Over the last week Civilization Revolution has sat on the shelf, calling my name. Why would I let a game sit on my shelf for a week, you ask? To be blunt, it scares the bloody hell out of me! Throughout high school and college I have had whole months of my life that were dominated by games in this series. From what I have played, I may end up adding another chapter to that book.
Civilization Revolution is not your average, run-of-the-mill, port of a PC game. While the turn-based gameplay makes a return, the insane complexity of the PC version has been discarded, in lieu of a leaner, more streamlined experience. The controls are very simple to learn, involving use of the bumpers to navigate between cities and troops. Issuing orders are just as simple to execute, by selecting your troop, selecting a way point on the grid, and pressing the "A" button.
I'm a pacifist? Forget that!Just because the controls are simple, does not mean that is easy. In fact, I found this to be the exact opposite of what I expected. The AI is ass-punishingly difficult, giving the player very little room for error. Computer controlled units make it a point to take advantage of mistakes, as even the weakest bushmen will suddenly have the strength and defensive powers of Conan on speed. It is amazing the kind of damage those little bastards can do with just sticks and arrows...
Writing a preview for this game proved to be quite a arduous experience. Ludicrous match lengths were the biggest factor working against me. I don't know if I have just lost my touch, but the training match alone took me almost three hours to finish. After completing a couple more five hour standoffs, I've decided to put the game back on my shelf for a little while. I don't plan on dropping the disc back in my drive, until I have a whole weekend that I can dedicate to playing it. Who knows, by then I might be able to get a match done in a single sitting!
Below is the trailer for Civilization Revolution:
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