Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete

Firaxis recently changed their Terms and Conditions to harvest data and present vulnerabilities and breaches to software and operating systems. Under no circumstances update, launch or install the game. This practice must be named and shamed. No support! Vote with your wallets! This game is now spyware!

Best Civ game of all time they should make a remaster with better graphics and the exact same gameplay.

Sadly I will not be playing this game anymore. The license agreement is no longer acceptable. First they take my money, then they change the agreement. And do you think they will give me a refund? If this ain't a bait and switch scam, I don't know what is!

One of the best Turn based strategy games of all time. It has to be compared to games of its time. But in 2001, it was a wonderful game only surpassed by its dedicated community that even keeps the game in their hearts, even today. Graphics are good for its time, the interactions and the AI is average. The amount of civilizations, technologies and units is amazing. It may become repetitive when you have too many units, and no tool whatsoever to organize them. Other than that, if you like Strategy games and for its price, you have thousands of hours to play with. Also multiplayer is still working! Combat and gameplay isnt its strong point, BUT is something that all CIV games have, so i cant complain about that. Sometimes the game crashes when you change screen but its something understandable for a game of 2001. Its an intricate empire building gem. A classic by today standards. ---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☐ Good ☑ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☑ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☑ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☑ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{ Game Size }--- ☐ Floppy Disk ☐ Old Fashioned ☑ Workable ☐ Big ☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive ☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it ☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data ---{ Difficulty }--- ☐ Just press 'W' ☐ Easy ☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master ☑ Significant brain usage ☐ Difficult ☐ Dark Souls ---{ Grind }--- ☐ Nothing to grind ☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks ☐ Isn't necessary to progress ☑ Average grind level ☐ Too much grind ☐ You'll need a second life for grinding ---{ Story }--- ☐ No Story ☑ Some lore ☐ Average ☐ Good ☐ Lovely ☐ It'll replace your life ---{ Game Time }--- ☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee ☐ Short ☐ Average ☑ Long ☐ To infinity and beyond ---{ Price }--- ☐ It's free! ☑ Worth the price ☐ If it's on sale ☐ If u have some spare money left ☐ Not recommended ☐ You could also just burn your money ---{ Bugs }--- ☐ Never heard of ☑ Minor bugs ☐ Can get annoying ☐ ARK: Survival Evolved ☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs ---{ ? / 10 }--- ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐ 6 ☐ 7 ☑ 8 ☐ 9 ☐ 10

It is not as cluttered as later versions making it easier to maneuver and keep track of what is going on.

i have some of the other civilization games and CIV III is still the best one of them all in my opinion I Still play Civ III more then the others just hands down more relaxing and fun to play

