Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution

Grab yourself a turkey leg, some yams, a slice of pie, and a bottle of 'shine.  It's time again for Sparky's Update, brought to you this week by Weird Al Yankovic!  Remember, folks, this holiday season, just eat it! 
 
This week, I'm examining three superb games - Civilization Revolution, Forza 3, and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.  I'll also give my thoughts on the movies The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard and Zombieland.  Time to undo that extra notch on your belt, kids, because you're about to be fed some delicious morsels even before Thanksgiving hits. 
 
Everybody Wants to Rule the World

When you talk names in games, Sid Meier's name is one of my most respected, right there with Al Lowe, Will Wright, and Ken and Roberta Williams.  If any of these folks' name is on a game's box, I'm immediately intrigued.  Sid Meier's Pirates was, is, and will probably always be one of my favorite games of all time, and I can safely say that I can add Civilization Revolution right next to its name. 
 
This is not the first time I've visited this rodeo.  I played through a session of Civ Rev at my brother's house when it first came out, but never had enough freedom to really explore the innate charm and quality of the game.  This time around, I'm hooked.  The varying difficulty levels feel just right, the gameplay is smooth as silk, and it's immensely easy to pick up and play, yet hard to master on its higher difficulty levels.  Definitely not impossible, but a struggle, which is about how I like my difficulty. 
 
The graphics are charming as all hell, and the Sim-like speak of the advisors and various characters is amusing, if a bit overplayed by your fifth or sixth game.  There is a fair bit of DLC for Civ Rev.  The prices vary from, "Hey, that's a steal," to "Really?  They're charging that much for a few items and buildings?"  If a good sale comes along, I'll pick up the last few items, but until then, I've satisfied myself with some new maps and freebies. 
 
And now I really want to pick up the complete Civ 4 package.  Hah! 
 
I Vant to Suck Your Blood... and Your Time!

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is a fine Metroid-vania.  I have really only just scratched the surface, but I'm enjoying the characters, the settings, and the gameplay.  It's classic Metroid-style gameplay, with a tinge of RPG elements.  It can be frustratingly difficult at times (getting through the levels is often way harder than the mini-bosses), though the leveling system and the relatively frequent save points keep me from abandoning this one to the depths. 
 
One thing I'm enjoying is the visuals and the sound.  Both match the setting and the environments perfectly.  The backgrounds are stunningly well-drawn at times, the bosses creative, and the character portraits are the right blend between cartoony and realistic.  It looks like an adult-themed anime of sorts, which works well in this case.   The music is pretty darned good and unobtrusive, and I'm enjoying the varied sound effects. 
 
I'll let you all know more of my thoughts when I get a bit deeper into this one. 
 
The Best Damn Racing Game I've Played That Doesn't Rhyme with Shario Mart!

Forza 3 is without a doubt the best racing sim I've had the joy of playing, and do you know how I know that?  I actually want to play, as opposed to just sit around, let the hired drivers do the work, and collect cars.  Forza 3 has made racing accessible even to a legally blind man like myself.  Between the auto-brake system, the varying levels of difficulty, the "rewind" button, and the many adjustable options for difficulty settings, Forza 3 is as good as it gets for a guy who can't get behind the wheel himself. 
 
I say that only half-jokingly, but here it is.  Forza 3 allows me to enjoy driving.  That's as high of a recommendation as I can ever give a game, and it just about brings me to tears saying it.  It's been seven long and frustrating years since my eyesight forced me to stop driving, and it's games like this one that allow me a small taste of what that joy once was.  That's the highest bit of praise I have ever given a game. 
 
Forza 3 does many other things right too.  The season mode play is a riot, there are lots more online shopping options (love being able to buy some vinyls from other gamers), and the cars look and feel fantastic.  I love the way a Challenger will roast its tires for a few seconds, almost slipping sideways, and then roar forward as it gains traction.  It's a brilliantly designed game on every level. 
 
