The Civilization series has a long history of PC exclusive games. The current franchise is up to its fourth PC installment and most recently was redesigned for console and handheld systems. Civilization Revolution takes the strategy games its fans know and love and bring it to the DS in a way that makes it easy to pick up for beginners and a satisfying experience for fans of the series who want to bring the game on the road.

No One Expects a Spanish Inquisition

Civilization Revolution is a turn-based strategy game that allows you to pick a world leader and develop your civilization from the stone age to the space age. The leaders are recognizable figures from world history, such as Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, and Napoleon. There are 16 civilizations to choose from, each with its own advantages. The goal is to expand your civilization and win in one of four ways: Domination victory is won through conquering all other capitals, Economic victory is won through accumulation of gold, Cultural victory is won through amassing 20 great people, converted cities and wonders, and Scientific victory is won by building a space ship and blasting off.

The most important differences between the PC versions and the Revolution series is the amount of complexity the player needs to manage. The Revolution series streamlines many of the complex features from its predecessors and removes a lot of the micromanagement involved with the game. This move may be a step backward for players familiar with the PC versions but it makes the game easy to access. The built-in tutorial teaches you how to manage your civilization as you go along and can be turned off at any time. Many of the wonders, scientific achievements and buildings have simple effects on cities making it easy to discover which buildings, wonders and units to create. Games are also significantly shorter, lasting anywhere between two and four hours.

The game does make good use of the DS’s Wi-Fi and wireless functions with a multiplayer game as well as a downloadable Game of the Week. In addition to the scenarios available, players can download a map each week to play. Multiplayer can be over local wireless or over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. This allows players bored of the computer’s AI to compete head to head against players from across the world. The only problems are the long wait times if you are going against multiple opponents across the internet. Connection speeds combined with players taking their time with their turns can lead to long games.

The gameplay for Revolution does have its downfalls, however. Cities will constantly churn out the last unit you made, which can be useful during war. During later stages of the game, when you have few buildings you can build, this can be an annoyance because there is no “wait” function. This leaves you with thirty or so riflemen to deal with. In addition, other world leaders can demand gold or technology from you but you cannot demand anything of them. Despite your large army of modern soliders and their small army of catapults and archers, you cannot demand anything from them. You can only pay them for their technology. This oversight can be a headache as most of the time other world leaders will begin demanding technology and gold from you in exchange for not going to war with you. Despite these flaws, Civilization Revolution still presents a fun experience.

Graphics

The graphics are relatively simple for the map and are more detailed on specific screens. For example, the overhead map is displayed in non-animated 8-bit graphics, but the battle screen shows your units up close in battle. The world leaders are also well represented, but there are only three animated moods for each; happy, neutral and angry. Your advisors are displayed in a similar fashion, though without the moods. The overhead map clearly marks out the boundaries of your civilization and it is usually not hard to distinguish what type of unit is on the field. Unfortunately due to the small size of the DS screen, the map is difficult to traverse. The only option to move around the map is to slowly move using the d-pad. Luckily, you can quickly return to your own cities and units by pressing R and L respectively.

Sound

The sounds of Civilization are oddly quiet. Music is prone to fade away during games, returning only for battle and the title screen. The game itself is likely to have your attention and the loss of music is normally not noticed. Each world leader has his or her own gibberish speak used to greet you whenever you speak with them. The accents are unique to each civilization, and my personal favorite is the German leader Bismark who improvises a marching tune. Another highlight is when a unit wins a battle and cheers. There are small effects when you open menus, create a unit or discover a technology, but otherwise there is not much else in the way of sound.

Plasma Factor

If Civilization Revolution could be commended for anything, it would be for successfully porting the Civilization experience to the handheld system. Every building, unit and civilization is recognizable from previous Civilization titles and formed into an experience that anyone can pick up and understand within a half hour. Newcomer and longtime fans alike can take Civilization along with them wherever they go and still have the familiar experience of the PC classic.

Conclusion

Longtime fans of the Civilization series should enjoy this game for both its portability and its streamlined experience. Fans of strategy games in general should definitely consider this title as well. However, gamers looking for a fast paced experience should try before you buy, as this is a game of patience and planning. Despite that, Civilization Revolution is a game that can be picked up and enjoyed by a wide variety of people and is an excellent addition to anyone’s DS collection.