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Description: While it's true that mobile phones are ideally suited to simple, accessible, one-thumb games, that doesn't mean there isn't a market for more brain-bending strategy titles too. Recently, games like Townsmen 2, CM5 Solo and Ancient Empires 2 have floated our boat, and Civilization 3 fits neatly into that line-up.
The game is based on the popular PC strategy game, where you build up a civilization from scratch, growing cities, making scientific discoveries and treading a delicate path between crafty diplomacy and all-out warfare. George Bush probably wouldn't be very good at it.
The action is a turn-based, almost board-game format, as you move your units around the world map. You start with a single unit of settlers, who have to find a suitable spot for your capital city. After that, it's a case of building more units to explore and colonise the world, while also constructing city improvements such as, initially, granaries, barracks and marketplaces.
In a review this short, it's only possible to give a taste of the game, but a key part is making scientific discoveries, which enable you to build new units, buildings, and even have a revolution to become a monarchy, republic or fully-fledged democracy (these all affect how you can play the game).
Civ fans will be delighted with the job Com2uS has done of bringing the franchise to mobile, and it's good to see that the controls have been refined to make navigating around and selecting actions as quick as possible.
There are a few issues, however. If you've never played Civilization before, it'll be very confusing. Com2uS is hosting a manual and quickstart guide on its website (www.com2us.com), but really, how many people will read an online manual for a mobile game?
Secondly, it's really hard, even for hardened Civ addicts. Well, that's our excuse for why our fledgling Roman tribe kept declining and falling rather earlier than we'd hope, even on the easiest level. But there's enough meat in the game to keep us persevering.
Phone Compatibility Game
LG :
U8110, 8120, 8130, 8138, 8330, 8360, 8150
Motorola :
V3, V80, V500, V545, 547, 550, 600, V635, S700i, C975, V975, C980, V980, A1000, E1000 , V1050
NEC :
E228, E313, E338, E616
Nokia :
UI40 (MIDP 2.0) series, N3650, 3660, 6020, 6600, 6630, 6670, 6680, 7600, 7610, 7650, N-Gage, QD, 8800
Sagem :
MYX5-2T, MYX-7, MYC5; O2 X4, XM
Samsung :
Z308, D500; Sanyo S103
Sharp :
GX10, 12, 15, 17 20, 22, 30, 32, SX313, SX813, SX833
Siemens :
C65, CX65, M65, S65, SK65, SL65, M65
Sony Ericsson :
K300i, J300i, K500i, Z500, K600i K700i, K750k, S700, W800i, Z800, Z1010. |
