You need to own this game. Skip this review and go out and buy it. First, let's get one thing out of the way - this is Sid Meier's brainchild, but he didn't design it. Okay, graphics: they do the job. You feel like you're looking ar a real section of world, and it gives you all the info you need at a glance. The interface - simple, but effective (beware the advisor screens, they are necessary but kind of hidden). Sound - ummm, right. What makes this game brilliant is that it can appeal to both micromanagers and macromanagers. AI governors are suprisingly effective. Diplomacy is sufficiently complex to be interesting, for a change. Finally, there are a host of user made mods that greatly expand the game. If you are a big-picture strategy fan, you NEED this game.