Key Takeaways
1. Gameplay Overview: Players select a historical nation and guide their civilization from the Stone Age in 4000 BC through various paths like diplomacy, science, culture, religion, or warfare to achieve global dominance.
2. New District System: The introduction of the “District” system allows cities to expand across multiple tiles, adding strategic depth as each district specializes in different areas like science, military, or culture.
3. Mixed Reviews: While praised for its scope and strategic depth, critiques focus on unpredictable AI behavior, navigation challenges in crowded maps, and the absence of certain quality-of-life features.
4. Positive Reception: The game received an 87/100 from GameStar, with over 250,000 players on Steam giving it an 86% favorable rating and a Metascore of 88 on Metacritic.
5. Current Pricing: Civilization VI is typically $60 but is currently on sale for $6 due to a 90% discount on Steam and the Epic Games Store, with additional costs for expansions and DLCs.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, created by Firaxis Games and launched by 2K in 2016, marks the sixth main installment in the beloved strategy series. Players select a historical nation, such as Imperial China, the Roman Empire, or the Kingdom of Nubia, and guide their civilization across thousands of years. Regardless of the nation chosen, the adventure always kicks off in the Stone Age, specifically in the year 4000 BC.
Beginning the Journey
At the outset, players start with merely one settler unit and a warrior for basic defense purposes. The map is largely concealed by the fog of war, making the initial task to explore the area and find an ideal location to build the capital. After establishing the city, the slow yet steady journey through history unfolds. Players investigate early technologies like animal husbandry, pottery, and mining, gradually unlocking buildings, units, and upgrades along the way. As the game advances, players can choose their path through diplomacy, science, culture, religion, or warfare. The ultimate aim is global dominance—achieved through alliances, innovation, influence, faith, or military force.
New Features and Mechanics
A fresh addition in Civ VI is the “District” system, which allows cities to extend across multiple tiles for the first time. Each district specializes in a certain area, like science, military, religion, or culture, and is constructed as an individual part of the city on its own tile. This makes city placement more significant compared to earlier titles, adding a strategic layer to the gameplay. The mechanics of research and culture have also seen changes: specific actions and terrain types can speed up advancement, providing more variety and excitement in the gameplay.
Critiques and Praise
In its review, German publication GameStar commended Civilization VI for its grand scope and strategic depth, particularly praising the new district system. Nonetheless, the review highlighted some flaws, especially regarding the AI, which tends to act unpredictably during combat or city defense. The game’s clarity can falter in large matches, as crowded maps filled with numerous units can quickly become hard to navigate. Some quality-of-life features are also absent, like a production queue or the ability to rename cities. For beginners, the complexity of the mechanics might feel a bit daunting initially.
Despite these critiques, Civilization VI received a solid score of 87 out of 100 from GameStar. Reviews on major platforms reflect a similarly positive outlook. On Steam, over 250,000 players have given feedback, with 86% rating the game favorably. On Metacritic, it boasts a Metascore of 88 and a User Score of 7.1.
Pricing and Discounts
On Steam, Civilization VI’s standard price is $60. However, at the moment, a huge 90% discount is available until April 7, lowering the price to just $6. This deal is also present on the Epic Games Store, lasting until April 9. It’s important to note that Civ VI has a diverse array of expansions and DLCs, so if you want the complete experience, be ready to invest a little more.
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