Would you grow to hate Napoleon with every fibre of your being if he was a static character portrait generating text in a bubble? Probably not. But stick him on a horse, have him scowl at everything you say and have him reply in a rude little French voice? Yeah, fuck that guy.

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The leader sequences look as good in 2016 as they did in 2010, but they’re not working in isolation. The adoption of an art deco UI seemed a little strange at the time, but has since been proven to be a smart move. If it had gone for “modern” in 2010 it’d look dated by now, but base it on something that’s almost 100 years old and what difference does 5-6 years make?

Rounding out the game’s visual immortality is the map/world itself. One of the big reasons I soured on Civilization: Beyond Earth was because it looked so drab and dreary. Civilization V’s map, on the other hand, is gorgeous. Crisp blue seas, rolling green plains, bright purple and orange and white units, it’s a delight to just sit back and behold. Which, given this game’s tendency to make you sit back a lot, is handy.

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The mod scene has also contributed to Civ V’s longevity and appeal. The game’s Steam Workshop integration means there’s an almost endless supply of mods and tweaks, some cosmetic, some historical, some just for shits and giggles.

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I’m still writing about Civ V mods all these years later because that’s the beauty of the game; by beefing up its social and political spheres, modders have been able to react to current affairs (or trends in historical appreciation) and adjust the game to their liking by introducing new leaders, new units and custom maps.

The fact I can write about a painstaking recreation of the world in 1900 and an almost apocalyptic Donald Trump mod—and be talking about the same game—is testament to how well mods have complemented the core design of Civ V.

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They’re also one of the reasons that this game endures not just critically, but socially as well. Civilization V doesn’t exist in 2016 in a vacuum, or as some vintage game; it remains immensely popular, with an active subreddit, strong Steam sales and even stuff like the attempt at a 61-player “Battle Royale”...

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Time may have been kind to many of Civ V’s best aspects, but while expansions and updates have bolstered the game in some areas, others are in need of a helping hand. Combat AI, especially at lower difficulties, can still be maddeningly simple and ineffective, while on harder ones it still feels like you’re being cheated.

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Likewise, the diplomatic AI still hasn’t managed to match the personality of its visuals. Opponents will still make repeated and unnecessary demands of you, anda lot of the time erratic declarations of war come across as, well, more erratic than unpredictable.

Advances in CPU power seem to have had little effect on turn times for larger maps either, requiring big/late game players to have the patience of a saint as turns process.

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In 2014, we made public our declaration that we were as interested in the games of the present as we were of the future. And just because it’s from 2010 doesn’t exclude Civilization V from that coverage. Thanks to some big improvements and classic design decisions, the game remains as relevant and important in 2016 as it did at launch.

I loved it then, and I love it even more now.