Reviews

[Locutus]

XBox World Australia: Civ Lite

Gaming site XBox World Australia has reviewed Civilization: Revolution. Julian Cram says:

But let's get something out of the way – this is definitely Civilization Lite. Many people may look down their noses at it because of this, but I like to think of it as the difference between driving and automatic and manual car. One is more complex to drive than the other, but unless you're a really dedicated car fan, it doesn't really matter because both types of cars are complex feats of engineering, both will get you from A to B, and in both you need to concentrate on the road ahead.

Civ: Rev is like an automatic car. Its complexity has been stripped back making the ride a little more enjoyable and easy for those who want it to be, and making it much easier for learners with less gears and pedals to mess with. Those who have never played a Civ game before will appreciate the controls and take to them as easy as someone takes to controls in any console game.

Cram is impressed by the controls and interface, sounds and graphics, and the fast and addictively gameplay, but he's underwhelmed by the small maps, lack of customisation and unbalanced difficulty levels. Overall though, he considers CivRev a great game for both online and offline play, although maybe less suitable for the hardcode PC fans. Read the full review on XBox World Australia.

[Locutus]

Boston Phoenix: Demystifying the Game

Ryan Stewart of The Boston Phoenix newspaper reviewed the latest incarnation of the Civilization franchise for the console. He writes:

For some, strategy games can seem intimidating. Monitoring production, expanding your territory, building up an army, and practicing diplomacy with other groups can all start to feel overwhelming, particularly if the most “strategy” you’re used to in a video game is “Should I use the shotgun or the semi-automatic?” The latest installment in designer Sid Meier’s venerable Civilization series, which may be the best-known in the genre, is for those gamers — the ones who were busy playing Quake and Super Metroid while others were playing, well, Civilization.

He laments that the combat is a very hands-off affair, decided entirely by statistics, and that the results can be a bit random. He's also not very impressed by the predictable AI and the few available play modes and viable strategies. In the end however, he concludes that CivRev demystifies the genre for the newcomers and gives it 3 out of 4 stars. Read the full review on the online version of The Boston Phoenix.

[Locutus]

Courier-Mail: One of the Best

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]

Globe and Mail: Masterful Reinvention

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]

LA Times: A for Awesome

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]

AP: Fine Introduction for Consoles

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]

NYPost: Easily a B+/A-

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.

[tylertoo]

The New York Times weighs in with a glowing review :**

In particular, making a great computer game requires a very different sensibility from making a great console game. As with television and film, there is far less crossover than one might expect.

All of which goes some way toward explaining why Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution is an almost complete triumph. Melding formidable intellectual depth with an unintimidating, relatively easy-to-grasp graphical presentation, the new Civilization is by far the best strategy game to grace a living room console. This is a console game that history and social studies teachers should encourage their students to enjoy. This is a game that parents should want to play with their children. And this is a game that will then incite some parents to send their kids to bed so the old folks don’t have to share.

**I think the link goes bad after a week

[aubreelewis]

As ever, gamers get to play God, making decisions that will have world shattering consequences. It might not be pretty, but it sure is fun.