Wasn't built in a day

Firaxis has announced by way of Twitter that development has started on the next entry in the Civilization series. The last entry, Civilization VI, launched back �holy crap �in 2016. Despite this, it’s still receiving DLC, with its Leader Pass still dropping new content.

[embed]//twitter.com/CivGame/status/1626582239453540352?s=20[/embed??]

That??’s all we’ve got so far, so here are some facts.

The Civilization series started way back in 1991. A new one being announced at this time isn’t a huge surprise, as new entries have been dropping like clockwork every 5-6 years. Each time, I can’t help but wonder what you could possibly add to the previous title to make it a new experience, and it’s always just enough to make it worth it. The biggest change was perhaps the series' move to using hex tiles in Civilization V rather than the square grid that had been the mainstay until then. Another major change was t?he addition of “unit stacks,�whereas before, you’d send all your little military guys at cities single file.

I also had an experience in Civilization IV with a roommate using the “Next War�mod, where we were getting roundly beaten by a computer-controlled Franklin Roosevelt?. He was our ally, but every time we all went to war with someone, we’d get halfway through, and he’d adopt our foe as a vassal state, greatly expanding the size of his empire and ending the war. Late in the game, we retaliated by focusing on developing nuclear arms, then suddenly betrayed him by raining atomic death down on the peace-loving jerk. Before the first salvo was even finished, our scientists warned us that if we continued, the planet would crack like an egg. We didn’t listen and continued to unload our arsenal unti?l the game abruptly ended in “barbarian victory.�How’s that for a “New Deal,�Roosevelt?

Wholesome fun.

In any case, we’ll keep you posted on developments. All we have right now is confirmation that the next Civilization game is in development. Target platforms, release windows, and even t?he chosen name have not been included in the?? announcement.

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Honoring some of the best games of all time

I think because games are still relatively new compared to other media, sometimes I don't think of them as having much history. But now that we're nearing fifty years of games as we know them today, preserving that history has become more important than ever, especially because the nature of games means it's tragically easy to lose both functioning hardware and software as technology rapidly advances. One party that is doing excellent work by way of games preservation is The Strong National Museum of Play with its World Video Game Hall of Fame, which is part of the larger museum known simply as The Strong in Rochester, New York. I do love a good video game museum.

[caption id="attachment_320392" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{[Image Source: The Strong Museum]}[/caption]In addition to hosting both in-person and online museum exhibits highlighting various aspects of video game history, The Strong National Museum is also home to the World Video Game Hall of Fame, which inducts between four and six games every year, beginning back in 2015. Now The Strong has announced its inductees for 2022, which beat out a pretty impressive roster of titles. The four games chosen this year are �drumroll please �Ms. Pac-Man, Dance Dance Revolution, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Sid Meiers' Civilization.

Unselected finalists included Assassin’s Creed, Candy Crush Saga, Minesweeper, NBA Jam, PaRappa the Rapper, Resident Evil, Rogue, and Words with Friends.

The Strong's website states that the World Video Game Hall of Fame "recognizes electronic games of all types that have enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general." Previous years' inductees include Pong (inducted 2015), Sonic the Hedgehog (inducted 2016), The Sims (inducted 2016), Pokémon Red and Green (inducted 2017), and Minecraft (inducted 2020), just to name a few.

Honoring the legacy of these games and starting a conversatio?n around the impact these games have had on our lives is an important piece of the games preservation puzzle, so it's cool to see that they do th??is every year.

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Multitasking at its finest

When I'm exhausted, my goal with media is to help me shut my brain off so I can relax a bit. One of my favorite ways to do that, I've found, is to play games while listening to a podcast, show, or some music at the same time. Do I need to bombard myself with stimuli to shut my brain up so I can breathe for a minute? Who's to say, ?but I do know that I think it's a lot of fun.

At this point I feel like something of a gaming-while-also-listening?-to-a-podcast connoisseur, and I've tried out a whole bunch of different titles so you don't have to. Without further ado, here is my list of the best games t??o play while you're also listening to something else.

Slay the Spire

Recently, this game has had a chokehold on me. Slay the Spire is a combination of my two favorite sub-genres in games: deckbuilding and roguelikes. It's one of those games where the more time you put in, the more you'll get out of it, because you get to know the decks really well and start maximizing your builds. Turn-based gameplay makes it perfect for picking up and putting dow??n any time you want to, and this is also just a well-designed game full of fun surprises that more people need to kn??ow about.

