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Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution to conquer DS and PSP

Legendary franchise squeezes into handhelds

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution to conquer DS and PSP

Publisher 2K has announced industry legend Sid Meier is to develop the next instalment in the famous Civilization franchise (not on his own, obviously – he has a team at Firaxis Games handling that) for both DS and PSP, as well as home consoles.

The game is being built from scratch, but naturally it adheres to the addictive, god game strategic dynamic the series is renowned for.

In Civilization, players strive to become ruler of the world by establishing and leading a society from the dawn of man into the space age. This inevitably means waging war, conducting diplomacy, discovering technologies, going head-to-head with some of history's greatest leaders, and building the most powerful empire the globe has ever known.

This new one, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, is said to be a watershed game, offering players a chance to experience the epic empire-building world of Civilization in an all-new accessible and action-packed world specifically designed for the handheld gamer. (It's also a jolly tongue twister of a name, but let's assume you're sober enough to handle it – Ed).

Revolution promises to deliver epic addictive single-player campaigns featuring 'vast replayability', together with real-time interaction with leaders and advisors. Meanwhile, extensive multiplayer capabilities such as downloadable content, integrated video and voice chat used during team, head-to-head or epic free-for-all matches will obviously be more a concern of the console versions, but that's not to say handhelds shouldn't expect some representation in the multiplayer stakes.

Other key goodies to look forward to include 16 civilizations to master and lead to victory, an array of famous historical leaders to play as or compete against, and accessible maps and streamlined time scale for quicker games, intense combat and constant action.

"Civilization Revolution is the game I've always wanted to make," said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis, while caressing a big red button of doom with his index finger. "We are excited to take advantage of the power of next-generation consoles and the ingenuity of handhelds, to create a great and unique strategy game for newcomers to the series, as well as the millions of fans around the world who enjoy Civilization on the PC."

He's not exaggerating the number of his fans – the Civilization series, which began in 1991, has sold more than eight million units on PC. It's generally recognised as one of the greatest gaming experiences ever created, featuring an intoxicating mix of building, exploration, discovery and conquest.

Whether he can cram that kind of scope into a handheld is another question, but we can't wait to see the result. Click 'Track It!' to be alerted to further developments on the game.

Joao Diniz Sanches
Joao Diniz Sanches
With three boys under the age of 10, former Edge editor Joao has given up his dream of making it to F1 and instead spends his time being shot at with Nerf darts. When in work mode, he looks after editorial projects associated with the Pocket Gamer and Steel Media brands.