Alpha Centauri, here we come!
The Civilization series of strategy games is truly one of the legends of the industry, having spawned a wealth of imitators, from Age of Empires and beyond, and if you have any serious interest in such things, this sequel to the original is one game which needs to be played. As is now typical for the genre, you start out the game with just a handful of units and bit of local knowledge, but must guide your people through life until they become the dominant civilization. The game takes you through many stages of history, and even into the future, as one way of winning the game is to send your people to Alpha Centauri, and it's this sheer ambition which is one of the main appeals here. Many now familiar elements are included here, such as resource gathering, multiple units, multiple buildings, Wonders of the World, research trees, and of course combat. Your expansion will bring you into conflict with other civilizations, which requires you to put your general's hat on and lead your forces to victory on the battlefield. Even after all these years, Civ 2 remains a first class entry into a now crowded genre. It's a pretty accessible game, even for newcomers to the genre, thanks to the slick and intuitive interface and controls, and its simple but effective and attractive visuals. It's a very deep and complex game though, in the best possible way, and there's no denying the sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing your people through tough times to emerge victorious. There's pretty much nothing wrong with this game, so if you're a hardcore fan or just curious about this sort of thing, this needs to be played.
