The Sid Meier classic comes to the Playstation. Can it stand shoulder to shoulder with the PC version?
User Rating: 8.5 | Civilization II PS
Microprose does a fine job porting the famously addictive Civilization II to the Playstation. Everything is intact: the city building, the wonders, the units, the high counsel screen...well, I would recommend shutting that specific feature off in the options menu. It can crash the game due to the processing involved, and really it is just for show anyway. The Playstation seems to choke when processing a lot of the information pulsing through its' circuits. From the potential crash of the High Counsel screen to the remarkably long load times as you progress deep into the game, the grey box really struggles with certain aspects. With this said, it does not significantly take away from the greatness that is Civilization. You start with a settler and in some cases, one or two military type units. It is your task to start from these humble beginnings and build a culture and civ worthy of dominance. This can be achieved either by conquering the other cultures that inhabit the world or by building the space shuttle. Along the way you discover advances( such as pottery or medicine), build wonders( like the pyramids or the Sistine Chapel) and confront friends and/or foes. Managing your cities on a basic but efficient level is a critical component of success. At the outset you can select the size of the world, the rival civs, barbarian presence, the culture you wish to be and the difficulty level. From Chieftain to Deity all levels contain specific nuances that affect how other cultures treat you and how quickly you can advance. Everything present in the PC version is here, including the potential crashes that can happen from time to time. Just remember to save your progress as you advance. That is if you have a memory card dedicated to just this game. Taking up a massive 12 blocks of the memory card can be a frustrating and shocking experience. This doesn't concern me as I have plenty...but it may be a concern for the gamer with limited memory cards. The graphics are what you would expect, not much. But this game is all about the strategy involved and that is translated perfectly. Without a doubt, a very addicting and satisfying game with some minor port issues. If you have the chance to add this to your collection, by all means do so. Just be sure to get a extra memory card at the same time. It is a great game that sucks up the hours like a sponge and keeps you plugging away to have the best, mightiest and most technologically advanced civilization possible.
