It looks like the demo for Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution has hit the Xbox Live Marketplace. If you are not too busy chopping people's heads off in Ninja Gaiden 2, I think its a no brainer to download this demo and give it a look. My initial impression is that the game is pretty much Civ, although it has been significantly streamlined, as you would expect. Workers can be manually assigned to different tasks, but the emphasis seems to be more on exploration and combat than on micromanaging your cities economy and resources. Its pretty rare that a demo has a much depth as is here, Im not sure how many turns you can play between the start and 1250 AD when the demo ends but Ive already conquered my neighboor and settled a few new cities. Even still with the depth thats here its going to be hard for people to get into it without seeing the endgame. Civ just isnt a game that demos well.
For starters, its slow. Civ has always been slow, even for a strategy game, and although the gameplay is faster here on the 360 its still closer to the something like Catan or Carcassone than anything else on the system. Secondly, the graphics just arent up to what the 360 is capable of. I really dont see why this game couldnt have been a downloadable title for 12-1600 points, because I think for a lot of people $60 is going to be too much for a strategy game they know nothing about and takes quite a while to really get into. So overall I can see this being a tough sell to a console crowd that prefers fast games with high end graphics. This is a title thats all about gameplay, and although Im hopeful that some people on my friends list will get it if they dont already have Civ4, I certainly wont be surprised if they dont.
5 comments:
The demo was pretty wide in scope and for someone used to Catan. I'd maybe prefer it if I could focus on one side. Say, do a co-op where one controls the military and one the production/expansion of cities.
Doing all that at once while competing with other seasoned Civ players feels a bit too much to handle.
Bender, you have to realize the game has an immense learning curve. Its based on Civ4 which is probably the deepest and most complicated video game ever made. Its pretty much a complete simulator for human history, including war, technology, religion and great people. I think I probably played 4-5 complete games of Civ4 before I had ANY clue what was going on beyond a basic understanding. The game has a VERY robust mathematical basis for its gameplay and its pretty much as perfectly balanced as a game can be. Getting over the graphics and the steep learning curve will be difficult for many players but I think someone like you who already enjoys strategy games will eventually come to realize the brilliance in the game. If you dont buy a copy one might just show up at your doorstep.
We should play the demo online together and I could explain some things, and basic strategies for exploring and building up your civ. The game IS RIDICULOUSLY FUN and possibly more addictive than crack once you get over the hump. If there was ever a game thats worht the pain of learning its Civ, especially for someone like you.
Also it supports 2vs2 so YES we can be teammates and I can focus on military and you focus on building a strong economy. You would not have to build a single troop if you dont want to. You can play passively and try to go for a Cultural victory while I defend you against Darth's samuri. Its a pretty standard strategy for multiplayer!
i got Civ 4 on the pc, very tempted to get this one. Will play the demo and see if i get on with it.
I think the business strategy for the game is sound since we are talking about an established 15+ year old franchise. It is a safe bet for the publisher that they will easily make much more money by making this a regular retail console title.
The potential profits will be especially pronounced on the Xbox 360 because they will be able to sell oodles of mini-expansions through Xbox Live.
I can agree that 90% of the people who buy this game within the first 6 months of release will be hardcore Civilization fans. Nonetheless, after that 6 month period I can see this game becoming an Xbox classic title.
I will be playing it like a like an Indian drinks a case of 10 year old when it comes out. Hope to see you in there.
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