Populous

Zero Magazine issue 4 (1990) - "Games don't come much better than this one. Or if they do, no one round here ever lets me play them. Brilliant imagination, playability and graphics mean Populous can take on any other game and build castles all over it - which is pretty useful really, 'cos that's what it's all about.
Populous is not a million miles removed from that old family favourite Risk. To gain strength you need to provide land for your supporters to build on. Creating or destroying land or buildings is slick and dramatic. Meanwhile, the computer is doing its own Robert Macalpine Jnr impression. War is inevitable but not with sticks or stones. Earthquakes and floods are key components of your armoury.
One word of warning: playing Populous is a bit like stopping a herd of charging elephants - it's best done with a mouse. Although fairly complex to learn - the list of keyboard controls alone runs to three pages - Populous is well worth the initial effort. Like it? I want to marry it."