I have only two complaints.  One, the text size is tiny.  Two, it just doesn't feel like there are as many cars as there should be.  I want to see more years and models of classic muscle cars, old show cars, and more modern racers.  I think the introduction of cars from the 50's and 40's would be an awesome thing - even if they aren't exactly made for racing, these cars would still be a hell of a lot of fun to customize or use in a Classics showdown series. 
 
My Name si Sparky, and I've Got the Goods.

I love The Goods.  It's a movie that feels like it was made for me and my shotgun-style sense of humor.  The cast is brilliant, the jokes mostly hilarious, and the continual one-two punch of the timing is awesome.  It's not necessarily a well-composed movie, but it's not really supposed to be.  It's pretty much a long series of jokes, weaving in and out of each other, and it really works for me. 
 
Saw Zombieland this weekend, too, and it stands alongside the likes of Shaun of the Dead.  This is an amazing bit of film-making, where everything seems to come together in just the right way.  There are the usual faults of a zombie movie - some of the characters make some insanely dumb decisions - but overall, it's one hell of a ride. 
 
Giving Thanks, Sparky-Style, and Your Question of the Week

 Gaming-wise, this year, I have a ton to be grateful for.  We've seen the release of the aforementioned Forza 3, Borderlands, Left 4 Dead 2, Tiger Woods 10, and so many other games.  It's hard to keep track of them all at this point, so look for a special list sometime closer to Christmas.  I'm thankful for the brilliant advertising of Borderlands, and that the game's release saw it become one of the best games of this year.  I'm grateful for the chainsaw in Left 4 Dead 2, which makes me feel like a super badass.  I'm grateful for Fallout 3 content, which has provided me with dozens of hours more gameplay.  I'm grateful to discover the joy of older games like Ratchet and Clank Future, Civilization Rev, and Rock Band. 
 
It's an amazing time to be a gamer, and for that, I'm most grateful.  May this next year see as many quality moments as this last.  So my question of the week is simple - what are you thankful for this year? 
 
May you and yours have a fantastic Thanksgiving.  May you know happiness and joy throughout this coming year, and may your gaming bliss be multiplied.  Have a great holiday, folks!

I finallt got the full 200 points form SC. I've played that game for probebly 20h. The game is pretty amazing since you can go back and play the game several times whitout tiering of it. If you haven't checked the game out yet, I recommend you doing so. Its well worth the price.
 
Aside from SC, I have been playing Civ Rev alot. I got it last week for around $25. Revolution is the first Civilisation game I've ever played so I started on the easyest and won really easely. So as one does, I played my next game on Kind diffeculty and in short I got my ass handed to me in a serious way. I was defending my citys whit archers when the others were bombing the shit out of them whit bombers and tanks. Civ Rev is also a game I would recommend for everyone that likes strategy even a little to try out. Its supper addictive.
 
Well, as you guys might have heard, Batman Arkham Asylum came out today here in europe and I'm planing on picking it up tomorrow after work. I have heard noting but good things about the game except that shit Ryan was spouting in the QL, but he hadn't played the game yet so I dismiss that. Its gotten really high scores on reviews. I was really surpriced when I read that it got a 9/10 from a swedish gameing magazine that I read frecvently and ofthen agree whit the scores they give out.
I have been pumped for AA a long time now since I'm a huge Batman fan so this game will probebly hold me of untill NHL 10 and Halo 3:ODST come out.
 
Shit, I checked out what comes out this year and even though alot of games have been pushed back I still have theres still somewhere around 8-10 games that I want this year. Damn... looks like it nudless for x-mas this year again.

I started playing Civilization sometime in the 90's.  I received my first copy for a birthday, but our computer at home couldn't play it.  I had to drive to my Mom's office to play on her computer there.  I kept telling myself "just one more turn" and before I knew it dawn was arriving as my first game drew to a close.  I've played most of the subsequent titles, including the Call to Power versions from Activision.  Recently I've been playing the Xbox 360 version and had a few thoughts to share.

