Aspyr Media on Monday released a playable demo version of Sid Meier’s Civilization IV, the latest installment of the legendary turn-based strategy game that puts you in charge of a human civilization from its roots as a basic agricultural community straight through to space-faring and interstellar colonization.
Civilization IV lets you rule throughout time as you make important decisions that affect the outcome of a human civilization, from what sort of religions are worshipped to what sort of government is used. You control how the borders of the civilization expand by founding might cities, exploring new frontiers, negotiating treaties with neighboring civilizations, establishing alliances and trade partnerships, or raising armies and invading.
The game features a detailed 3D environment with an overhauled interface that borrows from real time strategy games. Civilization IV supports multiplayer games and customization that permits you to use “mods” or create your own for unique gameplay. It’s rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) by the ESRB.
System requirements call for Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later; G5 or Intel-based system (it’s a Universal binary) 1.8GHz or faster; 512MB RAM; Radeon 9600 or Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 or better 3D graphics with at least 32MB VRAM.
The demo version offers a tutorial and lets you play up to 100 turns of a full game. It measures 451.6MB.