Civilization VI

MAKE YOUR OWN HISTORY IN THE SERIES’ EXCELLENT XBOX DEBUT

- SAM WHITE

All of human history makes an irresistible premise for a strategy game. And yet, somehow, it has taken Civilization almost 30 years to properly migrate to consoles. Sure, there was Civilization Revolution, but we don’t talk about that; it wasn’t the full, authentic experience. This, however, really is.

First up, a note. Civilization VI can be augmented by the game’s two major expansions – Rise & Fall and Gathering Storm – and both make fundamental changes to the core tactical experience. They add all new leaders and mechanics, while embellishing the existing ones with greater depth.

It’s therefore disappointing that it doesn’t automatically come to Xbox One bundled with both. Rather, 2K has opted to sell the game and its expansions separately – just under £33/$50 for the expansion bundle. Sure, the base game is still fantastic, a deeply addictive and colourfully dynamic strategy game, but is not the complete picture as it exists in 2019.

In control

Nevertheless, this is a conversion that’s intuitive, mapping all of the series’ convoluted systems to the Xbox One pad. It’s not just supremely impressive to fit all of these different functions into the compactness of a controller; it’s even more remarkable that it actually feels good to play this way. It’s nailed the ‘Civ on the sofa’ dream, and that’s magic.