Civilization IV Vs Revolution

Shying away from our original concept of weighing the pros and cons of multiplatform releases, Big Versus has transformed into a opinionated comparison piece regarding our overall experiences with the multiple versions of a game. Which version will we keep playing in the end? Find out in Big Versus.

Since the early 1990s, Sid Meier's Civilization franchise has challenged strategy enthusiasts to shape an empire and make your mark in virtual history. While PC gamers enjoy the latest expansion for Civilization IV, Beyond the Sword, they may not realize Firaxis Games has been hard at work redefining the conventions that has made the original series so popular with the recently released console exclusive Civilization Revolution.

Promising a more streamlined and accessible entry in the franchise the Big Download team has spent time roaming around the simplified title to give you the skinny on the new Civilization.

Are PC gamers missing out? Find out today, on Big Versus.

Civilization IV
Publisher: 2K | Release Date: October 25, 2005 | PC Exclusive

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Civilization Revolution
Publisher: 2K | Release Date: July 9, 2008 | Console Exclusive

Comparing Civilization Revolution to Civ4 feels like going to the groceries. There's a set list of what you expect to get but sometimes you notice something you didn't originally imagine you'd want. Specifically, a simple Civilization was never on our minds.

Conceptually, a console focused Civilization seems plausible considering the push consoles have recently had with real-time strategy games. Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth, Command and Conquer 3 and, most recently, Supreme Commander have all made the jump to the console platform. Traditionally known as a slower game, due to its turn-based gameplay, Civ4 makes sense as a console experience. The major difference between all of the RTS ports mentioned and Civilization Revolution is its vision. CivRev is a complete reworking of the series in a way no other strategy game has attempted before. But is it an experience PC players want?

IN THE BEGINNING
One of the most enticing qualities of Civilization has always been the size and scope of the world around you. The world can be as large as you wish while hundreds of abilities help shape your experience differently each time you play. Civilization Revolution unfortunately doesn't feel the same way. The game is limited to one singular map, which randomizes landmass at the start of each new game. Randomized or not, the world is small. It isn't uncommon to scroll in any direction for a few seconds before looping around the planet back to your starting point.

Another substantial change has been the popular Tech Tree. Where Civilization IV increased the tree to 86 research-able items, CivRev is limited to 45. The missing pieces are usually stepping stones to greater technology in an effort to make research faster for console gamers but it sometimes renders technology obsolete quickly. For example, within thirty minutes of being able to build Pikemen units the ability to research gunpowder was made available and rendered the new unit useless. It may look extremely short, but fully researching the tech tree can still take a few hours worth of work. A notable omission of important in CivRev is the focus on religion and in-depth civics from Civilization IV. Instead of a focus on both concepts, they are simply relegated to research-able technology.

The research itself is fine but it eventually, just ends. Future Technology is the research ceiling and affords you the option of creating a space-station which you can send off in search of Alpha Centauri to win the match via technology. There are four ways to win in Civilization Revolution. Military conquest (capturing all other civilization's home city or Palace), cultural victory (by amassing 20 great people, wonders or culturally-flipped cities and then creating a United Nations wonder), economic victory (by amassing 20,000 gold and constructing a World Band) and the aforementioned tech victory.
While the game omits some of the best qualities from Civilization IV, the entire thing feels right. It's a title that could only be released on console as its streamlined presentation would only frustrate PC gamers. For example, there are no controllable workers in CivRev to build farms or roads. Instead the surrounding you control consists of squares indicating how much food, production, or trade is available. Food grows your population, production builds units and buildings, and trade furthers scientific research or discovers more gold. Instead of a worker being delegated specific tasks you select a general worker order for a city and command them to pay attention to a specific resource in the area or balance them, with road build orders when you have a city to connect.

The end result changes the feel of the game dramatically. While Civilization always felt like a extremely controllable game where you played king, CivRev is very streamlined and feels like a god-game. Want a road between two cities? Pay for it and *poof!* there it is. It's quick and painless.

HANDS-ON
Developers who bring strategy games to consoles are known to bullet-point control schemes as so important they sound as though they've solved the Da Vinci Code. Mapping simple mouse and keyboard functionality to a controller with a series of button presses and trigger pulls that quickly fall apart during the action. CivRev is the opposite of this controller circus. As a low intensity but challenging experience, CivRev works well on a gamepad.

There are three basic controls in CivRev. Left-analog is unit movement, right-analog is a free-look magnify glass and the 'A' or 'X' button (on the Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively) is selection. There are other buttons to use, but those are the three that will get the move attention.

One new addition is the onscreen presence of attack and defense statistics during the revamped battle. Information regarding both hostile units display and outline a suggested outcome based on the information of the two units. Combine three of the same unit can create a fleet or army, which increases the attack stat accordingly. In some instances an advisor will tell you that a battle you are about to initiate will not bring favorable results, which can be helpful to run-and-gun style players.

The only thing that didn't get programed into the game was a free option to end a turn at any time. Instead, you must wait until all units and cities have been given orders. So, once you capture cities and build your empire you can expect dozens of menus to pop up and annoy when all you'd like to do is skip a turn so new research can be completed. Civ4 was known to melt away the hours and while you can spend just as much time with CivRev, nothing will snap you back to reality quicker than having to lug through menu, after menu.

EYES AND EARS
Civilization Revolution is a beautiful game. The art style selected for the game, which is a more playful and cartooned take on Civ4, works extremely well. Units are all represented well and easy to differentiate and each civilization has its own unique visual presence. The returning advisors from Civilization II, which help walk you through the game, look fantastic and are a treat to watch evolve as the ages are upgraded from Barbarian to Modern.

Hearing them. That's another issue. All in game characters are fluent in 'Sim-ish,' meaning they mumble made up words to convey the fact that they are speaking to you. This wouldn't be such an issue if you rarely were treated with characters on screen but the game is designed always guide you. So, you'll be hearing a lot of 'The Sims' style character speak. Eventually it will drive your ears to such a deep madness that you'll forget it's happening. It's honestly pretty brutal.

FINAL WORD
Civilization Revolution is a great game. What it does, it does very well. Its purpose was to convert the Civilization experience into a new style that is better suited to console gamers. There are certain gripes we have about the game overall but it offers one of the best strategy experiences console gamers have ever had. Are PC gamers missing out on a new Civ experience by the lack of a PC port of Civilization? Not at all. This is an entirely different beast, created to streamline and simplify the game we've been enjoying for nearly two decades.

Civilization was an evolution of the strategy experience and its recent console counterpart has shifted its focus to a more accessible experience. In that way, the console version truly is a revolution. While PC gamers should be happy to keep their more in-depth experience we recommend you check out Civilization Revolution if you ever get the opportunity.

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