Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (Xbox 360, 2008)

In short, Sid has taken what was a terrific and unique game, full of depth and hours of gameplay. And has turned it into exactly what my rating has become. AVERAGE. The maps are small, the gameplay is rather easy and the depth is not there. There is a rather uninteresting tech tree you follow, no more clever videos of your technological achievements, and the sim like characters are annoying. Battles are boring, and the units the game offer are just tired.Rarely do you need to get very far in the tech tree as the enemy is always just weak, online gameplay is hard to find. And more often than not you get some panzer tanks and roll the pikemen or rock throwing enemy as they simply cannot keep the pace. The diplomacy is boring and the strategy is just nonexistant. Good buy for a non gamer or a casual gamer who hasn't the taste for a true strategy. If you liked the past civ games, save the cash and wait for a new one.

After playing the demo and found it highly enjoyable, with good controls for a console strategy game, I decided to buy the full version. There are some pros and cons to this game.

The pros are that the games are relatively short, the graphics are quite beautiful for this type of game, and there are 4 ways to win with 5 levels of difficulties, many civilizations to choose from, and of course, quite fun.

The cons are that there is no multiplayer over the same console (which is a shame, since it's a turn-based game, so it really is something that could have been implemented), and the tech trees are too narrow (no matter which 4 choices you choose to try to win the game, you pretty much need to research 90% of the tree, which makes focusing on one a bit harder).

Having played Civilizations II and Alpha Centauri (games by Sid Meier for the PC), I'm not too new to the Civilization games, although I'll admit I'm not an avid fan of the PC versions of Civilizations.

If you are a big fan of the previous Civilization games and love the amount of detail and the 24+ hour per game, you might not like how little depth this game has compared to the PC versions. But if you like the previous games and just find them to take too much time, you will love this game.

I've been playing video games since before Atari's Pong hit the mass market. I've always felt that real time strategy games were the most fun even after I bought an Xbox 360 and was introduced to first person shooters.

That said, I never had the pleasure of playing Civilization until now. (Although I had played the board game a few times many years ago.) This game is excellent! This should not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the computer versions.

Each time you play, you're faced with a variety of challenges. Which path will you take to advance your civilization to the pinnacle? The game is deep and filled with endless strategies to advance. This version cuts down on the time it takes to complete a game. Assuming you're doing everything the "right" way, a game could be finished in about 3 hours. But once you're done, you feel like jumping right back in to try something new.

I can't say enough about how much fun Civilization is and everyone should give it a try.

If you enjoy learning history, dabbling in anthropology, and connecting with historical figures, this is your game! Being an avid Sid Meier games fan especially on the PC, I did not hesitate to get this one the moment it was released.
If you have played any Sid Meier games on the PC you are somewhat familiar with the extreme detail and mild learning curve for his games. Unlike the PC version of this game, this one is somewhat watered-down. It has less intricate details and strategy, but better graphics, animations, and ease of gameplay. I assume the makers of the game were trying to focus on a slightly different clientele that the usual PC strategy game.
Civilization Revolution pits historical figures against each other in winner-takes-all battle of civilizations. Empire building and manifest destiny are the name of the game. The fun is in the fast paced action and strategy that comes when you begin to dominate and defeat your opponents. The great thing about this game is that you do get some mini-history lessone while playing, and it's till fun!
If you want to take Napoleon, Queen Victoria, or Shaka Zulu all the way around the world, then you will love this game. Be sure to check it out on the PC if you want a little more challenge and detail. This is a great game for all and will keep you playing for many occasions.

I'm a Civilization veteran. Ever since Sid Meier's original game I have loved this strategic, involving, rewarding game premise and have played every version bar Civ 4 on the PC.
I played the demo for the Xbox 360 and was less than impressed - Sims-like world leaders who spoke gobbledygook, cartoony graphics...but this is a game that can never be judged by a twenty minute demo.
The mechanics of the game may be stripped down from the PC versions, but the gameplay is very tight and quick; smaller maps, quicker progression of scientific development make for speedier gameplay, but the consequences of your actions are that much more pronounced. You might not be able to tune your civilization's budget to 2 decimal places but you can still control everything to some degree.

The game is compelling, involving and, dare I say it, addictive. If you like strategy games, buy it. If you liked older Civs, get it - you'll be surprised at how it still has everything you love to offer.

The only thing that lets it down in my view is the music - in-game it's fine, but the main screen classical strings theme is grating and sounds like an old midi file!

Overall, I'd give it a 9 out of 10.