Hades

So I have around 400 hours in this game, and while that's because it's a near-flawless action roguelike, it's always because it was the perfe?ct activity to keep me engaged while I was listening to my podcast of choice. It's beyond worth it to play Hades the first time through with the sound on, trust me. Once you get a decen??t way into the post-g?ame, though, you've pretty much heard everything there is to hear, and that's when a podcast is perfect. 

Stardew Valley

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. This is another game I've put way too many hours into, and for good reason. The gameplay might feel a bit repetitive to some after a while, but I find the routine relaxing, and the perfect way to keep myself occupied as I listen to, well, whatever I want to listen to. It's a modern?? classic of a simulator game, which is a genre that lends itself well to lis??tening to podcasts, music, or shows in the background.

Shadow of the Colossus

I definitely recommend playing this one the first time through with the sound on, because it's one of the most iconic soundtracks in all of gaming. In any subsequent playthroughs, though, this is a perfect game to use to pass the time. It has a much slower pace than more recent entries in the open-world action-adventure genre, which means it's a great option? while you're traversing its expansive world. You might need to pause and concentrate during the boss fights, though.

Mario Maker

A classic mistake w?hile trying to beat an especially difficult Mario Maker level is to think too hard, or as my ?Southern grandma would have said, to work yourself into a lather. I find that listening to something else while I'm trying to beat a game that's giving me trouble can be really helpful, because it keeps me from overthinking things, and distracts me just enough to get the job done.

The Binding of Isaac

I honestly prefer to play Binding of Isaac this way, because I find the sound design to be pretty grating. I know it's supposed to be like that, but that doesn't make it any more enjoyable. It's another roguelike, which means it can be played in perfect bite-sized bits, and isn'?t so overwhelming that you'll miss whatever your podcast hosts of choice are talking about.

Forza

This goes for most racing games, but Forza can be a gre?at way to keep yourself busy while lis?tening to a podcast. Like a Hades or Cuphead, it's a real-time game so you're paying closer attention, and it's easy to get into a flow state. I'v??e found that paying attention to so??meone talking actually helps me play better, because I'm not overthinking what I'm doing.

Civilization

Strategy games are another great optio??n, because they require that same type of flow state, engaged-but-not-really kind of thing. You reach a point, too, where a lot of stuff is going on its own anyway, so it falls into just the right? level of attention it requires from you. Civilization, and other like games, also don't really require the average pl??ayer to need the sound on, so it's fine to ha??ve any other audio you want going on in the background.

Cuphead

The Mario Maker log?ic also appli??es here. I've been stuck on the same boss in Cuphead for weeks (again), and having something else to concentrate on helps keep me from getting too frustrated when I keep dying. At this point, it feels more like I need a podcast on to help get me through the game, rather than wanting to just? have something on in the background. Either way, it?? works well for me.

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A long time coming

Mobile gaming may not be suited for every genre out there, but if there is one type of game that's perfectly suited for mobile platforms, it's the strategy game. And not those damn free-to-play strategy games like Clash of Clans and its ilk. I'm talking real strategy games, like Civilization VI. Back in 2018, Aspyr Media ported the best-selling game to iOS, giving Apple Cult members like myself a chance to take over the world on the go and also see just ??how quickly the battery on our iPads can drain.

Of course, when a game launches for an Apple product, the first question anyone asks is, "Android?" Well, after nearly two years, Android users have their shot at world domination as Civilization VI is available on the mobile platform today.

Like with the iOS version, you can download Civilization VI on Android for free and play 60 turns before having to pay. The full version of the game can be purchased for $19.99 with DLC available, including the Rise & Fall and Gathering Storm expa??nsion passes as well as the various Civilization and Scenari?o Packs.

Civilization VI [Google Play]

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'New Frontier Pass'

Civilization VI has been slowly trucking along since its late 2016 release on PC, adding platforms and updates here and there. In 2017 it hit mobile devices, in 20?18 it arrived on Switch and in 2019, it hit PS4/Xbox One. That's not normally the order of operations, but Firaxis and 2K are trying some different approaches here.

