Civilization III is often regarded as the "black sheep" of the Civilization series, overshadowed by the games that followed after it. However, those who take the time to give this forgotten gem a try will discover that it truly "Stands the Test of Time".
For Civilization fans like me, Civilization III introduced many important concepts that are now central to the series, such as the idea of buildings and wonders generating "Culture" that drives border expansion, or each civilization having unique traits and units as opposed to being merely copies of each other with only minor cosmetic differences. Beyond it's historical value, Civilization III appeals to all strategy fans by perfectly embodying the addictive "One More Turn" gameplay loop that Civilization is famous (or infamous) for. Cities are built and grow, technologies are researched, wars are fought, buildings built, and treaties made. It is incredibly gratifying to see your civilization grow into a mighty empire over time, either through peaceful settlement or though conquest, and trying to beat not only the AI, but also your own personal best. Speaking of, the AI in this game is generally fairly good, being able to pose a reasonable challenge without seeming like it's getting an unfair boost.
However, I do have to knock a few points off of this review, mainly due to the game's age. The isometric graphics have not aged terribly well, and often look muddy and ugly by modern standards. The sound is passable, but certain effects and music can eventually become grating. Finally, certain gameplay features that became common in later Civilization games, such as religion and "Great People", are minimally present or outright missing, which can be jarring for people like me who cut their teeth on more modern entries in the series.
However, such age-related issues are minor, and shouldn't stop both Civilization fanatics and strategy fans in general from picking up this wonderful, old-school 4X game.