Civilization Wars has been a tough title for me to review.  Normally, I have some fairly quick first impressions on an iPhone app or game.  I’ve picked up this combo real-time strategy and role-playing title three times now though and still can’t come to a good conclusion.

My biggest issue with the game is not really a game issue, but a mental one.  It confuses me.  While I and others find it very difficult to figure out, others who have commented on it have suggested that it is way too easy.  The tutorial on the game is straightforward enough, but I couldn’t grasp a winning strategy.  I also ended up with screens full of different icon options that, if they were explained, I don’t remember it.

As a $0.99 title, I kinda get the title that if you are familiar with the other versions of the game, you probably could jump right into this one knowing just what to do.  As it is though, I felt like I’d walked into the middle of a conversation and couldn’t quite pick up what was going on.  As such, I’d highly recommend some additional help be added to the game.  I think it would really solve the wide extremes in opinions about the game.  Until and unless that happens though, I can’t highly recommend this game to those that haven’t played it elsewhere and are more familiar with it.  I don’t think it is a bad game, just one that needs to be better explained in order for it to be more acceptable in the mass market.  I wish I could fall in love with all of the titles I review, but I have to be honest.  If I had a dollar to spend on a Chillingo release, I’d rather do it on Angry Birds or Catch The Rope.  Civilization Wars just wasn’t for me.