Civilization is a game that I enjoy playing, but am terrible at. The one game that I was able to complete till the end I thought I was doing so well, only to get the “your civilization has crumbled” screen Nevertheless, I continue to play different scenarios in the hopes of one day surviving til the end times.

I may be cheating a little bit by including three intros in one slot, but I believe all three openings are necessary since they tell a (literal) complete historical timeline of different eras. Since Civilization is all about shaping the way you lead your civilization to greatness or ruin, the idea of seeing the times change with new technology and cultures sets the premise of how you want to go about in your playthrough. Do you want to have a strong military empire? A hoarder of rich culture and scientific advancement? Find the quickest route to nukes and blast other civilizations off the map? The decisions are your to make.

The thing that sticks out to me the most is the old man at the beginning of the first intro. The way he tells his son that he is getting old and the shape of everything that he has built is now up to him. In some ways, it is like our parents or grandparents telling us that all the things that they have taught and left us is now in our hands to either build upon or destroy in our misguidance. He then goes about sharing his visions of how they have expanded to other areas of the world and continued their legacy until he cannot see past that. His vision is left to his son (you the player I guess) to decided if his vision becomes real or remains a dream.

Another analysis of the intros are the different starting and ending points. The first opening starts off in the Ancient era and goes to about the beginning of the Classic Age. The second opening starts off at the Classic Age and goes til about the end of the Renaissance Era. The difference being here is that you still hear the old man talking, but you do not see him anymore. You get to see his son at the end which signifies that he is gone, but his words are still with you and you are continuing to build the legacy that he envisioned. The third opening shows none of the characters, but starts at the beginning of the Industrial Age and ends with the Modern Age. This could be a continuing of the young man who is now old passing the torch and knowledge on to the next generation. Since we cannot see past our current age, we can only envision what will come next in the great story of civilization.

I know the openings may not be catchy enough to watch every time you boot up the game, but it is an interesting one that gets you in the mindset of the game. It takes effort to build a great civilization especially against others that will back stab you out of nowhere (look for that story one day). Anyway, Civilization 5’s opening is more of an inspirational opening than a blood pumping adrenaline rush of action and nostalgia.

Tune in tomorrow for Day 6!

DanamesX