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Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Firaxis
Genre: Strategy
Release Date: July 8, 2008
Platforms: Playstation 3, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360
Reviewer: Eric
 When
a new Civilization game comes out we usually wait ten minutes to install it on
our computer. Civilization Revolution skips the install process by only coming
out on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and even the Nintendo DS. Revolution sticks
to the traditional roots that the series is known for. All of the fun and
history you are use to is back and it is better than ever.
The Civilization series is use to having long games that never get boring. This
kind of game plays a lot like Risk, yet at the same time you are learning a heck
of a lot more than that board game and some history books. This is the sort of
game that will please you for hours straight.
Back in the day they tried to bring the Civilization series to the consoles. It
failed real badly and the PC market had a reason to cheer. Now with Revolution
console owners can enjoy the same thing that PC gamers have enjoyed. The
controls in this game are up to par with the PC. At times the Xbox 360
controller feels a lot better than a keyboard and a mouse.
This strategy game has you picking out your country first. There is no real
story in this game, you pick your side and then you play until you win.
Revolution does offer some scenario stages, but truthfully those stages are the
same thing. All the game does is give you a description on how things are
different. I don’t see it but hey this is a fun game, who freaking cares.
 Instead of being a straight port Civilization Revolution was designed to please
console gamers. The idea of the game is here, but you can tell where things were
changed to please console goers. Most of the complex parts of the game have been
removed and added with some simpler ideas. You don’t have to worry about too
much, which is great and all. But when you have been playing the series since
day one it may seem a bit like a sandbox without any toys.
Each of the civilizations in this game have there ups and downs. Some of these
bonuses will help you out earlier in the game whiles others won’t come into
affect until a certain age. This can play an important role in the game, though
at the same time each of the countries has a downside. Sometimes these downsides
can be the end of you if you play too aggressive or defensively in the game.
During gameplay you are rewarded with army bonuses and culture points. Your army
gets stronger when you win more battles or when you combine three of the same
unit. Culture rewards are just given out after so many turns in gameplay. If you
are the first one to learn something, for example pottery, you will be rewarded
with a surprise.
 There are four ways to win a game in Revolution, domination, technology,
economic and cultural. Depending on how you play the game and the difficulty
setting, games can take quite some time to beat. You can save your game whenever
you’d like, but if you are like me then you’ll wait until the game recommends
you to save.
The biggest selling point to this game has to be the online play. Revolution has
literally no lag at all. Playing the game through Xbox Live is a dream come
true. Any of the online modes is like this, from free-for-all and team play. If
a player drops out of a match then the computer will jump right in, making sure
your online experience is not ruined by someone who cares more about their
ranking.
Revolution also offers voice chat and even a private chat function. None of the
chatting features lag the game too, making this one of the best online games on
the Xbox 360. Take over the world and listen to your foes cry, it is so much
fun!
 I do have a few complaints with the game though. The in-game help guide never
wants to go away. You may be one hour into a game and he is still telling you
what certain buttons do with your characters. It gets worse whenever you build a
new building or unit. Your guide will remind you about every damn thing, the
game will slow down a little because of this. The down time isn’t bad, but it is
there.
The stages in Revolution all start to look the same after awhile. I shouldn’t be
too harsh about this since the game is about world domination (I like to play
aggressively). Everything is just plain and simple looking; thankfully the
character designs are more in-depth than the stages.
Final Verdict
Civilization Revolution is a blessing in disguise. If you were second guessing
yourself about buying another Civilization game on a console then you better get
ready to shell out the cash. This is a fun game that you can pick up and play
whenever you’d like. Online play is great and as of now we are promised
downloadable content. Revolution marks the return of the Civilization series to
the consoles in a whole new way.
Rating
9 out of 10
Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Trailer
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