AWKWARD ZOMBIE

IGN: 90%
One of the best turn-based strategy games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Whether teaming up with my friends for some multiplayer, or simply losing a whole night of sleep to the game's endlessly replayable single player, this is one game that any strategy enthusiast, or, hell anyone strat-curious should check out.
PC Gamer: 93%
Gorgeous graphics, deep combat and a user-friendly makeover makes the fifth Civilization a great place to start or renew your interest in global domination.
Game Informer: 98%
As a hardcore strategy gamer who is no stranger to planning out my empire's production dozens of turns in advance, I've already turned to Civ V for my world-conquering needs – but at the same time, if anything is going to rear a new generation of strategy gamers like the very first Civilization did for me, it's this.
GameShark: 83%
Civilization 5 remains a threat to my productivity and household happiness. Though not quite the complete triumph it could be, Firaxis has shown how a twenty year old design can still be tweaked and improved in the hands of a team unafraid to break things in the interest of progress.
GameTrailers: 94%
Civilization V is a brilliant expression of the turn-based strategy game by the undisputed masters of the form. It's a great entry point for newcomers, and veterans will delight in all the wrinkles and refinements.
Cheat Code Central: 94%
Civilization V keeps everything that makes the series great, makes the game more accessible to non-fans, and overhauls many of the finer gameplay details. Every PC gamer owes it to himself to give this game a shot.
Eurogamer: 80%
For all the hours it eats up, outside of its multiplayer it gives disappointingly little back, and it will continue to give very little back until Firaxis bites the bullet and admits that there are aspects of Civilization which deserve not just to be improved, but fixed.
Destructoid: 95%
mprovements to the user interface and AI at all levels result in it being more approachable for newcomers without losing any of the strategic depth that long-time fans crave. It vastly improves combat, making the micro-level gameplay both more complex and entertaining. It trims all the fat, leaving only decision-making, strategic planning, and the sheer joy of crushing your enemies. Civ V is the pinnacle of the franchise to date.
Wired: 80%
In a sea of shooters with pounding soundtracks and frenetic gameplay, Civilization V is one of the few games to challenge players' minds - to have them sit back and analyze situations methodically. If Halo: Reach is heaven on earth for twitch-gamers everywhere, then Civilization V is the thinking man's paradise.
The Escapist: 100%
My favorite Civilization to date. Hex tiles and no stacking makes combat fun and more tactical. The new systems work incredibly well without altering what makes the game Civilization. Civ V is an excellent game.
Joystiq: 100%
For a game so very, very large, it delivers everything in an easy to understand package no matter what route you take to playing it. The core Civilization experience is still there, but it's like an efficiency expert came in and streamlined everything that had gotten clunky with the series. It's a "friendly" strategy game.
The Guardian: 100%
A hugely accomplished reinvention of a franchise that was showing signs of dotage.

System requirements

Minimum

Windows XP/Vista/7
Dual Core Processor
2 GB RAM
8 GB free space
DVD Drive
256 MB ATI 2600 XT/nVidia 7900 GS or better video card
DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card
Internet connection for authentication (Steam)

Recommended

Windows Vista/7
1.8 GHz Quad Core Processor
4 GB RAM
8 GB free space
DVD Drive
512 MB ATI 4800/nVidia 9800 or better video card
DirectX 11

In Civilization V, players strive to become Ruler of the World by establishing and leading a civilization from the dawn of man into the space age, waging war, conducting diplomacy, discovering new technologies, going head-to-head with some of history’s greatest leaders and building the most powerful empire the world has ever known.

Basically, the Civilization series is regarded as one of, if not the best strategy games series ever made, created by one of the most highly regarded game designers in the world. Since the first Civ in 1991, gamers have been hooked to the series. Now, five years after Civilization IV, the series is making a return, boasting a redesigned interface, enhanced graphics, improved combat, and hexagons.
The reviews are already starting to form, with PC Gamer giving the game a 93/100, claiming that:
"It feels almost as if someone described the concept of the legendary 19-year-old turn-based strategy series to a talented designer who'd never played it, and let them come up with their own version."
"Gorgeous graphics and deep combat make this a great place to start or renew your interest in global domination."

Believable World
More than just a strategy game - the expanded visuals and immersive audio invite would - be kings to take up the reigns of power and forge a mighty empire. Civilization V offers a limitless variety of vast, realistic and diverse landscapes for players to explore, battle over and claim as their own.

Inviting Presentation
An intuitive interface eases both new players and Civ veterans into the game. Guided by a set of trusted advisors who will explain game functionality and provide counsel for significant decisions, even first-time players will be confident in the choices they make.

Huge Battles
Combat is more exciting and engaging than ever before. Wars between empires feel massive with armies spreading across the landscape.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.

Live History
Write your own epic story each time you play! Choose one of eighteen historical civilizations to lead from the stone-age to the space age on your quest to build the world’s most powerful empire.

Improved Diplomacy
Negotiate with some of history’s most cunning rulers, each with a well-crafted plan for victory. Successful diplomacy will depend on players carefully managing relationships with other leaders, trading items, plying them with gold, and deciding if they are friend or foe. City States will present a new diplomatic battleground on which the major powers of the world will vie for supremacy.

In-Game Community Hub
Compete with Civ players from all over the globe via the Internet, offering endless ways to rule the world.

Modability
With unprecedented modding tools, players will have a nearly unlimited options for modifying Civilization V any way they like.

inb4 Civ IV is better

Is the combat system still terribly unbalanced