![]() Compared to the likes of Beyond Earth, map scripting is pretty good on the whole, so you’ll find ample opportunity for armies to clash without them constantly getting bogged down by bottlenecked terrain. is still clearly visible and yet combat feels a tad more balanced due to each role having more equal importance on the battlefield. The divide between military classes such as melee, ranged, siege etc. ![]() The game doesn’t feel sluggish though workers now use ‘charges’ to instantly complete tile improvements (as opposed to being placed on a timer) and the more methodical troop movement only contributes to the tactical nature of going to war. Scouting is still of paramount importance in the early game and it’s a process that’s only been made trickier because of the harsher rules on unit movement. ![]() As before you will need to tightly manage your empire’s expansion and develop your civilization’s arts, sciences, and diplomatic standings, across randomly seeded maps resembling Earth. Civilization VI still presents you with the turn-based affair of governing an entire race of peoples from the Stone Age to the modern era and it’s just as addictive as it’s always been in that regard. Luckily things start to look a bit brighter when you actually start a game. Sadly, the Wonders in Civ VI feel a little underwhelming when compared to those from Civ V as most of them are just too expensive or too situational to justify their production cost. World Wonders look rather striking during their new animated movies and it’s harder for the AI players to steal them all because of the stricter terrain requirements. Likewise the leader selection screen is denoted by an unimpressive dropdown featuring tiny icons and a list of difficulty settings that tell you absolutely nothing about what to expect, even missing the most basic tooltip suggesting which levels can be considered easy, normal, or hard. The quality of the graphic design is quite high throughout Civilization VI and yet with such an awesome piece of artwork adorning the game’s box cover and promotional material, it’s difficult to appreciate the boring blue background adorning the main menu. It’s a shame that the main menu itself looks so drab and forgettable by comparison. Sogno di Volare (“The Dream of Flight”) sounds as good as it did in concert (yep, I was there!) as well as the opening movie that also introduces the voice talents of Sean Bean who steps in as our celebrity narrator. The original soundtrack is sublime and returning composer Christopher Tin (of Baba Yetu fame) has outdone himself with another rousing title theme that plays over the main menu. So if there are ways in which the game doesn’t feel entirely fresh then those same advertising techniques will partly be to blame, but fortunately Civilization VI is capable of making the biggest impressions all on its own. The stream-heavy coverage of Civilization VI ensured that pretty much every new feature, playable leader, and unfortunate glitch, was showcased or otherwise spoiled in preview videos and Let’s Plays months in advance. Their “housework” has been to cultivate the perfect storm of Civ VI marketing and community debate in the months leading up to release. It’s clear that 2K Games has been chasing perfection too. Granted, things didn’t quite pan out in Halo 2’s case, but for a video game series as venerable and respected as Sid Meier’s Civilization only the best (and tidiest) gaming space will do. This isn’t just some bizarre ritual to cope with my occasional sequel hype it’s about chasing perfection and making sure that everything is just right for when you load up that anticipated title screen for the first time. I cleaned the carpets the day before Halo 2, got the damp off of the walls in time for Dark Souls III, and I’ll probably look at giving the windows a scrub ahead of Pokémon Sun and Moon. No gorging myself on pre-release news, no staying up until midnight, and no last-minute playthroughs of prequels or the like just good old-fashioned housework. If I’m excited for a new video game sequel then that’s what I’ll do the day before housework.
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