Civilization Revolution First Look Preview

Sid Meier’s Civilization games have a reputation for anything but humour and tongue-in-cheek wit. Instead they are famed as deep, involving god games with a seriousness and complexity anchored deep in the pursuit of realism.

Which all makes Civilization Revolution a thoroughly pleasant surprise, as it takes the world of Civilization and remixes it into a decidedly easy going pastiche of the original game. From the outset it appears to be what might be best described as ‘CIV Light’, to use some jargon from the snack foods industry.

What strikes you first about Civilization Revolution is the visual flair. Compared to the more traditional instalments in the series, Revolution is bold, bright, and clearly inspired by games that are presented through cartoon imagery and deformed scale. Of course all Civilization games have at the heart of their signature style a huge disproportion between the landscapes and the buildings and characters that inhabit them, meaning Revolution’s exaggerated imbalance of scale could be understood as sly self-referencing.

If this kind of in-joke is commonplace then there should be something there for the diehard Civilization fan to enjoy, as without, the game mechanics demonstrated so far point to a title pitched squarely at those unfamiliar with the intricacies of the genre, which would likely upset most established Civilization players.

The template though, mimics that of the classic Civilization very closely. Starting at the dawn of civilised man’s time on the planet, you must select one of 16 classic empires to command, including the likes of the Romans, the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Mongols. Focussing on combat, research, and ultimately expansion, you must take your tribe all the way to the space race.

At first you must defeat any uncivilised nations that populate your area, before moving on to establish technologies and propagate your culture. Interactions with NPCs and other civilisations are done through a simple conversation system that also allows you to decide who to attack and who to defend.

As always, either diplomacy or warmongering can be used to progress, though of course the fun to be had lies firmly with the latter. So far we’re essentially looking at the basics of any Civilization game, which is of course exactly what this is. The real distinction only really comes in the presentation, and the lightened list of game rules and adjustable factors.

Spying, for example, involves sending forth a covert agent to steal secrets and personnel as is the case in the new Civilization expansion pack, but in Revolution your heavily stereotype-laden detective is accompanied by toy piano tip-toe music and mischievous animation.

The melees too are filled with over-exaggeration and outsized gestures, and become even more ludicrous as you progress, letting you see Roman legions squabble in slapstick fashion with futuristic guards carrying machine guns, again parodying the series’ more nonsensical moments. One point for fans of the series here is that for the first time you won’t see unrealistic mismatches of firepower. Previously you might have noticed the odd occasion when archers were successfully holding off jet fighters, but now that has been changed, which is rather ironic considering Revolution’s general disregard for reality.

There is still some depth to indulge in, from the aforementioned research, which sees you develop everything from the alphabet to space craft, and features like the ability to race to create wonders of the world, which increase you cultural significance and lure people from other societies to your clan.

But still, the overall idea here is that the pace, if not the tone, is similar to a typical first hour of a traditional Civilization game throughout the entirety of a Revolution game. That idea is an enticing one, but just who will buy Revolution is unclear. For hardcore god gamers it may just be a little too basic, and for newcomers it may feel a touch too entrenched in the Civilization world.

Nonetheless it looks incredible fun, and goes someway to revitalising what has become a rather stilted genre. If it truly is smaller and more compact than a typical PC equivalent, it could be a particularly exciting prospect for console owners who feel they have been missing out.