Civilization V announced; Facebook version in the works @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on February 18, 2010

News: Conquer a new Civilization this Fall.

2K Games and Firaxis have announced that Sid Meier's Civilization V will be released on the PC this Fall. According to 2K, the game will feature an "entirely new combat system, deeper diplomatic interactions and a cavalcade of expanded features that deliver a fully immersive experience".

The developers at Firaxis are hoping that Civilization V will take the series to whole new heights:

Civilization V takes this definitive strategy game series in new directions with the introduction of hexagon tiles allowing for deeper strategy, more realistic gameplay and stunning organic landscapes for players to explore as they expand their empire. The brand new engine orchestrates a spectacular visual experience that brings players closer to the Civ experience than ever, featuring fully animated leaders interacting with players from a screen-filling diplomatic scene and speaking in their native language for the first time. Wars between empires feel massive as armies dominate the landscape, and combat is more exciting and intense than ever before. The addition of ranged bombardment allows players to fire weapons from behind the front lines, challenging players to develop clever new strategies to guarantee victory on the battlefield. In addition to the new gameplay features debuting in Civilization V, an extensive suite of community, modding and multiplayer elements will also make an appearance.

?Sid Meier's Civilization franchise has been recognized as one of the greatest PC game franchises of all time with millions of units sold worldwide,? said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. ?Civilization V takes the franchise further by offering players a more immersive experience with deeper strategies; heightened tactical combat; vast, realistic landscapes to explore, battle over and claim as their own; and an in-game community hub where Civ fans can share content and compete against each other without leaving the game. This marks a new era that will forever change the franchise responsible for sleep deprivation and reduced productivity for nearly two decades.?

?Each new version of Civilization presents exciting challenges for our team,? said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. ?Thankfully, ideas on how to bring new and fun experiences to Civ players never seem to stop flowing. From fully animated leaders and realistic landscapes, new combat tactics, expanded diplomacy and shared mods, we're excited for players to see the new vision our team at Firaxis has brought to the series.?

More details on Civilization V (including the first screenshots from the game) can be found at Eurogamers's early preview.

In addition to Civilization V, Firaxis Games will also be bringing the Civ series to Facebook with Sid Meier's Civilization Network. More details can be found at its Facebook page, but all we really know right now is that it'll be multiplayer-based and that a closed beta will begin in June.

We'll have more soon.