When I want to play a Civ game, I play either this or Civ 4. Given that this came out 13 years ago or so, that's saying something. I'll assume that you've played Civ's before if your considering buying this game and answer the primary question - what does this game have that others don't? Character and Story. The setting, factions and leaders have their own individual traits. There's an actual story as well that progresses as you discover more about Planet. Plus, the way the factions interact and how they operate starts similarly, but can go to weird places. By the end of the game, there's a high degree of transumanism and possibly horror, depending on your lifestyle and tech choices. The wonders also bear special mention - this game got them down better than any Civ before or since. Each one is very useful, and has its own read quote and little movie attached. Together, this, the story snippets and the quotes with each tech paint a wonderful picture of what each faction stands for and the story that is being told. Since you also have a lot of personal options for your civ, there tends to be a lot more impact within the game as well. Trust me, if you decide to nuke someone in this game, you'll know. The victory screens are a heck of a lot better then any Civ game since, with a much more personalized ending. In short, I wish Firaxis or someone else would do something like this again - not the exact same game, but simply apply good storytelling techniques to a 4X style game that gave players a high degree of freedom as to what kind of society they were going to create.
These were great. Just the right combination of stat play and adventure game to hit the proverbial spot. The game had a ton of adventure and a fantastic sense of humor. Glory 2 and 4 were my favorites. Glory 3 is a little short, and 5 was a bit rushed, though it had a suitably epic conclusion. Warning about 2 - it is VERY difficult to play this without the manual, at least until you get the map and compass.