I played the demo quite some time ago and it put me off.  I was so used to the PC controls and management options that the 360 version seemed foreign and inferior to me.  No map customization?  No penalty for more cities?  Limited worker options? Bah!

For some reason those concerns disappeared as the price dropped below $40 and I'm happy I picked this game up.  The controls take some getting used to and it still feels a little slow, but those are minor compared to the overall package.  The management options are simple, but it's almost because of that simplicity that the game is so enjoyable.  I don't have to worry about how many cities I have (other than making sure they're defended) or how far they are from my capital (other than making sure I can get troops to them when needed).  I'm not constantly telling my workers what they need to be developing; they just work and I pick an overall focus for the city.  I also don't have to tell my workers to build a road to another city and then wait 20 turns until it's done, only to do it all over again for railroad.  Now I just pay gold to have the road developed and it's there until the end of the game.

There are too many difference to list, so I won't waste everyone's time doing so.  I'll just say that overall the experience is a good one, even for someone coming with a lost of history from the PC versions.

I'm glad there's a lull in releases right now, cause I still have stuff to get through from last year.

• Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
• GTA IV (Stupid bank mission!)
• Left 4 Dead (acheivements)
• Civilization Revolution (acheivements)

• Fallout 3 (Doing an evil/max skills playthrough)

The winds of Christmas are dying down and there is a new glow in the air... a time to sit and a time to share.

The Earth is making a pigrimage pass once again around the sun. On a universal scale, this time is small, but it's with our scale that we count time. The New Year is every new moment and I live it, but New Year's Eve has been a favorite of mine... you can make it your own, but I like a good party. That party could be with the one you love... alone or with friends and acquaintances. I hope everyone here at GiantBomb has a happy and safe New Year.

It was a great lead up to the holidays, Fallout 3 kept me warm and cozy until the holiday games came to be mine. Here's what I'll be playing until my birthday in two weeks and probably beyond.

Dead Space: I've been playing this game since Christmas Day and I must say... well worth it. I love the genre and this game fits the bill. Like I've been saying "Nothing says peace on earth like strategic dismemberment".

World of Goo - WiiWare: Played the demo on Steam and bought the game with Wii Points. The Wii version plays just as well as the PC version. If you have any interest in puzzle games, do yourself a favor and play this game on a PC or Wii... just play it, you won't regret it.

Just bought:

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts: This game kept moving up on my holiday wish list and beat out Civilization Revolution for a buy. I played the demo of Nuts and Bolts and wanted more and now I have it. It's still in shrink wrap, but I'll be playing this for a while.

Fable II: This game almost fell off my holiday wish list, but I found it on sale for $44.99. I'll be playing this all month as well. 

What I didn't get:

My LCD HDTV... maybe sometime next year... no worries. I wanted one more game, but the monies ran dry.

My birthday is in two weeks, so that means more games... Oh, it feels good to be alive and be a video gamer.

See you next year GiantBomb, Happy New Year.  

 

It had to be Civilization Revolution... I can't believe I paid $60 for that... :(

SO ive been doing these play practices for a play im going to be in called Idiot's Delight i have one like 5 days a week and im getting so fatigued of it i just want to play some damn games but when i get home i just want to sleep. Maybe i can write more about games a bit later but today and tomorrow i have play practice's

On a game note i cracked open Civilization Revolution and played 2 games. I like it but for some reason i thought it would have some sort of campaign mode . So far i have palyed through as a warring race and a technological race.
Im not really sure if i want to keep playing or just send it back to gamefly.
I also still have bully from gamefly which i just cant seem to get back into.

Also i have beaten bioshock finally and OMG is that game amazing. Its probably my favorite game i have played in a long time and definatly one of the best shooter storylines ever if not the best.

Got three new things. So I made a video.