14 DAY TRIAL // 
Viflad is getting quite big, but I think its economic power has outpaced its ability to churn out extra population. It will take another five turns, with four people working hard to produce extra nourishment to get the citizen that will allow the settlement to add another district. It will be science focused, as it seems that I am somewhat behind at least one of my neighbors.
Until then, I push the capital to create more military units, creating a third combat group. My forces also need to get some artillery capabilities, upgrading their strike abilities when battling the damn robots. So far, none of the other human emissaries has launched a strike on one of my cities, although I fear some are preparing for it.
A few scouts are exploring the shores of a faraway sea while my own emissary is launching a drone to map other areas. She is moving to an unoccupied sector, where a new city can be established after I fiddle with the climate. This will deplete my faction’s energy reserves significantly, which in turn can be a problem in a major fight. With a strong enough military, it might not matter. Let’s hope that the All-Mind doesn’t drop too many robots near to challenge my forces.
Revival: Recolonization is developed and published by HeroCraft PC. I played on the PC using Steam. The title has pretty classic strategy game mechanics with a focus on terraforming and climate conditions.
The game takes place after an apocalyptic event has destroyed the Earth as we know it. Something called the All-Mind, a faction made up of robots with shared intelligence, dominates the planet. Meanwhile, emissaries are special humans able to handle unique technology, moving across the land and trying to uplift clans that exist at the level of the Iron Age. These are fighting each other for control of resources and land but are all threatened by the robots and their technological superiority.
It’s a bleak picture, but it offers interesting hooks for a strategy game. Each campaign features events detailing how the player’s faction deals with mysterious bunkers and with new animals that exist post-apocalypse. Their writing is decent, and players will get more lore hints by reading about the techs they are researching and the edicts they can impose on their lands.
Revival: Recolonization is a turn and hex-based strategy game. Gamers will scout, move armies around the map, create and develop cities, conduct diplomacy, and advance through a tech tree. These are all classic elements of the genre. But they will also use the emissary faction leader and their shaman units to alter the climate of the planet and use powerful edicts to affect enemy forces and cities.
Each faction favors a specific climate and cannot build cities outside of it. Initially, the emissary can only affect temperature by using a capsule. But there’s a dedicated research section for more complex interventions, including acid rain, electric storms, earthquakes, and more. Significant changes require a ton of energy, which is hard to generate, so make sure to carefully choose what and when to target.
When two armies meet, players can choose to simulate the battle or move to a tactical layer. Here, the same energy can be used to hinder or directly damage enemy units. Picking the home climate for a fight is especially important when facing the robots, which can crush early-game human forces. Reinforcements, overwhelming numbers, and good tactics contribute to victory but do not guarantee it.
To create a strong military, players will have to take care of their settlements. Gamers have to build different types of districts, from agriculture to trade to science and the special nexus. Each of them requires workers to produce resources. Units are also created in cities, and there are options to design their equipment to improve combat capabilities.
This post-apocalypse Earth features rival emissaries as well as independent clans. Through complex diplomatic maneuvers, it’s possible to ally and then assimilate them. Doing that tends to make other factions angry. To make amends, clear out some of the robots armies on the map, who guard ancient ruins that, in turn, hold special rewards. The problem is that if you make the All-Mind too angry, the consequences can be dire.
Science output is very important in Revival because the humans need to level up fast. It’s a little weird to win against robots while wielding bows, hammers, and copper shields. Research improves the economy, unlocks new units, and, for each age, gives players a choice between two big bonuses.
The title’s 4X elements all work well. The real stand-out idea is the way players can change the world and affect armies via the capsules. It takes a lot of energy and preparation, but there’s true satisfaction in making an opponent’s city almost worthless by changing the temperature or by making it rain acid.
Revival: Recolonization is a nice-looking strategy experience. Players can zoom in close to see their units, how their cities develop, and the many monumental relics that survived the apocalypse. During combat, the game offers plenty of information on terrain and abilities, making it easy to make good tactical decisions. All user interface elements are well-designed and easy to use.
The game’s soundtrack is orchestral and futuristic, a good fit for the theme and the mechanics. After a few hours, it can become repetitive. The rest of the game’s sound design works well with its universe but doesn’t stand out.
The Good
- World-changing capsule system
- Good 4X mechanics
- Clan integration concept
The Bad
- Tactical battles could use more options
- Simulating battles delivers weird results
- Research tree design
Conclusion
The other mechanics are more traditional. The tactical battles aren’t too fun, even with the addition of capsule powers. And the game’s fiction doesn’t gel perfectly with the research system or the empire-wide choices. But Revival is worth playing for fans of the genre who are looking for some cool innovations.
Peview key was provided by the publisher.
