Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (2K Games)

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution may just very well be the smartest video game ever created!

An intelligent translation of on one of the best PC gaming franchises of all time, Civilization Revolution certainly has the pedigree necessary to succeed. Developed by Firaxis and the legendary game designer, Sid Meier, Civilization Revolutions delivers on its promise of an epic gaming experience with engaging strategic turn-based gameplay that does not feel overly complicated or slow-moving. Gamers who loved titles like Advance Wars should pay attention: this one's for you.

Say You Want A Revolution

CivRev, as it's been nicknamed, begins with you choosing a powerful historical culture to guide through the course of time-these include the Mongols, the Americans, the British, the French, and so forth. Once you've chosen your tribe, you're placed on a randomly generated map on which you establish your fledgling nation-state. From there, you'll grow your civilisation by establishing new cities, expanding your territories and interacting with other rulers. You make macro-level decisions regarding what each of your city manufactures, what actions your military units take, what kinds of technologies your scientists research, and what diplomatic stance you'll take towards your neighbours.

This is highly enjoyable and creates some fantastically tense moments. Do you build another military unit or start construction on that city improvement? Do you declare war on your neighbour or offer them gold to become an ally? Juggling your society's many needs can be harrowing but ultimately fulfilling. And, as any PC gamer worth his salt can attest, Civilization is revered for being powerfully addictive. This console translation has the same one-more-turn quality but the designers have shortened the length by compacting the size of the game world and simplifying a number of the game's concepts. Start to finish, a complete round of CivRev will take you about six hours to play through.

Small Wonder

That's relatively short in terms of games but it's a dense and entertaining period of time. And if CivRev sounds daunting, that's because it is but know that the developers have done a masterful job of designing a slick interface that is immediately accessible. Moving units and choosing buildings to construct is extremely easy, so much so that even the most strategy-averse gamers will find themselves extremely familiar with the controls and rules and progression of each turn.

Unfortunately, one of Civilization's biggest shortcomings is that it fails to embrace the promise of truly open-ended strategy and decision-making. Open warfare is too convenient an option, no doubt a by-product of the game world's small size and an overly aggressive artificial intelligence that continuously threatens and attempts to extort the player. This really cut into the flexibility that the game seemed to promise.

And yet, CivRev still manages to provide an unparalleled gaming experience that is deep and satisfying. Cerebral gamers and those with world-conquering ambitions should definitely give this one a try. You'll find yourself pleasantly surprised — just make sure you don't have work or school in the morning because chances are, you're going to be in for a few sleepless nights.