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Game Information
- Platform: Windows 98 / 2000 / Me / XP / 95
- PEGI Rating: Ages 3 and Over
- Media: Video Game
Frequently Bought Together
Product Features
- Simple interface makes gameplay easy
- New pathways to victory
- Triumph in diplomatic, cultural and military domination
- Includes game editor
Product details
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The third instalment in Meier's signature series offers all the outstanding gameplay featured in the first two games while including new features and refinements that keep the series fresh and engaging.
Civilization III offers 16 playable civilizations and each has its own strengths and bonuses. The game begins in the year 4000 BC when your civilization is nothing more than a primitive tribe, and each turn progresses the game forward in time.
You manage growth, military production, city development, diplomacy, and scientific research as your civilization grows from a single village to several towns to a continent-spanning metropolitan sprawl. The fun is in deciding whether to research writing or the wheel, whether to build a musketeer to take out an encroaching enemy pikeman or direct your city to work on the culturally significant Sistine Chapel.
There are five ways to win the game, ranging from wiping out the other civilizations with military power to defeating them through cultural dominance, which is one of several new victory conditions.
Fans of Meier's other turn-based games will find the same addictive gameplay present in Civilization III. Building off the gameplay are several new additions, specifically the new cultural rating and the new resource management options. The other big change is that you must collect raw materials in order to build certain units.
For example, oil and rubber are required to build modern units, and if those resources aren't within your territory, you'll need to negotiate with other civilizations for them. And because the game's negotiation process is very deep and involved, you may find yourself cut off from key raw materials if you're at odds with other civilizations, which, in turn, will weaken you militarily.
There are a few minor issues with the game, most notably with unit imbalances and the tedious endgame, which can drag on forever. These are minor problems, however, and don't detract from the overall experience. Fans of Sid Meier's other games, or anyone looking for a fun and challenging gaming experience, owe it to themselves to pick up Civilization III. --P. Meyer
Manufacture's Description
From Sid Meier, the creative genius behind some of the most critically acclaimed computer games ever produced, comes Civilization III. Experience a game of epic proportions, where players can match wits against the greatest leaders of the world in an all-out quest to build the ultimate empire. This journey of discovery includes new features that build on and enrich the0 Civilization experience. There are new pathways to explore, strategies to employ, and more powerful tools with which to build and manage your empire. Build, explore, conquer, and rule with Civilization III.
This newest installment promises to keep the components that made the first two games incredibly addictive and fun, while adding new elements and features that complement and enhance the existing system. In addition, a completely new graphics engine will provide stunning maps, animations, and graphics unlike those seen before. The new gameplay features better decision-making abilities, new paths to victory, and greatly enhanced combat and diplomacy for new ways to win. With a new interface and reporting screens, Civilization III will accommodate seasoned and first-time players.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
I began thinking that I didn't need any tutorial as I knew it all from Civ I and II. WRONG!!! After 5 games, I was still amazed of the difficulty of the average levels... and getting used to some new features (e.g. artillery being captured) is not easy!
After getting used to the "new" rules, I found a great game to play - the computer can even be a "sincere" ally... if you treat it right, it will treat you right. And you can swap/exchange almost anything. Impressive!
You can also win the game through 6 different ways (that you can turn on/off) which is a great plus.
But a few items are annoying:
* If you are into military conquest, the final part (modern times) is boring as you might need to move a lot of units across the board - this has made me give up in times;
* Technology goes too fast so that some units you rarely use because new ones are developed very fast;
* There are 2 or 3 glitches that can remove some fun (beware of battleships finding it's way in automatic mode - it might declare war on who you do not want!)
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
I was a Civ II addict, but had never played the original. I took a while to get used to the new concepts, but once I did I was hooked. The new routes to victory are interesting, and can certatinly add new perspectives to the game! I have won onlt once with a cultural victory,and civilisations that build cities close to my core area always end up seeing them defect to me!
Making resources a requirement to build certain units is a great feature, and makes it interesting towards the end. It also provides a useful source of cash when other civilisations do not have those resources. Also the diplomacy is far better - you can now demand cities as a condition of peace, and there us a far greater aspect of haggling for knowledge and resouces that civ two just didn't have. Also, the new 'small wonders' are good, and add a sense of realism.
Drawbacks - I don't know if there are that many. The lack of scenarios is certainly a drawback, a little bit of work could have yielded some great rewards in terms of some realistic historical scenarios, especially with the new routes to victory (how about, say, the quest for cultural dominance in certain historical eras, as well as a few decent military ones would have been great), I always found the civ two ww2 scenario far too easy, especially if you were the Germans or the Russians, although I never played as the Neutral's!).
One annoying factor is the inability to choose the sex of your tribe's leader, for example, the English are always led by a woman, you can change the name, but that is it - but that is certainly not a major problem.
I certainly haven't had any major problems with corruption, especially on the better government types. You will probably learn early on the democracy is by far the best, especially during peacetime, and monarchy is the best for war. War weariness is also a good idea, as it allows you to keep things under control without the rather silly idea in civ two that tied units to cities and meant that citizens became discontent when you sent them away.
Also, the new nationality concept is great, and adds some interesting features (for example, your own citizens are far more likely to defect back to your side if they are captured by a rival, although the same is also true of other nationalities captured by your side).
The route to diplomatic victory is good, although it can end the game a bit prematurely if the other civilisations hate you!
