Review of Civilization: Revolution for the PS3 - Game On, Let's Rock!

First I will start off by saying I have never in my life played a PC based Civilizations game before. I am new to the Civilization market, still though this game has managed to turn me into a loyal fan in less than 48 hours.

Civilization Revolution for the PS3 is one of the newest games recently released for the console. I knew about the games release a few months in advance, and to be honest it was the only game that seemed to interest me enough to buy. The games wicked cool cover and online early released photos told me that the game would be kick ass.

Anyhow, without knowing what I was getting myself into, I popped the disc into my console, and got ready for whatever the game threw my way.

Immediately I was lost. I choose a 1 player game. Next I was asked to choose a civilization...how freaking cool! I rummaged through the list of choose-able characters. Do I revive the old Abraham Lincoln? Or battle other civilizations using the Egyptians? Do I create a giant world of peace, wonders and admiration using Alexander the Great? Or do I take over with Julius Cesar?

The choice was mine, out of the 16 Civilizations I choose to do battle using Cleopatra as my leader for my Egyptian Civilization. I could have also choose to lead with Queen Elizabeth I (England), Abraham Lincoln (American's), Tokugawa (Japan), Moctezuma II (Aztecs), Mao Zedong (China), Catherine II (Russia), Shaka (Zulu), Alexander The Great (Greece), Gandhi (India), Napoleon (France), Saldin (Arabia), Otto Von Bismarck (Germany), Isabella of Castille (Spain), or Genghis Khan (Mongolia).

All of the characters are done up in a cartoon type of way, but even though the PS3 is capable of much better graphics, Civilization Revolutions characters are still charming, likable, and pretty dang realistic looking...in that cartoonish kind of way.

Next I am thrown a plot of land which is marked out by the yellow colored borders that are very easy to see. Basically if it is your civilizations color...it is your land.

Now I will be honest, I've never been one to jump into tutorial mini games, and Civilization Revolution was no exception. I simply started playing a real game, with absolutely no knowledge on what the hell was going on. I see I have a city, and there are a few soldiers there waiting.

I move them around, but they only move one space. Like Monopoly (which so many like referring this game to) your men whether they be an army of men, a cannon, a tank, horsemen, or knights all move a space at a time.

Once I got a good hang of the game, I realize that I can take victory of all of the lands by either battling them and nuking the hell out of them, or by creating a great culture where 20 great people (Leonardo Davinci, Einstein etc) settle in my city. I can also cream my competition by creating the best economics system, or the greatest technological culture.

I figured I'd win by force. I wanted war.

Anyhow the more I build my city, and the larger my army gets I realize that other cultures such as the India, and the Americans are constantly threatening me, of course I let them know threats don't scare me, and immediately they want war.

It's on!!!

For the next hour my time was spent building an awesome army filled with tanks, submarines, rifle men, warriors, horseman, archers, and more to defend my city from becoming overrun by enemy civilizations.

3 hours in and I'm doing pretty damn good. I'm creaming the Americans, I wiped out all of India, and now the freaking Germans are attacking! AHHH!!!!

Just as I managed to move all of my army to my enemy's city, the game tells me I have only 5 moves left!!!
This is by far my first issue with the game! It ends way too quickly! Even playing an online game one would imagine that this stupid NO MORE SPACES TO MOVE thing would not be included online, and that you would be free to cream out the competition players. Not the case! After the 5 turns are up, the computer tallies up who did best, and they win a victory that way.

I was just getting into it, just managing to build army bomber planes, artilleries, and massive amounts of ninja tanks... and now this! At any rate though, even though my game ended, and I won, I figured I was skilled enough to go online and battle it out with other players.

Multi-player:
 
There are quite a few modes in multi-player. One where you can create a LAN Party with other friends, one where the game will match you up with other players in your rank, you can make a custom game, you can play a game of the week where the person with the best score will be seen by all other players.

You can free for all, and battle with other player, or combine your skills with another player to wipe out competition civilizations.

All in all the massive excitement comes from online game play. That's not saying the game alone sucks, because it does not. Multilayer mode though is what really brings this game to life, and makes it all the more addicting.

My first online game I decided to try and make myself a name by landing a top spot on the RANKINGS chart by playing The Game Of The Week (it does change weekly).

The game was tough, but I managed to land in spot 7. I wonder if I will remain there next time I check the ranks?
 
For some of the online multi-player games you will need a bluetooth headset to play. Many forums and online documents claim you can use a mobile phones bluetooth wireless headset to work as a headset on the PS3. Not sure if that is true or not. I use Logitech.

-Second issues with Civilization Revolution is the fact that your brother, sister, boyfriend, girlfriend, or friend cannot just pick up a second available controller and battle with you. This is a major GOD DAMMIT issue that many players of the game are moaning about in forums. I however couldn't agree more. I would have loved if the game would of allowed a split screen form of going to war with my boyfriend. Unfortunately that is not going to happen, so now we fight for the controller to play, which is bull----.
 
Why this little feature was not added is beyond me! They need to seriously re-think that if they plan on releasing another Civilization title.

Campaigns:
 
Campaign's in the game are set up for you to choose scenarios that you will have to play. Some scenarios include building a culture using technology, some want full out war. Basically it is a step by step scenario list of all things that you can bring to life in online games and Single player games. It basically allows you to explore all of the games options, besides mass destruction.

Re-Play Value:
 
The re-play value is so high it is ridiculous! You can pick this game up and go at war with computer generated players, or real human players online. Since getting the game I have not stopped (well except for work, food, this review and sleep). The game is truly addicting, you will be dreaming about strategy, war, and advancement.

You will find yourself coming back for more day after day, and truly I do not see myself growing bored of this one any time soon. Even with the fact that moves do run out, as you get deeper into game play, you will see that you have more than enough moves to achieve ultimate victory! Yeeeaaaa!

Graphics:
 
The graphics are colorful and done up in a cartoon way. For some that is a total drag, but for others it makes the game all the more charming. Colors are plenty. Rich, vibrant, and players although they lack detailed faces and bodies, are easy to distinguish who they are.

Sounds:
 
Sounds in the game are pretty dang realistic. Rifle men's guns blast of shots that sound real, my tanks blow things up that make very cool explosive sounds, ships and submarines also move around the land using realistic sounds. Overall I'm happy with the sounds of my army and my people. I am not however thrilled with the fact that important culture leaders speak jibberish, and you are forced to read the text.

Not such a big deal, and you won't even notice it as the game goes on. It is though something worth pointing out.

Overall:
 
Civilization Revolution is by far one of my favorite titles on the Playstation 3. Who wouldn't want to run around blowing stuff up? Building prosperous city's, and having other civilizations run when you come near?

It is a game of strategy and power, and it is so damn fun. I recommend this game to everyone and anyone who loves games where it features you as this sort of godlike image in the game.

You make the commands... will you lead your culture to victory, or will they sink on their puny submarines?