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|  | Genre: Simulation |  | Min OS X: 10.6 |
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Civilization V: Wonders Of The Ancient World January 2, 2012 | Andrew Lennox | |
Requirements: Must have Civilization V installed in order to use this additional content Review: The Wonders of the Ancient World Scenario Pack DLC for Civilization V, created by Firaxis Games and brought to Mac by Aspyr Media, is very different from what we are used to when it comes to extra content from this franchise. Usually a scenario pack consists of a new civilization to play as, and a scenario relevant to the new society. In this case there is only the introduction of new wonders in addition to the scenario. It is an interesting idea so let’s take a look. So, you might be wondering “What wonders are included in this new and exciting pack?” Good question. There are three: The Mausoleum of Haicarnassus, The Statue of Zeus and the Temple of Artimus. The Mausoleum of Haicarnassus might look like something difficult to pronounce, and it is, but it is a lot more than just a trick question in a spelling bee. This monument provides extra gold to you as you construct the wonder itself, and work tiles containing marble and stone. This is a great addition to your empire if you’re aiming for dominance in terms of economics. The Statue of Zeus is like the Ancient Greeks believed, a place to create confidence and pray for Greeks in war. This majestic God up in the mountains of Olympia was said to wield bolts of lightning against people he didn’t like, and if you got on his good side he would offer rewards. In this case the rewards boost your civilization with an added bonus to attacking cities. If you sacrifice making a few units to build this statue it can provide a better military advantage in the long run. The last wonder added in this DLC is the Temple of Artemis. This ancient temple, like The Statue of Zeus, was also worshiped by Ancient Greeks for many years. The unique boon of this temple increases your civilization's production. You are given additional production for ranged military units, and significant reductions in cost of production. With this also comes additional population to each of your cities. All these added perks allow you to expand and protect your empire at a much higher rate. With all these wonders made available to you early in the game it can give you quite an advantage when you're just starting to build everything. With advantages in economics, military and production, it can supply you many more assets to use while still establishing new cities in the ancient era. The Wonders of the Ancient World scenario is the other part of the DLC that gives you a chance to focus on producing these new additions. While this may seem a bit boring for those who usually take the world domination route, it can be a lot of fun. Instead of putting your focus on creating these wonders, you can also build up your military units and take over rival civilizations that did choose to build them. Summary: From what I have seen in this $5.99 USD DLC, I believe that stacks up well as a part of the Civilization V DLC family. While it is a bit different without its inclusion of a new civilization, it does give the user new gameplay strategies and styles of play. This makes it more than worth the amount given to its rival packs. That being said, it still doesn’t meet the bar that is set so high by other DLCs available. Pros: • New Ancient Wonders to play with • Combination provide an excellent improvement to your empire • Added focus on the Ancient Era Cons: • Little Combat emphasis • Not as much jam packed as other DLC
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