Every aspect of Civilization has been improved

WHILE CIVILIZATION V wasn’t perfect by any means, I think that most fans of the series will agree that it was Firaxis’ magnum opus and a favourable contender for the finest strategy game ever made. Bearing that in mind – how do you improve on such a masterpiece and justify releasing an entire new flagship title? The answer is Civilization VI.

The latest instalment in the 25-year old strategy series improves and refines virtually every aspect of gameplay, while also bringing a slew of new features to the table. So many, in fact that even for long time players the changes may become a little overwhelming. The depth and variety of Civ VI mirrors a CIV V game with the full complement of expansions and DLC’s – and this is the barebones launch edition.

From the new Districts that perform specific tasks and cause your cities to sprawl over many tiles, to the entirely separate ‘ tech’ tree devoted to civic and cultural progress, CIV VI is an unruly beast of a game that offers a depth of strategy never seen before in the series.

Upon setting up and entering your first game, the most immediate departure from previous CIV games is the art style. I will admit that, at first, I was a little put-off by the rather goofy and cartoonish units and the vivid colours but on closer inspection I was astounded at how alive everything felt.

Cities will be bustling with miniature people, while a simple glance around the map will make apparent which tiles are being worked, thanks to the brilliantly animated workers. One of the aspects of CIV VI I enjoyed most is the sheer unpredictability in gameplay. Build order is no longer as cut and dried as it was in previous games, while the most ‘correct’ district or improvement will not be the most prudent in the long-term.

The need for foresight is unending. There are always sacrifices to make, like when I fell behind in culture because my only eligible tile for a theater square was the one I’d been saving to build a rocket launch site to clench a science victory. It’s a fantastic, richly realized way of forcing difficult decisions at every bend in the river and making sure no two cities you build will ever look or feel the same.

My experience with the game may differ greatly to yours, but that is one of the joys of Civilization, no two people will ever have the same game – something that is becoming an unfortunate rarity in today’s gaming world.