The strategy video game genre isn’t the easiest to get into. While newcomers can just pick up and play a first-person shooter or third-person action game, and even most sports titles have been designed with accessibility in mind, the strategy genre isn’t quite as forgiving to new players. Even some ofthe best strategy games, like theCivilizationfranchise, still put off new players with their intricate, interwoven systems and mechanics. But that’s whereCivilization Revolutioncame in.
Released all the way back in 2008,Civilization Revolutionwas the first big console debut for the franchise, and it struck the perfect balance between accessibility and maintaining the essence of theCivilizationseries. And withCivilization 7now on the horizon, it’s the perfect time for a newCivilization Revolutiongame to come out and ease new players into the series.
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A New Civilization Revolution Would Help Introduce New Fans to the Franchise
Just a few weeks ago, Firaxis confirmed that it’s started development onCivilization 7, and if it follows the trajectory of the series, then fans can be sure to expect even more complex mechanics and systems. While fans are surely looking forward to diving head-first into these probable improvements, the continued complexity of these systems only serves to make newcomers a little too intimidated to try it out.Civilizationcertainly isn’tthe most complex strategy series, but its interwoven systems of economics, military, culture, pantheons, politics, and resource management is enough to confuse even the most avid gamer.
That’s whereCivilization Revolutionrears its head. Designed to be a more streamlined and accessible iteration of the franchise but one that still retains the same feel and high level of strategy,Civilization Revolutionabsolutely nails its mission statement.Civilization Revolutionisn’t a stripped-back version of the main series, but more of a concentrated dosage. Players can still choose from a vast selection of world leaders and nations, each with their own unique abilities tied to eras. There are still plenty of units, buildings, and Wonders, and the map sizes are still fairly large. But every element has been simplified to near perfection.
Long-time fans ofCivilizationwill notice some immediate differences between the mainline entries andCiv Rev. For a start, buildings no longer need to be built on surrounding city tiles, instead, they’re just built inside the city itself, freeing the map up for more units.Civ Revdoesn’t feature any City States either, with every city belonging to a player. Religion and pantheons have also been taken out, and trading with world leaders is fairly barebones. But by removing all the fat,Civilization Revolutionmanages to deliver a refined and accessible strategy game experience, one which focuses on the core aspects that maketheCivilizationseriesso beloved in the first place.
By removing all the complex additional mechanics and systems,Civilization Revolutiongets to focus on the series' main form of gameplay: its several types of victory conditions. InCivilization Revolution, players can win either through a technological, economical, cultural, or military victory. While the most recent entries in the series have added a few new victory conditions,Civ Revkeeps things simple, introducing the core concepts of the wider franchise while keeping everything accessible and easy to learn. BeforeCivilization 7releases, it would be a smart move to release anotherCivilization Revolution, as this would be a great way to introduce new fans to the series and prepare them for a fully-fledgedCivilizationgame.
Civilization Revolutionis available on PS3 and Xbox 360.
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