Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution

 DS
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 28
  3. Negative: 3 out of 28
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  1. DJT
    Jul 12, 2008
    10
    It's not the flashy computer version we all know and love - but at the heart, it's portable civ at it's finest. It's quick, it's addictive, and it's great fun! Those of you who've never played the franchise - it's Advance wars with city building/resource management. It's a lot of substance and the wifi and multiplayer options are great. ENDLESS REPLAY.
  2. GregoryS.
    Jul 14, 2008
    10
    Nice version of Civ for on the go.
  3. Stickguy
    Jul 14, 2008
    9
    This is an excellent Nintendo DS game. It plays exactly how you would imagine a civilization game for the DS to play. The graphics are simple (as they should be) and the gameplay is simple as well.
  4. Vapor
    Nov 4, 2010
    10
    If you are a strategy fan, the Civ Revolution is a must have. I find myself coming back to play this game more often than any of my other games. Even though it has been simplified compared to the PC versions, it is just as much fun!
  5. HellBringer
    Jan 31, 2011
    10
    Man, finally! A strategy game where I don't have to kill everything in order to win! THANK-YOU SID MEIER! Anyways, brilliant game, with excellent AI, and great game modes as well. Not the best game I've ever played (that would be CTR) but certainly the one that I've been most addicted to.
  6. AlexFili
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    On the Nintendo DS, there are several turn-based strategy games, but few offer as much complexity and randomness as Civilization Revolution. In Civilization, you play as a nation and then must expand your territory and explore new lands. Along the way you make alliances and treaties with the other nations you encounter.

    One fantastic reason why this game is so much fun is that each game    On the Nintendo DS, there are several turn-based strategy games, but few offer as much complexity and randomness as Civilization Revolution. In Civilization, you play as a nation and then must expand your territory and explore new lands. Along the way you make alliances and treaties with the other nations you encounter.

    One fantastic reason why this game is so much fun is that each game is randomised so you never know which nations you’ll encounter. This keeps the excitement going as you have no idea what kinds of opponents you will face. The maps are also random, with some being a giant continent but other maps being several small islands.

    While each nation starts out equal in terms of basic resources, different nations have access to different bonuses. For example, as the Romans you get half price roads and as the Zulu nation you get stronger warrior units at the start.

    All of these bonuses are fairly small but there are other bonuses later on which change the game in more substantial ways. There are also different choices of religion for the nation, for example with Democracy you cannot start a war but your nation gets a food and science bonus.

    When you’ve uncovered all the map and you research more technology, the AI becomes more aggressive and will sometimes attempt to start wars with you. At this point in the game things get pretty complex and intense with cities getting captured left and right, as well as constant negotiations for peace or the AI demanding knowledge to call a cease fire. These constant talks are an annoyance and they cannot be turned off. It’s a shame such a great system has no way of stopping the AI from bombarding you with blackmail attempts.

    Regardless, it’s an enjoyable game with tons of units, a lot of strategy and many different ways to win.    … Expand
  7. kosterix
    Mar 23, 2021
    8
    Since I played this according to my 3dsxl over 120 hours, I guess it's a good game. I made a little booklet for it, to denote my high scores. I won on the easiest diffi settings with every civ; but on King I only managed one or two races.
    The problem is that it doesn't retain high scores however, which is a very sore miss, hence the aforementioned need to write down your own highscores.    Since I played this according to my 3dsxl over 120 hours, I guess it's a good game. I made a little booklet for it, to denote my high scores. I won on the easiest diffi settings with every civ; but on King I only managed one or two races.
    The problem is that it doesn't retain high scores however, which is a very sore miss, hence the aforementioned need to write down your own highscores.
    Each civ race/diff has 4 win conditions, but 3 come down to the same actually, when you are dominant you can create either a cult or mil or tech victory without any problem. I never had to race any other civ to alpha centauri, should be fun.

    A few minor gripes:
    (-) you can't play Earth. World is random every time. Even civ 1 had this option.
    (-) you can't select land size. Even civ 1 had this option.
    (-) no hi scores. Even civ 1 had this option.
    (-) There was a Game of the week, but Nintendo bastards closed it down; it was fun back then.
    (-) on lower settings the best way to win is via tank armies, works every single time.
    (-) you can't queue build programs.
    Still, this version is far superior to the unwieldy x360/ps3 crap versions, where you can't see the tank from the forest.

    And if you find errors after 1900 like cannot attack, well you played a cracked version, this game has not been cracked, nor will it be, so get a legit copy.    … Expand
  8. mbch
    Jan 14, 2020
    10
    Game is good, but graphics be ugly. i am love the civilization: revolution.
  9. VincentValen
    Jun 23, 2023
    8
    This game was amazing for it's time. I even found myself playing it again many years later so I decided to leave this review. You can get this game on the cheap, it's worth it. I put many hours into this game. Highly recommend

Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best DS Game of 2008
24
#24 Most Discussed DS Game of 2008
7
#7 Most Shared DS Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Nintendo Power
    75
    If you're a fan of the genre, there are few better ways to get your fix on the go. [Aug 2008, p.89]
  2. GameZone
    75
    Revolution capitalizes on the DS’s strengths with some great stylus-based controls. Unfortunately, there are some problems, as the gameplay feels a bit scaled down and the maps feel pretty cramped.
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  3. Game Informer
    85
    This title’s greatest accomplishment is simply in delivering the full Civilization Revolution experience on Nintendo’s handheld.
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