I think with any gamer, we always play the new, but always go back to those “pillar” games. Games that have always provided fun and challenge, I have many of those games. No matter how much Call of Duty, Halo, or Battlefield I play, I always go back in the lulls to my pillar games. This game is one of them.

Sid Meier’s Civilization 5 is one of those games for me. Been playing it since it came out and neglected to buy the recent expansion (Gods & Kings) but with the media and the current lull, I decided to sit back and play a little; hooked once again. I heard a friend of mine start this crazy campaign which included a huge map and marathon timing. So I had to setup something big, how about 24 leaders, 28 city states, huge map, and marathon time. RIDICULOUSNESS! So I thought how I usually crawl over continents and get a quick military out and about, should be able to tromp my enemies, WRONG. I got spanked. When and entire age takes as long as a normal game, you have to be much more strategic, more balanced, forward thinking, and carefully plot your civilization. It seems like whenever I go to war and beat up on someones city, my population gets unhappy, which means my production goes down. It then takes forever to comeback and build a strategic force. The early game is very difficult, with all those competitors. Making alliances with each other, going to war, then making war with you for no reason (well I like to build new cities). Been playing for about a week and a half, haven’t even met some of the others leaders yet.

Just got my navy out (Yeah England!) and it’s 1772! So I would say I control the seas! Nobody is even close to a real navy, thanks to the early research I was able to build some powerful ships really soon. However, my land forces suck even though I think I am the only one with musketmen.

In any case, this just goes to show that even older games are still fun to go back to every once in a while. Another couple of my go back games may be featured soon after this long Holiday break.

What are some of your go back games?