Sid Meier's Civilization II

The Good

This game is great for someone without access to a PC, who has a deep longing to try out the Civilization series. It captures the basic gameplay elements of the PC version well, and may provide entertainment to die-hard strategy fans.

The Bad

Unfortunately, the Sony Playstation is not a PC, and this game does not translate well to a console system. The interface is clunky and awkward, with all interactions performed through the control pad. The graphics leave a lot to be desired. The Playstation is certainly capable of making things look nicer than this. The real killer of this game however, is the unbearably long amount of wait time between turns. Late in the game, on a large map with 5 opponents, you can find yourself sitting idle for literally minutes on end, while the opponent AI manages its empires.

The Bottom Line

'Civilization II' for the Playstation is not going to make very many people happy. Only fans of the Civ series who don't have access to a computer should try this one. And really, what fans of the Civ series don't have access to a computer?