Sid Meier’s Civilization III: Complete, released in 2004 as a bundled version of the original Civilization III along with its two expansions—Play the World and Conquests—is a landmark entry in the long-running 4X strategy series. At its heart, Civ III retains the core DNA of the franchise: guiding a civilization from the dawn of time to the space age through exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination. But what sets this installment apart is its foundational shift in mechanics, its emphasis on strategic depth, and its bold design choices that would shape the series for years to come. Despite its age, Civ III: Complete remains a deeply engrossing and challenging experience that rewards careful planning and adaptation over brute force or flashy visuals. The first and most notable evolution in Civ III is its introduction of culture as a central game mechanic. Unlike its predecessors, where city borders were rigid and unchanging, Civ III introduces a dynamic cultural system. Cities generate cultural points through buildings, wonders, and great works, gradually expanding their borders and exerting pressure on neighboring territories. This innovation changes the strategic landscape dramatically—no longer are borders solely drawn by geography or military conquest; they become fluid, contested zones shaped by influence and identity. Cultural victories become a viable alternative to domination or diplomacy, and players can now win wars without firing a shot—simply by seducing rival cities into flipping allegiance. Another major shift is the introduction of strategic resources and a more sophisticated trade system. Key units like cavalry, tanks, or railroads require access to specific resources such as horses, iron, or oil. These resources can be discovered, lost, and traded, creating a more realistic and often volatile economic-political dynamic. It’s no longer enough to merely advance on the tech tree; you must now secure the resources that make technological advantages meaningful. This injects new layers of tension and diplomacy into the game, where resource-rich city-states become coveted allies or prime invasion targets. The inclusion of corruption and waste as modifiers to empire management adds complexity—some would say frustration—to expansion. Distant cities suffer heavy penalties in production and commerce, which forces players to weigh the costs of overextending. While controversial among fans, this system demands strategic thinking about empire shape and infrastructure investment, pushing players to consider courthouses, governors, and even relocating the capital to manage large realms effectively. It also makes the Forbidden Palace and other anti-corruption wonders far more valuable than in previous games. Combat in Civ III builds on the franchise’s turn-based tile system but introduces new units, promotions, and balancing that make warfare more deliberate and less predictable. Combined arms strategies become more important as units now have distinct roles and vulnerabilities. For example, artillery units are crucial for softening city defenses, and cavalry's mobility allows for effective hit-and-run tactics. The AI, while not flawless, is capable of surprising tactical decisions, particularly in large-scale wars, though it can also fall prey to excessive aggression or poor resource management. The Play the World and Conquests expansions significantly enhance the base game. Play the World brings long-awaited multiplayer support (albeit with limitations), and Conquests adds a wealth of content—new civilizations, units, scenarios, and government types. It also introduces unique traits for civilizations, giving each one distinct playstyles and advantages, such as militaristic, commercial, or scientific traits. This added asymmetry deepens replay value, as playing the militaristic Aztecs feels markedly different from the commercial Carthaginians or scientific Babylonians. The historical scenarios in Conquests, such as the Rise of Rome or the Age of Discovery, provide focused, scripted challenges that test players’ adaptability under different constraints. Graphically, Civ III hasn’t aged as well as its successors, but its clean, colorful aesthetic and intuitive interface remain functional and even charming in a retro sense. The map is detailed enough to convey necessary information without overwhelming the player, and the city screens, diplomacy portraits, and advisor menus, while dated, are effective in providing feedback and personality. The music and sound design—ambient tracks that shift with each era, the clashing of swords in combat, the ding of a wonder completed—still do a fine job of reinforcing the epic arc of civilization-building. That said, Civ III is not without flaws. The corruption mechanic, while interesting, can feel excessively punishing, especially on higher difficulty levels. AI diplomacy often swings between erratic friendliness and sudden hostility. Unit stacking and the lack of a more modern combat resolution system can lead to “carpet of doom” scenarios in late-game warfare, where battles become tedious grinds. And while the game is immensely replayable, newer players may find its learning curve steep, especially given the lack of comprehensive in-game tutorials compared to later entries. Nonetheless, Sid Meier’s Civilization III: Complete is a triumph of design ambition and strategic depth. It pushed the series forward in ways that laid the groundwork for the even more refined systems of Civ IV and Civ V, but it also has an identity all its own—denser, more micromanagement-heavy, but incredibly rewarding for those willing to engage with its mechanics. It invites players to think long-term, to weigh the hidden costs of every decision, and to appreciate the delicate interplay between culture, economy, diplomacy, and warfare. Even decades later, it remains one of the most challenging and satisfying civilization-building experiences in gaming history. For fans of thoughtful, complex strategy, Civilization III: Complete is a cornerstone title that deserves its enduring legacy. Rating: 7/10

Not for the faint of heart. This game will kick your ass on chieftain, but damnit, I still love it. Watch Suede on youtube for VERY helpful tips on this game if you want to get it.

I've loved this game since waaaay back when you had to have a CD to load the game. Excellent game! Have fun, I did!!!

The product freezes sometimes when displaying the spaceship picture. i have to save the game before it reaches that point. It may pass the stuck point once i restart the game. This could be due to the fact that my computer memory is getting to full. I just don't know.

do not buy it has a bug in it that constantly puts the adviser up multiple times a turn namely the finance adviser the game is a good one though

I bought this as a CD at Target in like 2008. I think developers forgot how gaming works. You made the game, now you're going to pay to keep it up or retire it. You have a cult classic? Great, make sequels and farm it for money or find a great way to monetize. YOUR SEQUELS SUCKED? That's a shame, maybe you shouldn't have messed up. Stealing every single identifier to every single account and reselling it is the most predatory, evil sort of publishing practice Steam has allowed on their platform. Take 2 and Firaxis are legendary, generational, Greatest of All Time, BAG FUMBLERS. I know it'll never happen but I hope this industry gets turned inside out and these actual parasites lose everything they've ever built for themselves. Steam has turned into an actual clown show. Degenerate gooner games, blatant data farming, abandonware, but its ok guys we always get placated with an indie game of the year and some copy paste survival games so its ok, right guys?

You have to be quick off the mark when launching the game to skip the opening cinematic early. If you don't, you either have to watch the whole tedious thing, or trying to skip it half-way will freeze then crash the game. This game has aged poorly. Arrow keys are used to scroll the map. I hate this, as it's a very awkward control scheme, & the keys are not re-bindable. Having your advisers be a racial hodge-podge of diversity hires makes this game feel woke before it's time. This game is honestly just a mess. There are countless better 4x games out there now, many also regularly going on sale for less than £2.00, so just get one of those instead.

Classic turn-based build and conquer.

This game had me sold when my tank lost to an enemy AI spearmen. Still better than civ 7 though.

its fun and enjoyable. Highly recommended to any who enjoy leader and strategy games.

The last Civ-game where you didn't have to focus that much on city-admin. This leaves you to explore and find ways to compete.

Not sure who is still buying civ 3, but if that's you - you should do it

Old game from my younger days that i just can not give up.

very addicting to this day with mods

GOAT civilization game

CIVILIZATION III Indeed a good game ! 8.5/10

Amazing game

The best of tne Civ series

fun

Game of all time

one of my favorite stand alone games

Spyware

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