Overused phrases in Civ reviews

[TK42I]

Since the game is going to be released in less than a week, I thought it might be fun to figure out which phrases/jokes are over-used in "Civ" reviews:

"Just one more turn" as in ... I almost did not get my review into my editor because I was up all night saying "Just one more turn"....ba da dum...

 

[Gre_Magus]

Organic. Although that is more often heard or read from 2k or Firaxis people talking about the game, not reviewers.

 

[PawelS]

"build an empire to stand the test of time"

 

[Zhahz]

I'd vote for "organic" - it sort of cracks me up to hear it now.

"Just one more turn"

Yeah, but the "one more turn" thing as applied to a 4X usually means it is a good 4X, so they say it to reassure or show that a 4X game is worthy.

 

[edpovi]

I'd vote "organic", I LOL'd when 2kGreg said it during the stream.

 

[Szpilman]

Overused phrases in civ reviews' reviews: 'dumbed down', '"streamlined"', 'overused'

 

[smileylad]

"Build the foundations"...

 

[parabellum9x19]

"iterative", "iteration" (used by Firaxis / 2K themselves)

 

[Scramble]

Hexes?

 

[mjs0]

I'd vote for Streamlined, Giant, Organic, Death, Hexes, and Robot

 

[Venereus]

2K to reviewers:

Hi, here's your buggy preview version of the game, and here's a list with the words you should use. Have fun.

 

[craig123]

We switched from square tiles to hexes, so now everything looks organic—everything looks more natural. The rivers flow more naturally. The mountain ranges look like something you might see from an airplane. Source

This. Not really a phrase...but you read basically the same sentence in every review and hear it in every interview. And also:

[Something] we've done is introduce City States, and those are small NPCs that never grown beyond one city, they never really want to win the game, but they're there to really grease the wheels of diplomacy. Source

 

[timster]

"build an empire to stand the test of time"

Isn't that the official tagline of the entire series? I seem to recall that was even in the game in Civ I.

But yeah, using that exact quote in a review is just lazy, IMO

 

[Garett20]

organic

 

[Spatzimaus]

"4X", "Organic", etc. are pretty overused (almost as bad as "the Vision" in MMOs). Sure, 4X is like the whole "stand the test of time" thing, part of the tagline of the series, but it's one of those terms that just ends up popping up every single time.

"Game of the Year" and "Editor's Choice" are going to be pretty common. Not just because it's going to be a good game, but you KNOW the reviews will be glowing in light of the series' past history. And the shortage of other great games this year, too.

But the most overused phrase?
"Sid Meier"
No, I'm not kidding. I don't just mean in the title, I mean that every reviewer will bring up Sid's past games. And I'm not talking about the Civ series itself, I expect plenty of references to Colonization, Alpha Centauri, Pirates!, Railroads, etc. mixed in by authors trying to get some credibility.

I'll still read most of the reviews, though.

 

[ShaqFu]

Isn't that the official tagline of the entire series? I seem to recall that was even in the game in Civ I.

But yeah, using that exact quote in a review is just lazy, IMO

It goes all the way back to the box art of the first Civilization.

At least they didn't pull their quotes from the back of the box of the Koei SNES port, where they misspelled Sid's name.

 

[Schuesseled]

hexes, 1upt, social policies.

But then these are all new features so if a review didn't mention them i'd be shocked.

 

[TK42I]

Now that I'm thinking every review is going to have a reference to:

"Stack of Doom"

and

"Spearman vs. Tank" (nothing like kicking that dead horse around)

 

[Venereus]

Now that I'm thinking every review is going to have a reference to:

"Stack of Doom"

and

"Spearman vs. Tank" (nothing like kicking that dead horse around)

Let's have a minute of silence for the deceased.

 

[Slinko]

I'd vote for Streamlined, Giant, Organic, Death, Hexes, and Robot

HAHAHAHA