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NYPOST: EASILY A B+/A-
(27 July 2008, 02:34 | CivRev | 52 comments) On the New York Post`s gaming blog Post Game Report journalist William Vitka posted a brief review of Civilization: Revolution:
This is an excellent, stream-lined strategy game for the Xbox 360 that Sid Meier himself programmed the core of. It doesn`t get much better than that. It`s just a superb console addition to the world famous pantheon of Civilization games. And it`s certainly leaps and bounds beyond the nearly-tragic PC port of Supreme Commander (which...yeah...sad).
The reviewer rates the game [e]asily a B+/A-
. Read the full (brief) review on the newspaper`s gaming blog. - Locutus
AP: FINE INTRODUCTION FOR CONSOLES
(27 July 2008, 02:33 | CivRev | 52 comments) Lou Kesten of the Associated Press wrote a brief review of Civilization: Revolution that was published in a number of North American newspapers including the Baltimore Sun:
Meier`s Firaxis studio has done an excellent job translating complicated keyboard commands to a console controller. And the graphics are stunning, with stirring battle sequences and witty animations of your advisers and enemies. There are a variety of ways to win -- you can pound your opponents into submission, for example, or focus on building cultural "wonders" for your own citizens -- so no two games are the same. "Civilization Revolution" is a fine introduction to the strategy genre for console players. Three-and-a-half stars out of four.
You can read the full review (among other places) on the website of the Baltimore Sun. - Locutus
LA TIMES: A FOR AWESOME
(27 July 2008, 02:33 | CivRev | 52 comments) The Los Angeles Times has posted a brief review of Civilization: Revolution by Pete Metzger. Calling the game a perfect mix of strategy and action
Metzger briefly describes the gameplay and concludes that:
The logical thinking and strategic focus, which force you to use your brain, are disguised with cool graphics and cute action. And the different levels of difficulty will mean replay after replay.
Who knew learning could actually be fun?
He rates the game an A for awesome. You can read the full (brief) review over at the online version of the LA Times. - Locutus
GLOBE AND MAIL: MASTERFUL REINVENTION
(27 July 2008, 02:32 | CivRev | 52 comments) The Canadian newspaper The Globa and Mail posted their review of the latest incarnation of Civilization on the consoles. Author Chad Sapieha calls CivRev a masterful reinvention of the Civilization experience that plays to the strengths of console gaming
. He`s impressed by the fast-paced gameplay and intuitive controls.
Make no mistake; it is a pared down version of its PC forerunners. There are fewer unit types and buildings to construct. Game creation options are more limited—we cannot, for example, control the shape and size of the world map. And many of the PC game`s more complicated elements—such as the ability to take a hands-on approach to land improvement—have simply been removed.
But, Sapieha, continues, heart and soul of the game remains
. The game still has the classic one-more-turn addictive value as the reviewer found himself still playing at 3:30 AM. You can read the full article on the website of The Globe and Mail. - Locutus
COURIER-MAIL: ONE OF THE BEST
(27 July 2008, 02:32 | CivRev | 52 comments) The Australian newspaper Courier-Mail has published a brief review of Civilization: Revolution, giving the game an 8.5 out of 10.
The main concepts of the PC game have been preserved: culture, resource and food allocation; racial bonuses; unit stacking; diplomacy and combat. The difference is it`s all been streamlined. Piles of menus have been replaced with a couple of button presses. Still, as simplified as it is, a mouse and keyboard would not go astray.
Reviewer Logan Booker remarks that the game does bog down in the late game, but it`s still one of the best console strategy titles available. Read the full (brief) review on the Courier-Mail website. - Locutus
POLYCAST YAK ON `CIVILIZATION: REVOLUTION`
(23 July 2008, 20:36 | CivRev | 1 comments) 
Last month, Apolyton Civilization Site (ACS) ran a contest on the release of Civilization: Revolution in Europe and its then pending release in North America. On the entry form, participants were given the option to be contacted by telephone if they were a winner on the understanding that the resulting conversation could be used in an upcoming episode of PolyCast, an official podcast of ACS that focuses on Civilization strategy.
Given the number of those who won who opted-in to this, a number of conversations resulted between them and ACS Chief Owner/Administrator and PC regular co-host Daniel "DanQ" Quick. The length and content of these conversations as edited warranted a feature unto itself leading to the birth of another occasional side series for PC, "Yak". Its first edition, on CivRev with Quick and these winners, is now available for listening. In order of appearance, the in-turn interviewees are Akash, Galen "Cybexx" Ryder, Craig "Fadingbeano", Joe "joebreeves" Reeves, Steven "jsilvrs" Silvers and "UnOrthOdOx"; total runtime is 46m34s.
With PC and its sibling show ModCast, ACS is the only known community on the Web to produce its own Civ podcasts. - DanQ
