Kuala Lumpur represent!

I really hate the Civilization series.

No, I’m not making fun of the game’s polish, quality, and easy-to-manage complexity and breadth of info all planned out by one Sid Meier. I hate the series because it will make me forget about everything around me. Clicking on the Next Turn tab, setting up my army and scouts to kill off potentially-threatening nations, figuring out whether I should research Masonry for a weapons-laded path or Writing to opt for a much more peaceful and cultured way of winning the game (the equivalent of “turtling” in a turn-based strategy game); there’s so much to do and so much to ponder about that it’s hard to care about real-life trivialities when your virtual country’s revolution into the Information Age is at stake.

With the fifth game upcoming next month, how the hell are  developers Firaxis going to follow up the time-sucking epic of Civilization IV? Easy: change up the standard tropes of the game. Grid-based movement system? Now it’s replaced with hexes. Love to stack military units to build into one snowballing armada of death? Nope, that’s gone. Don’t wish to buddy up with rival countries? Get the assistance from City States, small factions who give you gold on sight and can lend a helping hand/hinder your progress.

While controversial to some, moving your units feels much natural. Yes, hexes offer less movement choices than a grid system (six sides > eight sides), but with the way the game board is laid out, I had no problems getting my units to be at a certain hex and I don’t have that much to think about doing so.

Regarding the removal of the game’s unit-stacking system (you can still use military units to escort Workers and Settlers though), positioning and deployment matters when waging wars with multiple units. Terrain grants fortification bonuses to your military units, while Workers can build makeshift forts close to an enemy. City States also add more options for you to use/exploit. While you can deal with them with limited options (either give them gold/units to please them, or fight) you can do missions for them to get on their good side.

Clear off that nearby Barbarian encampment near the Kuala Lumpur City State, and you have a new ally on your side ready to help churn out “decoy” units to fight by your side. Piss one off, though, and expect them to gang up on you in the long run. Or worse, tick off a City State protected by Egypt, and you’ll have Ramses sending in his War Chariot hitmen squad in a few turns. Interesting to note: barbarians can now “tech up” with nuclear weapons, so you might want to start clearing your neighborhood of barbarians early on in the game.

Apart from those changes, there are now Social Policies you can adopt for your country which give different bonuses like extra Culture points or Happiness. The catch is that you can’t pick Social Policies that clash with one another; if you pick Liberty, you can’t pick Autocracy due to their conflicting natures. So choose wisely as to which benefits of a Social Policy would contribute more to your play style. For conquest-heavy players, the Loyalty policy suits them since it grants bonuses to your military units.

One thing that also stands out is how pretty everything looks; it seems like Firaxis has been taking art lessons from Bioshock. The art deco stylings of the interface and U.I is prevalent and makes everything crisp and bright. The playing field itself is pretty; the game’s Fog of War are white fluffy clouds instead of black mist, while every unit you churn out from a lowly Worker to a War Chariot are finely detailed in stature and movement.

What can I say? With the unique Civilization: Revolution approach to accessibility and intuitiveness, to the little and big changes made to keep the sequel fresh, Civilization V is going to be the “definitive Civilization” game that combines the game’s intricacies from its prequels as well as mix in the “pizzazz” of the console-exclusive Civilization: Revolution. That’s a stretch on my part though, since I’ve only gone as far as the Medieval Age and have no idea what else is in store for me at the Information Age and beyond.

Speaking of which, here’s a pro-tip: do keep your eye on the far end of the tech-tree, as there’s something really cool to unlock if you played your Civilization research right. That deathtrap should prove enough for fans and strategy nuts to salivate for the game’s release on September 21st.