Sid Meier has been the driving force behind a number of games since 1982, many of which have garnered themselves something of a cult status. None stand out more for their popularity though than the turn-based strategy series Civilization. Debuting with the self-titled PC release in 1991, the series has seen 4 major instalments with a host of expansions and spin-offs. Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution was first released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3, XBox 360 and Nintendo DS before eventually hitting the App Store for iOS. As can be expected, the iPhone version shares much in common with the Nintendo DS release in that it still retains the vast majority of game-play mechanics whilst cutting back on the graphics. Do not think, however, that because so many comparisons can be drawn up between the app and the DS iteration that this is nothing more than a clumsy port. No, this is more an occasionally clumsy game that has been redesigned to fit around the iPhone; an oft cluttered screen and temperamental controls mar what had the potential to be a truly great title.

As has been the case throughout the series, you take up the mantle of one of history’s great leaders and take your civilization from the dawn of man into the Space Age and beyond. The player can choose from one of 16 civilizations represented by perhaps their greatest historical figures, including Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Elizabeth I and Abraham Lincoln, and each civilization receives its own unique bonuses and units. Within the game you compete alongside four other opposing nations, building up food, gold, science and production resources in order to create military units, cities and Wonders in a race to become the first to achieve one of the games four victory conditions; Domination, Economical, Technological and Cultural. The ability to research new technologies will open up new doors to you; unlocking new units, buildings and even government types, and of course you can always choose to take the diplomatic route with your competitors if you don’t believe war is the answer. Do not put too much faith in diplomacy however, as the closer you are to achieving one of the victory conditions the more likely it is that someone will declare war on you. The game will begin in the year 4000 BC, where each turn represents 100 years, but as you progress through the ages that rate drops until each turn consists of 2 years towards your year 2100 deadline. If no one has achieved one of the four conditions for victory by the end of the year 2100, whoever is the frontrunner in the Domination victory stakes will be declared champion.

Unfortunately, Civilization Revolution’s shortcomings may well put a lot of players off. The game screen can become very cluttered, especially once you have begun to truly develop your civilization. The various menu overlays will often hide some of your units, cities or resources or, even worse, those of your enemies, creating the potential mistake of underestimating the close proximity of a threat. The map is divided into an invisible grid, and within each square only one city or resource can be situated. A theoretically unlimited number of units can be stationed within one square however, and in an effort to cut down on icon crowding only one unit will be visible—usually the last one to be moved to that location, or the strongest. This concept in itself however presents its own issues; at times the game’s controls can be very fiddly, especially when it comes to selecting one particular unit amongst the several who occupy the same space. Whilst there is a system to enable you to choose the correct unit, selecting the unit visible will bring up a small list of all units present and this is just too small a column to work with; it will usually take two or three attempts at identifying the correct unit, let alone selecting it. Add to this controls that sometimes take a couple of presses to register and it will leave many first-time players frustrated. It is fortunate that the game is turn-based and not a real-time strategy title, as these issues would make the game unplayable if it were. However, as it stands, these issues just become more of an inconvenience.

If you are willing to tolerate the sometimes crowded screen and iffy controls though, there is a great game to be enjoyed here. The graphics have been simplified from the console release, but not so much that the game suffers as a result. The range of units, buildings and wonders to construct, along with the competence of the AI ensures that any play-through, regardless of your choice of civilization or game plan, will be fully engrossing and no two periods of gaming will be alike. The four different end goals and various unique civilization bonuses enables a five-way tussle where not all competitors are working towards the same outcome; whilst you may be content with defending your borders and working towards space travel for a Technological victory, you never know when an enemy leader may decide that your nation’s capital is their next stepping stone to Domination. We also found the ability to pay off enemies and barter for peace treaties with gold or researched technology a great element too, as well as being able to bribe one leader to declare war on another. Another element which adds to the unpredictability of the gaming experience is the different villages dotted around the maps; some belonging to Barbarians who are there purely to disrupt your civilizations progress by getting in the way and attacking passing units or nearby towns, others belonging to friendly natives who may choose to aid you with money, resources or even decide to join your civilization. If the concept of four different victory conditions with 16 different nations still didn’t give the game enough longevity either, there is a great Scenario Mode. Here there are 10 different games to choose from where new rules will be added or existing ones altered, such as the Domination-only victory condition in Apocalypse! or Beta Centauri, where all civilizations begin with every technology already researched. Even players who want to finish a play-through and take over the world as quickly as possible are catered for, with the Lightning Round scenario wherein the whole pace of the game is quickened, including a later start date, speedier technological research and lower victory conditions.

With all things considered Civilization Revolution really is a good game, so long as you can look past its few flaws; we often found that we were so engrossed in the game and building up our civilization that an hour had slipped by unnoticed. A final, neat little touch with the game that whilst won’t make a bad game great does prove a lot of thought has gone into it, is that if you start a game whilst playing your own music you will be presented with a menu that allows you to choose to have just your own music playing, your music and the sound effects from the game, or the in-game music and sound effects. It’s just a shame the same level of thought hasn’t gone into every aspect of the experience. Fans of this series or genre will be able to derive plenty of enjoyment from the game, but those with little patience may do well to leave it be. We really feel that if the crowded screens and temperamental controls were rectified in a future update this would be a serious contender for best game in the App Store. As it is however, all we can say is good, but could do better.

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