Editing Civilization IV (section)

===Critical reviews===
{{Video game reviews
|MC         = 94%<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/sid-meiers-civilization-iv/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Sid Meier's Civilization IV for PC Reviews |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=23 July 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113124824/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/sid-meiers-civilization-iv |archive-date=13 January 2011 }}</ref>
|GR         = 93%<ref name="gamerankings"/>
|IGN        = 9.4/10<ref name="ignreview"/>
|GSpot      = 9.4/10<ref name="gamespot"/>
|1UP        = A<ref name="1up">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/civilization-iv_2 |title=Civilization IV Review for PC from 1UP.com |last=Lee |first=Garnett |date=26 October 2005 |editor-last=Bhatt |editor-first=Shivam |publisher=[[1UP.com|1UP]] |access-date=24 December 2013 |quote=Not even Alexander had it this great. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224123747/http://www.1up.com/reviews/civilization-iv_2 |archive-date=24 December 2013 }}</ref>
|GSpy       = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="gamespy"/>
|EuroG      = 9/10<ref name="eurogamer">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_civ4_pc |title=Civilization 4 Review |last=Gillen |first=Kieron |author-link=Kieron Gillen |date=26 October 2005 |publisher=[[Eurogamer]] |format=PHP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218014203/http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=61418 |archive-date=18 December 2008 |url-status=live |access-date=24 October 2009}}</ref>
|GameRev    = A−<ref name="gamerev">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/civilization_iv |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131224085110/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/civilization_iv |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 December 2013 |title=Civilization IV Review |last=Ferris |first=Duke |date=23 December 2005 |publisher=[[Game Revolution]] |access-date=24 October 2009 }}</ref>
|CVG        = 9.2<ref name="cvgreview">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/129756/reviews/civilization-iv-review/ |title=Review: Civilization IV |author=PC Zone staff |author-link=PC Zone |date=24 November 2005 |publisher=[[Computer and Video Games]] U.S. |pages=1–2 |format=PHP |id=129756 |access-date=27 December 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227233823/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/129756/reviews/civilization-iv-review/ |archive-date=27 December 2013 }}</ref>
}}

''Civilization IV'' received universal critical acclaim with an aggregate score of 94 on [[Metacritic]]<ref name="metacritic"/> and an aggregate score of 93.36% on [[GameRankings]]. Critics such as GameSpot's Andrew Park praised not only the improvements in the [[turn-based strategy]] genre that carried over from other installments in [[Civilization (series)|the series]], but also noted the game's more advanced [[3D computer graphics]], difficult [[Artificial intelligence (video games)|AI opponents]], and multiplayer feature.<ref name="gamespot"/> ''[[The Times]]'' praised the improvements of the 3D engine used to generally build the game,<ref name="times">{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/dvd/article583471.ece |title=Sid Meier's Civilization IV |last=Wapshott |first=Tim |date=29 October 2005 |website=Times Online |publisher=[[The Times]] |format=ECE |id=583471 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225081858/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/dvd/article583471.ece |archive-date=February 25, 2007 |url-status=dead |url-access=registration  }}</ref> and GameGuru appreciated its ability to zoom onto individual squares.<ref name="gameguru"/> [[IGN]] commented that the game AI was much more intelligent than it was in ''[[Civilization III]]'',<ref name="ignreview"/> which designer [[Soren Johnson]] stated was thanks to their "secret pre-beta group" testing the game before release.<ref name="cavgames"/> [[Game Revolution]] remarked that "the multiplayer... actually works this time"<ref name="gamerev"/> and GameSpot added that both "single-player and multiplayer options have been improved in ''Civ IV''."<ref name="gamespot"/>

Though it had received mostly positive feedback, video game critics pointed out functions in the game which could have been improved to enhance their enjoyment of the game. Steve Butts from IGN suggested that in-game announcements about enemy achievements should be displayed more prominently, and that the multiplayer feature could have included "an option to save my username and password."<ref name="ignreview"/> Likewise, GameSpy's Dave Kosak pointed out other flaws of the multiplayer [[Interface (computing)|interface]], stating that it "is a little rough in places. The built-in [[Game server browser|server browser]], for instance, will keep jumping around the list as you try to find a game."<ref name="gamespy"/> GameSpot also noted the lack of a "religion-based victory condition", which downplayed the influence that the revamped religion system was supposed to have on the game.<ref name="gamespot"/>

In August 2016, ''Civilization IV'' placed 11th on ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''{{'}}s The 50 Best Video Games of All Time list.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The 50 Best Video Games of All Time|url=https://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|publisher=[[Time Inc.]]|access-date=September 19, 2016|date=August 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826010703/http://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/|archive-date=August 26, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, ''[[PCGamesN]]'' ranked it as the best game in the series.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-07 |title=The best Civilization games: every Civ game ranked from worst to best |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/best-civilization-games |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=PCGamesN |language=en-US}}</ref>