Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution 2 is designed
to give players bite-sized Civ rounds that satisfy those quick-fix
strategy simulation needs while still delivering a meaty, meaningful
experience.
Following in the footsteps of
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution – which launched in 2008 for Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and for iOS the following year —
Civilization Revolution 2
tasks players with colonizing and civilizing their own nation,
conquering other nations as they advance from primitive times through
the industrial era and beyond. Like its predecessor, the game involves
historical figures in players' plights, including Abraham Lincoln,
Gandhi and Napoleon. This time around, however, there are some new faces
for players to conquer or befriend, like John F. Kennedy and Winston
Churchill.
Developer 2K China — original Civ developer Firaxis games is
providing "constant support and input" for the title — is also promising
to release additional map sections and civilization leaders through the
App Store. Players will have the option to purchase these characters
and areas and add them to their game, although doing so is purely
cosmetic.
But
Revolution 2 has been made specifically for iOS, and is
designed as a quick, portable fix for series veterans, as well as an
easy entry point for newcomers. An entire game, from first colonization
all the way up to cultural victory, can be played in just around an
hour.
Perhaps the biggest feature making
Revolution 2 an easy first
title for Civ newbies is its simplified user interface. With a finger
tap, players can pull up their cities, moving settlers and resources.
Within city submenus, players can select what to build and spend money
on from a line of tiles on the right side of the scene. Swiping will
scroll down the list, where players can select from different types of
solders and war machines like catapults, buildings like grain silos and
libraries. Players can also build Natural Wonders — structures like the
Library of Alexandria and the Taj Mahal — which give players cultural
points towards winning the game.
Not only are menus streamlined to show players all the details they
need upfront to make informed decisions, but notifications that pop up
during turns do this as well. In my hands-on time with the game, during
one of my skirmishes fighting against a minor barbarian village, I
succeeded only to have a group of settlers pop up. These settlers I
could then move anywhere with fertile lands and have them build a new
city. Small icons around the settlers and on the side of the screen
quickly indicated to me, through tiny pictures, that I could either move
these settlers along or have them stay where they were and build a new
city. I chose the latter, setting up a brand new region for my people to
produce military works.
The rest of the game will be familiar to Civ players — the cycle of
creating, conquering and controlling the world continues. To better let
players observe what happens,
Revolution 2's world is displayed
in 3D and at a slight angle, rather than straight top-down. This lets
players watch horsemen take down archers on foot, or trace the path of
individual units across various parts of the map. The presentation is
very bright, with loads of color and sound to accompany players'
actions.
While the original
Civilization Revolution hit consoles first,
Revolution 2 associate
producer Adam Plotkin said that there are no plans to launch the title
on consoles or PC at this time. According the Plotkin, the reasoning
behind the mobile-only launch lies with wanting to bring a tailored Civ
experience to the mobile space.
"The success of
Civilization Revolution on iOS was undeniable,
and we wanted to cater to that audience by providing them with an
updated experience that truly takes advantage of the mobile platform's
capabilities," Plotkin said. "Right now, we are only focused on making
Civilization Revolution 2 a successful mobile game."
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution 2 will launch on July 2
for $14.99 and is compatible with iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The title
will be released later for Android devices.
Source: Polygon
