An above average strategy game from Sid Meier.

Ask any strategy fan what their favorite games in the genre are, and Sid Meier's Civilization, the best turn-based strategy game of all time, will undoubtedly be mentioned on everyone's list. No game has had such a broad impact upon its genre, and the sequel, Civ II, was critically acclaimed as taking its predecessor to new heights in graphics and AI. Since Civ II, there has been a lot of activity in the Civilization world, with releases by original publisher Microprose, new licensee Activision (Call to Power), and the creator himself, Meier, who recently released what was essentially 'Civilization in Space' in Alpha Centauri. Some of these games have been great, most notably Alpha Centauri, and some have been disappointing, like Call to Power. Now we have a new/old entry in the Civilization empire: Microprose's Civilization II: Test of Time. With its release, Microprose has given us a rather hard to categorize collection of games based on Civ II.

Test of Time consists of several games based upon an updated Civ II engine. That's not a bad place to start, considering how great that engine was, but it surely doesn't make for a groundbreaking release. There are three games; the original Civ II, which has been graphically updated and extended into space, a la Alpha Centauri; a fantasy game in the mold of Master of Magic, set in the world of Midgard; and a Master of Orion type game set far into the future, in the galaxy of Lalande. Each game has its own twist, and though they are set apart by these twists, they all play relatively similar.

The original Civ II game is the best of the bunch, mainly because it does not try to be something it's not. If you liked Civ II, then you will certainly appreciate the extended gameplay into space and updated graphics. As good as the updates are, however, the game does get a bit stale quickly. Any player of Civ games has seen this before, and it won't take long to get bored of trying to conquer a world you have dominated in the past. There are new units, new races (including aliens), and some interface changes that make the game look fresh, but it's still Civ II. Some of the new units are interesting, particularly the 8-ball which is hard to describe, and some of the new races offer a nice touch, but, like I said, it's still Civ II.

The fantasy game is second best, mainly because there really aren't many good games in this sub-genre. You play the role of a wizard of sorts, trying to build up an empire to defeat all others. The goal is the same as Civ II, except now you have sorcerers and the power of spells to work with instead of cruise missiles and infantry. Other than learning the powers of the new units and adapting to the new magical element of this game, there really is no difference between this and Civ II. It's not as fantasy oriented as Microprose's own Master of Magic, but it does offer a nice change of pace, and it does get addicting after a while. You have a few worlds to contend with here, and the fight is taken to more than one level. Most notable is the inclusion of an underworld, where you can build up minions to defeat your enemies.

The last game in the series is also the least inspiring; the science fiction game. It's not a poor game, but it goes up against stiff competition thesedays. First, you have the excellent Master of Orion series, which basically was the first with the 'Civ in Space' concept. On top of that, you have Meier's own Alpha Centauri, which is arguably one of the best strategy games released in the last five years. Going up against these 800-pound gorillas is no easy task, and to put it plainly, the science fiction game in Test of Time is not properly equipped for the battle. Sure, it has a great engine, and subsequently a great heritage, but the game feels more like a mod or skin made for Civ II instead of a stand alone game. If you are a space strategy fan, the inclusion of this sub-game will be an added bonus in this package; if you're not, then you probably will play this once and ignore it thereafter.

All of the games do get a nice facelift, along with some well-thought features. Many of the games' tougher and tedious tasks can be automated (Settlers, Diplomats, Caravans, etc), which removes some of the drudgery of the game. Also, the soundtracks for each game are nothing short of excellent, a major addition to a series which never relied on such frills. The graphics are better, but compared to the new crop of strategy games we're seeing now, they still looked rather dated. The biggest improvement is the mainstream multiplayer aspect. You can now play Civ II on Microsoft's ever-prevalent Gaming Zone, thus pitting yourself against the best strategy gamers in the country. I played a few rounds and appreciated the lack of lag, and overall solid quality of the experience.

What you get out of this game depends on how you look at it. If you're the type that looks at the sum of all the parts, you probably will walk away from Test of Time thinking it is a game that offers a lot, but doesn't hit the nail on the head in any one aspect. If you like variety, then this game will satisfy your cravings for a quality strategy game that spans over several sub-genres. If you're looking for a groundbreaking strategy game, well, wait for Civilization III coming to you soon from Meier, Brian Reynolds, and Microprose.

Reviewed by John Misak, PC Gameworld.