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Today, Apple's Games web site posted articles on action games, Civilization III, and game highlights from the recent Macworld Expo.

In "Action Games," Chris McVeigh gives an introduction to the genre that includes first- and third-person shooters and arcade-style games and goes on to give a brief description of four new or upcoming games. In this excerpt, McVeigh sets the scene:

A raging wind blows clouds across a cold purple sky, sending a bitter chill down your spine. You lean against a damp wall. Around the corner, you spot twelve guards standing in formation near the bridge. Several marksmen dot the horizon. Your three clips, two grenades and small medpack must be enough to get you to the other side of the ravine... and to safety. Surprise will be your most powerful weapon. With your heart racing, you step out into the clear and pull the trigger.

In "Civilization III," Brad Cook explores MacSoft's latest installment in the blockbuster turn-based strategy series:

There are several ways to win the game, and not all of them require you to go to war. Diplomacy skills are just as important as military might in Civilization III, and you’ll need to keep your people happy or internal strife will ruin your plans for world domination.

Explains [series designer Sid] Meier: "I still enjoy the thrilling military conquest that’s been a part of the Civ series from the beginning, but now the diplomatic victory is as strategically challenging and fun as playing a military-focused game."

Head over to Apple's site for the full text of each of these three new articles.

Apple: Games

Civilization III

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