Sid Meier's Civilization V Demo E3 2010 2K Games
by Nicolas "Killthrash" Hutchins
2K Games was kind enough to allow 2old2play to sit in on a behind-closed doors demo of the upcoming title Civilization V. Although I'm not a hardcore turn-based strategy (TBS) gamer, my favorite board game as a child was Risk. The Civ 5 demo brought back the excitement that could only be had by a world conquest adventure game. But as it turns out, Sid Meier allows you to succeed in multiple ways and a militaristic strategy may not be the most fulfilling way to play this game as diplomacy offers it's own set of awards and accolades.
The graphics, as they appeared on a large 60"+ plasma display, were absolutely stunning. Civ 5 had the best water effect I've ever seen rendered in a TBS or RTS game - or any genre for that matter. Movement across the large hexagon-tiled map (as opposed to square-based tiles of previous versions) was quick, smooth and lag-free. Regional leaders such as Napoleon and Catherine the Great appeared historically accurate in their depiction but had a very cartoony feel for a game that's trying to take itself so seriously.
Options galore - the menu system appeared user-friendly but for a first-time player may seem daunting in it's depth and complexity. The battle system also seemed easy to maneuver in. Civ 5 also includes a great feature that allows the cities themselves to defend against attacks where in other TBS's, once your army has been overcome your city is a sitting duck, defenseless and easily broken.
There are too many features in this game to list. I'm very much looking forward to trying Civ 5 this fall and would highly recommend you take a look - even if you're not a current TBS gamer. I have included audio from the demo below. Enjoy!
Civilization V E3 2010 Demo Audio Part 1