It's a thoroughly enjoyable game, in my opinion. There are definitely some important issues that still need to be addressed, mostly involving game balance and the display of important information. But as it stands, Civ 4 is the most innovative of the series titles since it Civ 1 (and I've played them all). It's also the first in the series to throw open code to modding, thus allowing players to create Civ 4 with very distinct flavors. Well worth getting.