Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution - Xbox 360 (360), Playstation 3 (PS3), Wii, DS Previews


	Platform Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS Genre Strategy Publisher 2K Games Developer Firaxis ETA Q1 2008
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Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution

Civilization as we know it is about to end – with the upcoming Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution. From legendary game creator Sid Meier, whose Civilization franchise is one of the all-time classics that helped define PC gaming, comes the somewhat startling revelation that there’s a Civilization that won’t be a PC title at all – it’s headed to the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and Nintendo DS next year.

Shown at the Take-Two press conference at this year’s E3 Media & Business Summit, Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution captured the classic strategy aspects of the PC Civilization series and combined it with console-friendly controls. The result is a strategy game (which are few and far between on consoles) that should

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attract gamers with high-quality, next-generation graphics and production values with what looks to be engaging gameplay.

Sid Meier’s has a simple goal in each of his Civilization titles: become the dominant civilization on the planet. Simple goal, but not-always-so-simple decisions must be

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made during the course of playing a Civilization game to achieve your ultimate objective. Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution adheres to this gameplay, too, although what really should be a hit with console gamers new to Sid Meier games is that there is more than one direction your civilization can take to “win” the game. You can create the most dominating armed forces on earth. Or you can develop the most advanced technological society. These choices and others are yours.

Selecting from one of the game’s 16 civilizations, there’s a plethora of historical figures that you can either play as or against, too, from Cleopatra to Napoleon. And you’ll interact with these historical opponents/allies as well as non-historical foes/friends with an interactive display that shows real-time reaction from these figures depending on your choice while “talking” to them. If you select to go to war with Cleopatra, she’ll get angry on-screen. It’s not a crucial gameplay development, but it sure added a humorous and fun aspect to the game.

Since Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution is meant for a console crowd, there are nuances not seen in a PC Civilization game. Quicker games are the norm with a streamlined time scale that “speeds” up the gameplay intensity. You’ll have to be sure that any particular decision is the right one at the time, because if it isn’t, you’ll quickly become one of the wannabes instead of the have-it-all civilization.

Online play will also be a big part of Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution, with plans for team, head-to-head or free-for-all options. There are achievements planned (Xbox 360 obviously, but maybe by then on the PS3), as well as downloadable content, which also includes plans for a “game of the week” Civilization, where everybody can play the same “game” and be ranked on leaderboards.

Not expected until early next year, Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution has the pedigree of one of the industry’s greatest game creators that could just civilize the console market.

- Lee Cieniawa

lcieniawa@armchairempire.com

(July 31, 2007)