I haven't got to grips with the space race yet, and I have to say that whole concept annoys me a little in both the games and I usually switch that option off, preferring to let the game run through to the end.
In summary, I think it is a great game, with some excellent features. It does not fulfill its potential though, and I hope there are extra features to come!
Making resources a requirement to build certain units is a great feature, and makes it interesting towards the end. It also provides a useful source of cash when other civilisations do not have those resources. Also the diplomacy is far better - you can now demand cities as a condition of peace, and there us a far greater aspect of haggling for knowledge and resouces that civ two just didn't have. Also, the new 'small wonders' are good, and add a sense of realism.
Drawbacks - I don't know if there are that many. The lack of scenarios is certainly a drawback, a little bit of work could have yielded some great rewards in terms of some realistic historical scenarios, especially with the new routes to victory (how about, say, the quest for cultural dominance in certain historical eras, as well as a few decent military ones would have been great), I always found the civ two ww2 scenario far too easy, especially if you were the Germans or the Russians, although I never played as the Neutral's!).
One annoying factor is the inability to choose the sex of your tribe's leader, for example, the English are always led by a woman, you can change the name, but that is it - but that is certainly not a major problem.
I certainly haven't had any major problems with corruption, especially on the better government types. You will probably learn early on the democracy is by far the best, especially during peacetime, and monarchy is the best for war. War weariness is also a good idea, as it allows you to keep things under control without the rather silly idea in civ two that tied units to cities and meant that citizens became discontent when you sent them away.
Also, the new nationality concept is great, and adds some interesting features (for example, your own citizens are far more likely to defect back to your side if they are captured by a rival, although the same is also true of other nationalities captured by your side).
The route to diplomatic victory is good, although it can end the game a bit prematurely if the other civilisations hate you!
I haven't got to grips with the space race yet, and I have to say that whole concept annoys me a little in both the games and I usually switch that option off, preferring to let the game run through to the end.
In summary, I think it is a great game, with some excellent features. It does not fulfill its potential though, and I hope there are extra features to come!
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Civ 3 has taken a lot of flak from certain sections of the strategy gaming fraternity. Most of this is unjustified.
All those who remember Civ II (which at the time I thought was the best game ever made), will get great benefit from this newer version. I like to see Civ 3 as the logical sequel to Civ II, and tend to ignore the tangential Alpha Centauri and Call to Power.
A simple test: if you get a copy of this game, play it for a bit, and then return to have a game or two of Civ II, the improvements become much clearer. The older game looks cumbersome and lacks depth in comparison.
I was a little annoyed when I first started Civ 3, as the immediate look-and-feel of the game is different. Strategy games like this have nothing to do with graphics, however, and only by playing Civ 3 for a while will the real expertise that lies behind it shine through.
The diplomacy is a massive improvement. The different methods for winning encourage different approaches to gameplay, and many more options are now available for building a winning civilisation. The notion that there's only a set amount of ways to achieve victory is frankly RUBBISH. Only someone who has failed to experiment could make such a claim.
I managed to win a game without ever actively attacking an opponent. Other games I won by being as bellicose as I possibly could be.
Forget all the nonsense that's talked about this game and get yourself a copy. It's a fine wine amongst a cellar full of cheap plonk, taking time to acquire a taste for, but well worth it in the end.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Legendary...
Has all the best qualities of any game, fun, interesting and keeps you going forever, not fully fun like rome total war, or medieval 2, but it lasts longer, there is just so much... Read more
Published on 6 April 2007 by Chappers
Great simply
This game is still a great long after it came out. A number of playable countries. The special units bring it to life. Read more
Published on 26 Dec 2006 by Ewan the third
Civilisation, more like anarchy
I played both Civilisation I & II and enjoyed the gradual additions and progress which the sequal made to the original. Read more
Published on 22 Feb 2006 by D. Bowtell
My favourite strategy game
If you want to build up a civilazation from ancient times all the way up to today this is the game you shall buy!
It's just great. Lots of new features. Small wonders. Read more
It's just great. Lots of new features. Small wonders. Read more
Published on 8 May 2005 by Tusalu
excellent game better then Civ 2
After being dissapointed with Civ 2, i got Civ 3 and found it to be excellent and the graphics have improved very much as well and the controls and the gameplay are not as awkward... Read more
Published on 26 Mar 2005 by WTSRS
As Addictive As Ever, But Not Quite Yet The Finished Article
With Civilisation III, the series is definitely being taken forward for a new generation of players. The new game looks fantastic and has introduced some superb ideas. Read more
Published on 21 Sep 2004 by Jerome Joseph Kennedy
Super Duper
I think civ 3 is totally amazing,if you love going through time games then civ 3 is for you
Published on 7 May 2004 by louie
Better luck next time, Firaxis
Having played the previous two civilisation games, the Call to Power games and Alpha Centuri, I was looking forward to this game. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Read more
Published on 5 May 2004 by "crumbs_the_tiger"
Not much new, but a more polished version
I have been a fan of sid Meier's since the first incarnation of Civilization on the trusty old commerdore amiga. I enjoyed Civiliarion 1 and played it to excess. Read more
Published on 5 May 2004
Civilization III
All I can say is that this has to be one of the greatest games of all time. This game takes the addictive and imersive gameplay from the prequiles, adds to it with elements from... Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2004
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