[This is being written with all the expansions/DLC included in mind]
Civilization V is probably the greatest strategy game I've ever played with how utterly addicting it is. There's a "Time Played" section down there, and yeah, I see it. But I'm not going to fill it in, because it's a bit embarrassing. I played this game so much in the past because I fell into that "one more turn" syndrome. Civlization V's systems have a learning curve, but I wouldn't say it's a steep one - but it's not easy to get a hang of either, I'll admit. But once you do get a hang of Civ V, you can get enraptured by it. There's a simplistic joy in it. The systems are just the right amount of engaging without being too overly in-depth like some other games in the series (cough, Civ VI, cough).
Civ V also has a plethora of mods on the Steam workshop. A thriving modding community has extending Civilization V's lifespan so much that various mods are even considered sub-sections/total conversions of the game itself. The No Quitter's mod, Anno Domini, Gaia's mod pack, JFD's mechanic mods, etc. Leaders and Civilizations missing from the game probably have a mod available out there by now! CPU vs CPU games are quite popular as well, and I probably inflated my hours with them.
I just can't gush enough about how good Civ V is. Sometimes less is more when it comes to game mechanics, and Civ is a staple of that in the strategy genre.
Score: 97
Civilization V is probably the greatest strategy game I've ever played with how utterly addicting it is. There's a "Time Played" section down there, and yeah, I see it. But I'm not going to fill it in, because it's a bit embarrassing. I played this game so much in the past because I fell into that "one more turn" syndrome. Civlization V's systems have a learning curve, but I wouldn't say it's a steep one - but it's not easy to get a hang of either, I'll admit. But once you do get a hang of Civ V, you can get enraptured by it. There's a simplistic joy in it. The systems are just the right amount of engaging without being too overly in-depth like some other games in the series (cough, Civ VI, cough).
Civ V also has a plethora of mods on the Steam workshop. A thriving modding community has extending Civilization V's lifespan so much that various mods are even considered sub-sections/total conversions of the game itself. The No Quitter's mod, Anno Domini, Gaia's mod pack, JFD's mechanic mods, etc. Leaders and Civilizations missing from the game probably have a mod available out there by now! CPU vs CPU games are quite popular as well, and I probably inflated my hours with them.
I just can't gush enough about how good Civ V is. Sometimes less is more when it comes to game mechanics, and Civ is a staple of that in the strategy genre.
Score: 97
Brave New World Theme makes me want to start a whole civilization and watch it grow and advance
Used to not like this near as much as Civ IV, but I will happily admit now that it is a terrific game in its own right that makes the Civ experience more accessible. Unit stacking is gone, city-states make diplomacy as a whole more complex, and the expansions brought back religion and ideologies in interesting ways