Civilization IV demo

Editors' ReviewDownload.com staffOctober 17, 2013Sid Meier's Civilization franchise is considered one of the greatest computer strategy games of all time, and the fourth iteration in the series aims to take the gameplay even further with improved graphics, more accurate combat-unit "strength," seven religions, and new diplomatic options. The demo offers a tutorial featuring a cartoon Sid Meier himself, and a 100-turn game as the Incans, Greeks, Romans, or Indians. While the tutorial is solid and the provided map is large enough to be interesting, some frame lag in combat sequences and nasty behavior after finishing your game keep the demo for the prestigious strategy game from earning a top rating.If you're never played the Civilization games, the tutorial is a worthwhile venture, but if you're familiar with the gameplay, we recommend skipping it. It only covers the basics instead of just the new features, and the allure of cartoon Sid quickly fades. The real meat is in the demo game, where you choose between Huayna Capac, Alexander, Julius Caesar, or Gandhi in a four-way royal rumble. You'll be able to build cities, create military and worker units, establish trade routes, and pursue war against any or all of the competing civilizations.Once you get the 300 MB file onto your PC, the installation is simple and fast. We were up and playing in less than 10 minutes. Unfortunately, completing a game isn't nearly as pleasant. With no recap or status update, the demo kicks you back to Windows after your 100-turn game or tutorial, then spawns a brief advertisement and opens your default browser to the 2K Games site. Since most units and buildings take numerous turns to produce, a 100-turn game is short enough that the demo should allow you to play it repeatedly, without having to restart the application or visit any Web sites without warning.