By Brad Cook
When you last visited Sid Meier’s Civilization III, 16 civilizations beckoned you to lead them in your quest to conquer the world. But now you yearn for more — you desire to take charge of the Vikings or the Mayans or perhaps a new, unique people. You long for the sight of new wonders to grace your empire. You wish you could replay events taken from world history.
You pine for new units to command, new technologies to research and new types of governments with which you can rule your people. And if only you could play against opponents over the Internet in multiplayer modes that include Elimination, Domination, Regicide and Capture the Flag, then perhaps your Civilization III experience would be complete.
Now you can do all that, and more, with Civilization III: Complete, which includes the original strategy game as well as its Conquests and Play the World expansion packs. Choose from 31 civilizations as you peruse new options (including a random feature) for customizing the game world, and ponder whether you dare attempt the new Demigod and Sid difficulty levels.
Conquests
If you can’t wait to revisit some of the greatest eras in world history, take a look at the nine scenarios added to the game with the Conquests expansion pack. Each features special units, technologies and other gameplay elements unique to it. Start your tour in Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, and see if you can be the first to build all seven Wonders of the World or collect 5,500 Victory Points.
Next, move on to the rise and fall of Rome, two separate scenarios that challenge you to build that mighty empire and then prevent its destruction. From there, travel to the year 843 and the rule of Charlemagne. You have until 1453 to amass the greatest kingdom on the globe.
When you’re done, journey to the South America of the pre-Columbian era and play as the Aztecs, the Mayans or the Incas. See if you can build an empire while resisting the wrath of the Spanish Conquistadors. All three of those civilizations are also available in the Age of Discovery scenario, in which the European powers vie for control of the New World and Africa.
In the Sengoku scenario, see Japan as it was in the year 1467, when warlords battled each other for the title of Shogun and the Portuguese drastically affected the situation by introducing gunpowder and firearms. The final two conquests feature Napoleonic Europe and World War II in the Pacific.
