This takes the orginal to a new level. Better graphics, better gameplay, better everything!
The one thing I love about this game is that the AI doesn't seem to cheat. I mean, when they are kicking your but you can look back and say oh, they researched that tech tree before me so that's why I'm getting my butt kicked.
The game has a lot of replay value because of the metaverse and the campaign and difficulty mode. It makes a big difference playing a fool of a computer player compared to a brilliant level computer player.
The one criticism I have of the game is the game can be easily won or lost in the first 10-20 turns of the game. It definetly rewards those that expand and expand fast. I don't usually like playing games like this. Usually I like concentrating my efforts on a few quality worlds rather than having a large number of worlds that collectively can mop the floor with another Civ.
Overall though, this is a quality game that despite a few minor complaints in the UI department is the best of it's kind.
And with Stardock as the game maker, you'll be sure that the game will go through an evolution dependant on customer feedback.
This is a must buy!