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Civilization: Call to Power

Score: 90%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Activision
Media: CD/1
Players: 1 - 8
Genre: Turn-Based Strategy/ Online

Graphics & Sound:

The graphics for Civilization: Call to Power can get pretty wild at times. When I finished building a monument, the game treated me to a walk-through tour of my new creation. For example, when I built the Sphinx, the cinematic that followed was so realistic it was almost like I was standing right there looking at the monument; almost like I could have reached out and touched it. There are many different monuments to build and each one shows you some type of video, which is pretty cool if you ask me.

Each of your men is very detailed in 3D, very realistic looking. The knight looks just like a real knight on a real horse. The characters also have interesting voice-over responses when they’re moved, like “Right away, sir” for the Shogun. Also, when the character can move no more and needs rest, it tells you so. Oh great. Pawns with attitude.

The background music works well with the game. As you advance, the sound changes correspondingly. When you are under attack, you hear something like a death march. Pretty eerie. The music is also different when you play as a different ruler. For example, when I played as Julius Caesar, the music was of a Roman era and so on.


Gameplay:

Well, for starters, Civilization is a strategy game. So of course, it’s like you’re playing chess against with up to five other people at one time. Talk about racking your brain! I liked the challenge, although I got stomped in the mud (and my name became mud) many times. All and all, though, this game was fun and exciting.

You have to build your cities up and get more monuments before your opponents do or you will fall to their empire. If you are good at strategy games though, you will go far in Civilization: Call to Power. I would suggest keeping your cities well fortified with soldiers unless you want to get taken down. Always make improvements towards your science or you won’t make it. Take it from me! After getting beaten as many times as I did, you figure out what to do and not to do.


Difficulty:

Once you get the hang of building your cities and keeping your citizens happy, you won’t get slung around like a rag doll. It gets easier with each time you get defeated, but when you first start off and don’t know what to do, it is tough. If you are looking for a game that is more challenging than chess, then I would suggest trying Civilization out.

Game Mechanics:

Well, this is pretty easy. All you do is point and click the mouse in conjunction with the keyboard. I have found it easier to use the mouse to move my characters around and hit the “N” key to end my turn. This made Civilization: Call to Power move much faster for me.

-Star Flare, GameVortex Communications
AKA Jason Faul

Minimum System Requirements:



Win95/98/NT, P133, 32MB Ram, 320 MB HD space for game files, plus 80 MB for the Windows swap file, 16-bit high color video card with minimum 1 MB RAM, 4X CD, DirectX 6 (included) or higher, Win95/98/NT comp. sound card/drivers, Win95/98/NT comp. mouse and driver, Internet (TCP/IP) and LAN (IPX and TCP/IP) play supported, Internet play requires Win95/98/NT-comp. 28.8 Kbps modem
 

Test System:



PII 350, 96MB Ram, MMX Technology, 32X CD-ROM Drive, Win98, Sound Blaster Polk Audio

Windows Breakout Windows Clans

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated