JimmyJames70 Says I started playing Real Time Strategy games way back in the day with the likes of Age of Empires on the PC. This was around 1997. Yep, it goes back aways. I took a break from gaming right about the same time and got back into it with the Xbox 360. When Civilization Revolution came out about a year ago there were many articles extolling the virtues of Sid Meier and how he was going to revitalize the RTS genre on the console, which to date, had been subpar and inferior to first-person shooters. I received the game via Goozex and played it till my thumbs felt like they were going to fall off. I really liked the game. My only real complaint was that it was cartoony. And the fact that the world leaders would repeatedly pop up on my screen. Other than that, it is a mighty fine game as it was easy to learn and was graphically pleasing. But then I kind of mastered the game and it became repetitive. And a little boring. And the cool moments of creating certain wonders or blasting into space lost its shine after building them for the umpteenth time. I moved on fairly quickly after thinking this game would be in my collection for awhile.
Then Halo Wars was released in March. This game was a no-brainer for me to at least try since I have a history of really liking RTS games. It almost goes without saying that I’ve been playing this one almost non-stop since the end of May. The campaign was pretty cool. Although, I don’t really like being timed in how quickly I complete a mission. I like to take my time, strategize, and then unleash unholy hell upon my enemies. The campaign really doesn’t reward you for planning, instead, it rewards you for fast action. Whatever. I’m not complaining, I’m just sayin… The campaign does feature some pretty amazing cut scenes, which could easily become a full length motion picture some day.After I’ve completed the campaign and played a few MP matches, that would spell the end of a game for me. Not so with Halo Wars. The Skirmishes are proving very entertaining. The AI becomes increasingly difficult the better you get with the game, which forces me to keep getting better. The maps are freaking awesome, and new maps were recently made available. This is definitely keeping me playing.
For me, Civ Rev lost its appeal quickly, was not supported by new DLC, and turned out to be a bit cartoony and gimmicky; Halo Wars has realistic detail, a challenging AI, new DLC, and gameplay that keeps me coming back for more.
Halo Wars is still worth 1000 points even though it’s a six-month old game. Civ Rev has already dropped to 500 points, although in it’s defense it was released over a year ago. I recommend checking both games out, just don’t be surprised if you like Halo Wars better.
Stumble On The Goozex Report!
3 comments:
Civ Rev is really a lot of fun. I've left it behind but still have it to play every once in a while. I dind't think Firaxis could pull off moving Civ to the console but they did so brilliantly.
I like the cartoony look Civilization Revolution and the character animation. The game has a fun feel to it and the characters and world are more alive. I agree though that the game doesn't stand up well over time.
Some things, like the diplomacy options, were simplified too much. I found it especially frustrating that the computer players would continually make demands of me in return for leaving me in peace a few more turns but I couldn't do the same.
The statistics being mixed in with the game credits at the end of a round was also a particularly bad idea. If you have ever tried to watch the end credits/statistics you know how frustratingly slow they are. The frame rate is also bad in the credits making them even harder to watch. It's fun to look at some statistics at the end to see how you did and maybe get a more objective idea of where you can improve. Civilization Revolution took all the fun out of finishing a game, win or lose.
I enjoyed the game for what it was but between the repetitive gameplay and an incredibly disappointing ending to every game I ended up trading even though I wanted it to be a game I would keep. I hope they come out with another console version that fixes some of the shortcomings of Revolution because it really was a fun game while it lasted and could be so much better then it is. I enjoyed playing something a little lighter and faster paced than the computer version, but Civilization Revolution was maybe just a little too light.
Excellent comment, Thomas. I agree with your points. I'm looking forward to a Civ Rev sequel, which I'm sure Sid will make. Let's hope it doesn't take too long to release! Maybe next year or or two? Who knows?
Post a Comment