User Reviews (1 - 11 of 13)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

doesn't live up to the legacy

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: August 12, 2008
Author: Amazon User

(I'm most familiar with Civ1 and Civ2 for PC, and have not played much Civ3 or Civ4. I review from this perspective.)

Civilization Revolutions is designed to be a quick and light turn-based strategy game. It aims to be a stripped down version of the PC smash hit "Civilizations". It's an ambitious goal; how do you remove half a masterpiece, and will it be a great game (or at least a worthwhile game) if you do? As tricky as this goal is, it can be done. (See the board game Puerto Rico and it's stripped down version San Juan.) Unfortunately, Civilization Revolutions misses the mark and strips away most of the fun, too.

It's difficult to pin down why this game fails. Several of the simplifications seem like good ideas. For example, in the original PC game, you had to painstakingly build roads by hand on every square where you wanted a road. Now, you can simply buy a road between two cities in 1 turn and be done with it. The courthouse makes a lot more sense. It used to reduce corruption (at least in early Civ variants), but corruption has been eliminated and now a courthouse expands the usable territory for a given city. Instead of allocating individual citizens to specific territory to harvest, you set an overarching tilt (e.g. more production, more science, more food, more cash, or a balance). There's also an interesting element with "great people" who can join your civilization if you lure them with culture. Despite these and many smaller improvements, it's just not a very fun game.

I wanted to like this game, and have played 3 games through to completion, but will now be putting it down.

This game is both harmed by and harms the name Civilization. If it hadn't been linked to that excellent brand, and if it hadn't needed to be as close to Civilization as possible, it might have done better. It's not awful, and I might play it again if I run out of other worthwhile games (unlikely). Moreover, the designers are clearly "cashing in" or "selling out" on the Civilization brand by putting out a mediocre game with that name and charging a premium for it. I will be more wary of purchasing the next Civilization product. It might have felt like a better game at $20 rather than $30.

Bottom line: if you enjoy turn-based strategy, either of the 2 Advanced Wars titles for DS is a better choice.

Can a horseman really defeat a bomber plane?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Answer no. Or so you would think. However in Civilization Revolution it can for some unknown reason. I find this single aspect to be the most frustrating since it has zero basis in any form of common sense. I mean, come on? How propsterous is that no matter what the context? The game has simple graphics and simple gameplay and can entertain, but for any semi-serious gamer the game ends too early with a ridiculous time limit and the AI seems to cheat. But it travels well and can frustrate you on the go, but you'll keep coming back to it anyways. If you liked other civilization games you'll still like this one and I do enjoy it despite its flaws. Overall conclusion the pros outweigh the cons although not by much.

Simplified version of Civ, but still fun and addictive

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 26 / 28
Date: July 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I'm loving the game so far, but you should know this is sort of a "Civ light" implementation. A lot of the micromanagement has been pulled from the DS version, leaving you to focus largely on producing units and buildings, researching tech, and combat. You won't spend as much time fine tuning city needs and resources, and land improvements are automated. Roads between cities are bought all at once instead of built one square at a time by workers, for example. It seems designed to make the game easier to pick up and play and to shorten the length of a game--I played a couple of random maps through to winning, and both games ran between 2-3 hours.

The graphics are a little crude, which is surprising considering how nice some other recent DS titles look and how well-designed the full version of Civ now looks. (As of July 10th, 2008, Amazon is showing the PC/console version of the game in the screencaps above, so don't be fooled.) I don't mind the cartoon look of the characters, but the pixellated edges and dull blue top screen image between turns looks less than stellar. That would never make me NOT play this game, though, ha ha.

In general, the DS version feels like it's something between Age of Empires for the DS and the console/PC version of Civ.

Its okay, but it wont replace my Beyond The Sword

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 08, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is fun, its kills time. I might have waited until it was cheaper but I dont regret buying it.

The game is very low in graphics as well as units and buildings. They hand picked one unit from each era for each type, ie one horseback, one defense, one offense, one catapult type. This is fine, as it keeps it simple, good for stacking armies.

What I dislike the most about this game is that it doesn't allow custom games which is how I normally play on the PC. Its allways snaking continents with some islands. You also don't have workers, which is good and bad, you just pay for a road from one city to the next. Expect to have fewer cities than your used to as well, I guess this is to help the game move faster.

Its a good game, but doesn't touch the last PC version. I have yet to see Revolution on another system, perhaps I will have different opinions about those.

Simple but fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is a very simplified version of a civ game... however that just makes it really easy to pick up and play. My one true gripe is the graphics, they are pretty bad. They make me think of a game I might play on my phone rather than on my DS. I found myself wondering if it was originally designed for a PDA or phone and then hastily ported to the DS... But I digress. The graphics are my main reason for 4 stars instead of 5. I'm totally addicted, so the game play is good. And yes it is simple so if you like to micromanage... forget it.

Civ Rev for Nintendo DS

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

If you like the Civilization computer game series, you will probably enjoy this "simplified" version for the DS

Pros: Easy to learn, fun to play.

Cons: Weak computer AI

I love this game!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

It was very hard for me to find this game in stores - sold out everywhere. Got lucky and happened to be in the store when someone returned a copy because he also has it for PSP.

I love this game. It's easy to learn and I can just sit in bed and play people off of my wireless network.

One downside - I've been up til 1 AM for the last few nights!!!

Great Mobile Version of Civ

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 31, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I've really been enjoying playing Civ Revolution on my DS. The best part is that it's Civ that I can play while on the train to work everyday. A turn-based game is great when you're standing on a train getting bumped by people getting on and off every couple minutes. I miss some of the great epic games from other Civ games, but playing for about 1 hour a day during my commute I finish a full game in a few days, which is nice. The pace of the game is really good.

It's definitely simplified gameplay and the graphics are mostly simple and utilitarian. The animated battles on the top screen are kinda cool.

So far I've played full games through the 4th of 5 difficultly levels, all of which were still pretty easy. In Civ 4, I don't usually play above Noble/King level. In CivRev, it wasn't any challenge until Emperor, and even then by the time I won my rivals weren't close to catching up. Trying Deity now.

The dynamics of all the different civilizations are very fun. They all play a little different as a result (for both yourself and your rivals). So, it's fun to play different Civs each game.

All in all, I'm very happy with this purchase. It's a fun game, not very expensive and best of all, mobile.

Civ still rocks, even on the small screen!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 21
Date: July 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

As a long time Civ player (all the way back to Civ I), I can say that this title is indeed the true Civ experience. Everything you loved about the original seems to be here and it is greatly simplified. It has to be simplified really as the DS system is not as capable as a full blown PC is. The maps seem a tad small to me, meaning you bump into other civilizations faster than you might otherwise, but overall the look and feel of Civ is in there. This will be great for people who love Civ4 and travel a lot, or simply just want to relax in the back yard and test their empire building skills. Well done Sid Meier!

Bought this after PS3 version, like it better

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 18
Date: July 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Really just a perfect little handheld strategy game...Graphics are weak, even by DS standards, but does it really matter? This game is perfect for on the go type playing, which makes it a perfect fit for the DS...its turn based, so you can shut it down on the fly, and then open it up hours later, and easily be able to take the time to "remeber where you were" before making a move. It simply just fits very well.

Review Page: 1 2 Next 

Actions