonize planets. About ten new space civs to choose from and a brand new tech tree .
The Charlemagne scenario as you may have guessed involves the many countries vying for power during the dark ages.
Broken star is a russian campaign that involves a fractured russia. Choose a faction and attempt to find nukes.
I believe the animations have been improved and the units of different civs have been changed so they have more personality. ie. an asian civ will look asian while a native american civ looks native american, instead of the units of every civ looking the same.
Unlike the last installment I believe your getting your moneys worth this time around.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Sid Meiers Civilization IV Beyond the Sword

The massive Civilization IV universe is about to become more epic with this 2nd expansion pack to the 2005 Game of the Year. The biggest Civ expansion set ever, Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword focuses on the "late game” time periods after the invention of gunpowder and will deliver 12 unique and challenging scenarios created by the development team at Firaxis as well as some esteemed members of the Civ Community.

Get 65% OFF

Click here for more information about Sid Meiers Civilization IV Beyond the Sword

Read More...