For a game which ostensibly has no story it may come as a shock that this exceptionally well made strategy game has found a place among this assembly of the saddest endings in all of video gaming. However, picture this scenario you are Ramesses II, the greatest leader Egypt ever had, and you are approaching the final turns in a gargantuan game of Civ. You have nursed an empire from the stone ages which now covers a vast portion of the globe and your cities are all considered cultural hubs by other civilisations. Onto the scene comes warmongering Ghengis Khan who proceeds to launch his nuclear warheads at all your major cities. The conurbations which you had put so much time into to make thrive have been destroyed and their peoples either killed or dying in the fallout. Part of what makes Civ such an incredible strategy game is that the extreme detail it goes into means that after an hour or so of play you actually feel like a nations leader, wholly responsible for the wellbeing of its people. This is why when youve put potentially tens of hours into a game and all of a sudden an aggressive rival decides to come along and try and ruin your day, you feel not only an intense feeling of frustration but also genuine remorse that youve failed your people. A Silver Lining? You may have been defeated but theres nothing stopping you booting up a new game and making Ghengis pay right from the Ancient Era.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
