Game: Civilization IV: Warlords

Just as addictive as the series it's based upon. There are 6 new civilizations you can control (including the Vikings, the Celts, and the Zulu) and several new units. Gameplay has changed slightly, but there are no real notable changes that will destroy your playing strategy. Perhaps the best part is that Civilization seems to be 100% more stable now. Video cut scenes now run cleanly and there is a lot less stuttering in the gameplay. While I am certain to stay up late with this one for at least a week, I'm not sure there's enough here that's truly compelling. This is an expansion pack, so the $29 price point is perfect. If I had paid more, I would have felt ripped off. I would have liked to have seen some better additions to the civilizations: the Apache (could have extreme advantages in desert warfare), the Inuit (could be skilled at playing in cold regions), the Visigoths, the Samoans, the Phoenicians.... I would have also liked to have seen some additions to the playable maps. But this is ultimately satisfying anyway.

Note: there were some installation issues. It aborted installation when it got hung up on installing a patch. Just go to the website and download the latest patch; install it before Warlords and you should be good to go.

Sifted: 7/10