A challenging and enjoyable game with endearing graphics and a high replay value
Platform: XBOX 360
Score: 9/10
Note: I am writing this review as someone who has never played the PC version of this game series.
Civilization Revolution is an immersive turn-by-turn strategy game that sucked me in immediately. As a fan of Starcraft, I had some basic knowledge of the structure of these types of games. However, CR is designed with increasing difficulty levels so that a beginner can learn the controls by playing the easiest level first and reading the tutorials. There are four types of victories you can strive for: Domination, Cultural, Economic, and Technology. Each victory has a certain set of conditions you need to achieve to secure the win. For example, you can win a Domination victory by capturing all enemy capitals.
The game begins by providing you with a group of settlers on a random piece of land located on a larger world map. You can choose where to build your first city, based on the terrain you find nearby. For example, if you build a city next to water with fish in it, your food production is increased. From there, you can start building warriors, buildings, and wonders. Wonders are special buildings that increase the culture of your city and provide special benefits. You then continue on building your city and utilizing resources, and hope that your defenses are strong enough to ward off invaders long enough to secure the victory of your choice.
This game provides hours of entertainment, both in single player and multiplayer versus mode.
Its no secret that I love stockpiling money in games, so I found myself gravitating towards achieving an economic victory each time I sat down to play. I also challenged myself to work through each difficulty level, which turned out to be harder than I thought. (I'm currently on the "King" difficulty setting.)
The only gripe I have with this game is that the in game flow-charts detailing the cause and effect of different research is not very clear. I had to go online and download a larger, fan-made chart to make sense of what researching the Alphabet would lead to later on.
All in all, Civilization Revolution is a challenging and enjoyable game with endearing graphics and a high replay value.
Good luck!