You can’t pick up a newspaper these days without some po-faced journalist insisting that modern society is going to the dogs, so it’s easy to see why people enjoy Sid Meier’s long-running Civilization series so much - it effectively allows you to re-write human history and do things the way you thing they should be done.
However, before we get too carried away it’s worth noting that this particular mobile instalment in the franchise is very much a scaled-down affair - and it's all the better for it.
While the core concept of leading your empire to glory on a worldwide stage remains the same, Civilization IV: War of Two Cities does away with the detail to become a curiously addictive mixture of action, resource management and real time strategy.
Each mission takes place on a horizontally-scrolling 2D map, with your city at one end and your opponent’s at the other. The aim is to get one of your infantry units into your enemy’s base, thus bringing it under your jurisdiction.
However, to do this you must fight your way through his army and break down the many walls and forts that stand between the two colonies.
Resource management comes into play as you fight to control the farms and mines that dot the landscape. These allow you to produce units faster and reduce the recharge time of your artillery, which you can use to fire projectiles at your enemies.
By stripping away the statistics, technology trees and almost overwhelming complexity that the series is famous for the developer obviously runs the risk of alienating fans, but what’s left is a thoroughly compelling game that is perfectly suited to mobile.
If we have one major complaint it’s the fact that the experience is over sooner than we would have liked, and the lack of a multiplayer mode - something which would have propelled this into ‘must-have’ territory - is unfortunate, but not surprising.
As it stands Civilization IV: War of Two Cities is a near-perfect example of how successfully a seminal franchise can be adapted for mobile phones.
Civilization IV: War of Two Cities
Brilliantly conceived and thoroughly entertaining, Civilization IV: War of Two Cities will please portable Napoleons everywhere – so long as they’re not expecting a faithful recreation of the PC version
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.