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> Results: Civilization IV: Warlords
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These is a very good reason that Civilization IV was the Game of the Year for Ages 14+ last yearﾗit's a truly great game with something to offer kids and adults. The expansion pack Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords fixes minor issues with the original game, adds a number of new leaders and classes to the core game, and brings in new scenarios that allow you to play out parts of history.
The namesake addition is that of the Warlord class. When one is born in a city, he can join up with some troops to make them a formidable force unlike any other unit on the field. He can also lend his expertise to increasing the military greatness of the civilization just as cultural figures added to a culture in the original game. But while all of the core game improvements are welcome and worth the price of the expansion, the new scenarios are the best and most interesting part of this package. You pick up a civilization already formed at some point in history and need to meet stringent objectives in whatever way you can. For example, one scenario is the Peloponnesian Wars, in which you take the lead of the already powerful forces of Athens or Sparta and attempt to dominate Greece in less than 100 turns. Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords is a great example of what an expansion should be. It fixes problems with the original game, adds unique content that challenges you in different ways than the original game and sends you back to replay it even more. It's all executed beautifully, making it and easy recommendation.  
The original Civilization IV review referrs to the game as almost ﾑedutainment', based on the sheer depth of historical information available. I completely agree, and this expansion further tunes the civilizations and their leaders to make it more appealing to use their natural strengths (e.g. trying to be a philanthropic culture as Ragnar of the Vikings is harder than just wiping everyone out). Of course, having historical elements doesn't imply historical accuracy. You can play as the new leader Shaka of the Zulu nation, and found Christianity before building the Great Wall and the Statue of Liberty next to Shanghai.
One great thing about the original that made it great for kids was the breadth of difficulty levels. Take on ﾑSettler' level and you can make many terrible mistakes and still end up winning the game. Work your way on up at your own pace and you are rewarded with greater satisfaction, and punished more and more for every mistake. Just like the original, you need to pay attention to what is going on throughout your territory. You can automate many tasks, but you still need to maintain balance in all of your cities, ensure trade and security, and develop the right technologies and culture in the right areas if you hope to win. The additional cultures and historical scenarios only serve to strengthen the reasons why this is a great game for kids. You can easily build a history buff with this game, one turn at a time. This review edited by Dave Long Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Browse Amazon.com's selection of "civilization iv" themed games Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Civilization IV: Warlords |
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