Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution

I'm a PC gamer with a good 360 collection, and I have Civilization 4(CIV4)for the PC, what's the difference your probably wondering,
Well Civilization Revolutions(CIVR) is far more user friendly than the PC version because this isn't a port of the PC CIV4 this is a new built from the ground up Civ for the 360, though it looks the same at first glance its lost the more in depth city management of the PC CIV and streamlined it for the Control pad, I'm not saying that there isn't any city management its that there is less of it.
CIVR has been made to cater for the Intelligent XBOX player, the type of player who likes Strategy games but doesn't want to be bogged down by all the fiddly management stuff and a manual the size of the Bible.
One thing it does have from the PC version though is the drop in multiplayer.
Now this works and sometimes don't, for example you can join a game in mid play, only to find that you have inherited a failing Civilization that is on the losing side. But then again you could also find yourself with a decent Civilization with a good amount of territory. Either way games always turn out entertaining; the good thing is that though you still play the multiplayer like a turn based game you don't need to wait for other players to finish their moves. Civilization has always received great reviews on all previous formats and its nice to see a return to the console, as it was the original Playstaion1 version that got me into the Civilization in the first place.

Don't buy this game thinking its Command & Conquer only to come back to give it a 1 star rating, purchase this game once you have looked at the demo and you're sure this is the game for you.
Think of Civilization Revolutions as the Arcade equivalent of the PC Civilization 4.

I've been playing the demo of this, and it's really nothing like the Civ games for the PC. The manufacturer's description is very misleading... a typical game of Civ: Revolution will be over in just a few hours, which is just a fraction of the time you'd spend on a game of Civ 4.

That's not to say it's bad, of course. While I haven't played the full game, it seems like it could be a lot of fun. Games are fast and quite tactical... not as deep and involving as the PC games, but great as a quick, strategic knockabout. There's lots of nice little new touches - such as naming geographical landmarks and the way advisers keep jockeying for your attention on screen - that make your game a bit warmer and more personal.

I'd recommend this for people who find the PC game too slow and boring, or who are new to the series. Traditional Civ fans might feel a bit let-down by the shallower style of play, but it stays true to the spirit of the series.

The phrase 'strategy game' is one which is known to put a large majority of gamers off of even considering a game. Those two words create an image of a player scratching their head while patiently deciding on the next move to make in the game. Civilization Revolution ironically revolutionizes this stereotype, and creates a whole new look to Turn-Based strategy.

The first and most important point about this game is that it has been designed entirely for console gamers. Those of us who've ever had a go at the likes of 'C&C Tiberium Wars' or 'Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth' will know that while these games had good concepts, the controls just weren't practical for console gaming. Civilization Revolution puts a stop to this. The controls are easy to pick up, and after half an hour or so on the tutorial game, you'll find yourself fluent in the navigation of the game and ready to go!

Players of past Civilization titles may be disappointed to see that this game doesn't have the depth of some of the previous games. 60 hour battles are now a thing of the past and the technological advancements aren't as detailed as before. But to a new gamer, this game presents the main skeleton of the franchise that has been so great for the last 20 years.

The graphics of the game are best described as fun. The dramatic and epic battle scenes of C&C games aren't to be found here, and are instead replaced by short scenes of sword flinging that decide the winner of each bout. This inevitably means the game lacks the strategy in combat which is so strong and vital in other strategic games.

But perhaps what makes this game so great is the open nature of it all. There are four ways in which to gain victory in the game, and each represents one of the four main pillars of the game. Victory can be acquired by combat (eliminating all other civilizations on the map), culture (gaining 20 cultural figures in your civilization), technology (becoming the first civilization to reach the space age), or finance (gaining 20,000 gold before any other civilization). This opens up many possibilities on the game, and no path is any easier or less unique than another.

The final strength of this game is the satisfaction that you will gain from watching your civilization progress from nomadic or stone age times, to the space age (an even bigger laugh comes from watching your rivals struggle with horseback knights while you mass produce tanks). The satisfaction of development in which ever culture you choose is what makes this game so much fun to play, along with the promise that no two games will ever be the same.

This is a truly unique experience for any console gamer who is new to the civilization franchise, and whether it's the sort of game for you or not, it's one which is well worth a try.

Surprisingly different from the original series, this spin-off for the consoles retains the essence of the originals whilst adding a whole new dimension on the gameplay.
The turns, technology, resources and leaders are all still there but the controls and look of the game have been overhauled for the console market. In my opinion, this has been pulled off brilliantly and the game is slick and very entertaining. I would recommend this for Civ fans but also those new to the series becuase I think that the 360's edge and spin on the game makes it playable and enjoyable for everyone.

Getting into the game can take sometime, I started playing Revolution with no previous knowledge/experience of Civ games (minus CivNet a legend in it's own right)

Graphics 9/10
Sound 8/10
Gameplay 9/10
Achievements 8/10

36/40 - 90% Solid

Graphics - Vibrant, Colourful and well animated. No loss of framerate at all. Loss of one point because I wasn't particularly blown away by awesome definition.

Sound - The sound effects are excellent, the only draw back is that volume levels seemed slightly different in certain parts of the game.
Between battles and menus that is.

Gameplay - Now onto the more important bit, gameplay is solid, so far I've not been bored and wanted to quit mid-match. I've not yet had chance to test online gameplay. Games seem to last around 3 hours for me, longer if I am trying for particular achievements.
Advisors and Opponents can really start to get annoying after a few games as they have limited dialogue such as "Ahhhh xxx my favourite technology" everytime something is researched or is going to be traded. Though this can be over looked when you know what is coming and dont need to read each dialogue and can just press B to exit.

Achievements - Now, I will admit I play alot of games for the achievements only. When I pick up a game and realise the content itself is rubbish, but the achievements are easy Ill complete them. In Civ: Rev the achievements appear to be quite attainable for the majority, and a few unattainable for the minority. Completing harder difficulties is really a hard task unless you've memorised some sort of amazing strategy.
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I picked up Civ with the thoughts that I don't like stragic games, but with Sid Meier being one of my iconic games designers I may enjoy it, this worked out fairly well and seems as though there is alot to be offered for someone willing to spend a few hours on a game. And to put minds to rest, yes you can save mid-game, funky eh?

Can't wait for so-promised DLC for this =)