Not for the casual gamer; Civ does it again, even if it's not the EXACT science of the more complex predecessors...
Now enter the latest installment: Revolution for consoles. Finally, one for those of us who got tired of loading our old games onto PC's who have endured re-format after re-format. Choose from one of 16 different nations and fight your way to global victory through war, diplomacy, or research. The game has the same basic concepts as its predecessors. Advance beyond your opponents or dominate them into submission until victory is achieved. However, beyond that it lacks a certain level of stratagem that was prevalent in the previous installments.
Playing through 3 different cultures left me feeling in anticipation of exactly what my AI opponents were going to do. In addition, once you gain the upper hand, it is very hard to lose. The closer you get to winning the game, the more the computer likes to send its lackeys to stop you. However, with simple preparations they are easily thwarted. And if you have a zerg-like play style domination is quite simple with the right cultures. While I have not done it, I have seen several people beat the game prior to 2500B.C. - which isn't even into the medieval ages.
However, if you play the game as intended, it is actually quite fun. And for first timers to Civilization, this is a great way to learn about the game without being overwhelmed by the extreme detail of the previous games. While I am certain it will be quite some time for Sid Meyer to produce a Civilization for consoles, I do hope he brews up a more creative installment next time incorporating more skillful tactics.
The game does tend to get old (as do all games) after you play through a few times. However, I am certain that this one will not collect as much dust as some of my other games. Despite some of the "cheesy" tactics you can employ to win this game, playing as intended does provide some challenge and is definitely a unique experience every time you play. This game is definitely not for the renter to get a "feel" for it. If you do rent this, make sure it does not have to be back by any certain date. This requires some time and patience if you've never played before. I definitely recommend this to any strategy or historical buff.