You may be able to coexist with your neighbors for some time but, eventually, you will have to build an army. Of course, as with all situations involving different factions, conflicts arise. Along the way, you'll meet the leaders of other civilizations who are trying to do the same. You're the leader of a civilization starting out in prehistory and must organize your people by settling colonists in new areas to found cities, researching technologies and managing the government.

The gameplay model is fantastic in its simplicity, yet manages to offer incredible depth. But, once you start playing, all the mediocrity disappears, as Sid Meier's Civilization's brilliance of gameplay transcends it all. Music and sound effects are likewise simply functional. Terrain and resource types on the map are represented effectively but without any graphical flair. Individual military unit types are represented by unique icons and range from a soldier depicting the basic infantryman squad to more advanced units like tanks and fighters. Undefended cities have light borders while garrisoned cities are dark bordered. Cities are squares colored to denote their owner with a number corresponding to population size. The game's graphics and sounds are functional but unremarkable. Sid Meier's Civilization breadth of scope is simply awe inspiring, as it purports to capture all of human history within just one game.

Download Sid Meier’s Civilization III