It's history Jim, but not as we know it.
The gameplay in Civilization Revolution takes place from the top-down perspective, showing a map of the land subtly divided into segments that you can move to one-by-one on each turn. Each turn constitutes 100 years in history and you can order your units, issue build orders or conduct valuable research in a wide range of technologies, from pottery to literacy as you attempt to build a stable and all-conquering empire.The controls map well to the Xbox 360 controller, allowing you to issue orders via the d-pad and flick through the menus effortlessly. It’s not as intuitive as using a keyboard and mouse, generally feeling a bit slower, but it does the job effectively and it’s simple to pick up.
The core gameplay elements from previous Civilization games are here, including unit building, diplomacy, research and combat. There are also many different paths you can choose to take on your way to world-wide domination, including building armies and iconic structures, researching technology, or making wads of cash, with the hope of eventually taking control of a world bank. Diplomacy also plays its part and you gradually get introduced to leaders of other nations who you can spy on, trade with, make peace with or destroy if you so wish. The fact that you can take multiple paths on your way to the top ensures that Civilization Revolution has high replay–value.
Click for larger image
Click for larger imageMost things have been simplified from the PC version of the game, with resource gathering handled almost entirely by the AI, a simplified build-queue and most noticeably a much smaller game-world, which makes the campaign far shortly than its predecessors. Nevertheless, this does mean that you don’t get bogged down with what arguably could be deemed as the ‘boring stuff’ and generally the games feel more accessible and fast-paced, possibly something that will appeal to gamers new to the franchise. Whether hardened fans of the franchise will enjoy the changes so much, however, is questionable.
Like all Civ games before it, playing Civilization Revolution is extremely addictive. There’s something riveting about watching your empire grow gradually into a mighty kingdom and a 30 minute session can easily progress into hours upon hours of fascinating turn-based gameplay.
Firaxis was never going to mimic the Civ franchise absolutely on console, but it has done a fine-job with this watered-down version. Despite some glaring omissions, such as the inability to form defensive alliances, the game finally gives the console crowd the chance to experience what the franchise is all about; and that’s worth its weight in gold.
Pros
Addictive gameplay
Nice presentation
Easier to to pick up and play than PC Civ
Smooth interface
Online multiplayer
Cons
Hardcore Civ fans may not like how it’s been simplified
Challengingly addictive, Civilization makes a glorious debut on Xbox 360
HEXUS Awards
Civilisation Revolution? – Xbox 360 (8/10)