That includes this brand new, outta nowhere season p??ass, called the "New Frontier Pass." Distilled, it'll add six new modes, nine leaders "and more" through six DLC packs on a "bi-monthly basis," starting with May 21, 2020 and running all the way through March 2021. It'll run you $39.99 (PC, PS4, Xbox O??ne, Switch are all confirmed, with mobile coming "at a later date"), and thankfully items in the pass can be purchased piecemeal; but if you buy the pass, it'll come with the "Teddy Roosevelt and Catherine De Medici Persona Packs."

2K also shared some details for the first pack arriving on May 21. It's the Maya and Gran Colombia pack, which also bundles in an "apocalypse mode," as well as new resources, wonders and city-states. Leader confirmation is coming later. According to Firaxis, free updates will arrive in the mon??ths that the paid DLC doesn't: so expect one next mon??th.

Given how packed Civ already was, DLC through early 2021 is a big surprise. Hopefully it'll all measure up, but the first pack, which has the aforementioned extra mode, see?ms fairly meaty.

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Three years after initial release

[Update: It's coming to Xbox One too, also on November 22. Additionally, the?? Expansion ??Bundle will release on Switch on the same day.]

One of the most popular strategy franc??his?es is finally debuting on one of the most popular consoles.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI is getting ported to PlayStation 4. The base game will be bundled with the Rise & Fall and Gathering Storm&n??bsp;expansions. It's coming on November 22 -- a little less than two months from today.

This isn't the first Civ VI&??nbsp;port?. It appeared on Nintendo Switch late last year.

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Downgrade

While Civilization VI mixed-up quite a bit about the mechanics of the series, one of the more contentious changes among fans dealt with the visuals. Some people were turned off by the cartoonish look of the game and longed to have something similar to its immediate predecessor, Civilization V. While I had no problem with the art style, even I have to admit that the more realistic tone of V almost fits Civilization better.

Thankfully, we can now have the best of both worlds. A new mod, called "Environment Skin: Sid Meier's Civilization V," swaps all of the environment textures to a style reminiscent of Civilization V. Created by Brian Busatti, art director for the series, the mod came about as a challenge from his fellow devs. "I was challenged by the team to create an expansive mod using Mod Buddy," reads the description on the Steam workshop, "and this was the end result. It's an example of how much you can change the visuals and I hope it provides inspiration to try your ow??n modifications."

The mod works with all versions of Civilization VI, regardless if you have one expansion, both, or none. It should also seamlessly work with any save games you have, being a texture swap instead of a gameplay tweak. You'll just need to add it to your Steam queue and enable it in-game from the mod menu. I may give this a go since I have been dying for a Civ fix lately.

Environment Skin: Sid Meier's Civilization V [Steam Workshop]

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Is this a monkeypaw wish?

As if we needed an excuse to sacrifice even more of our free time to Civilization VI, the time-sink strategy game now ??has cross-platform saves on Steam and Nintendo Switch. You can start playing hunched up real close to the warm glow of your monitor and continue building your empire on the go.

Civilization VI now supports cross-platform cloud saves on Steam and #NintendoSwitch. Link your @2K Accoun??t, tick the multi-platform cloud save box in options, and you're good to go?!

Get your 2K Account: //t.co/HX0bxwgmnt pic.twitter.com/LxYdxG7hbp

— Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (@CivGame) April 2, 2019

As the tweet says, all you need to do is get your 2K Account situated over here, link said account to Civilization VI, and then check the box for cross-system cloud saves. Unfortunately, only the base game is supported, though there's hope that the Switch will get Gathering Storm before long.

This is a really user-friendly feature and I'm all about it, especially for a game as long as Civ.

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Great deal if you got the game on sale

Civilization VI on iOS is one of the best examples of how to translate a hit PC title to tablets and phones, as well as one of the most expensive. The $6??0 asking price for the mobile port is far beyond what most other apps charge upfront and may have been a turnoff for some potential buyers. But for those of you who did take the plunge, prepare to get some goodies for Christmas.

Aspyr Media, the developer of the mobile port, has announced it is giving away all Civilization and Scenario packs for Civ VI on iOS for free. Each free pack will only be available for 48 hours and you need to have purchased th?e main game to download them. The schedule for the giveaway is as follows:

• December 20 - December 22: Poland Civilization and Scenario Pack
• December 22 - December 24: Vikings Scenario
• December 24 - December 26: Australia Civilization and Scenario Pack
• December 26 - December 28: Persia and Macedon Civilization and Scenario Pack
• December 28 - December 30: Nubia Civilization and Scenario Pack
• December 30 - January 1: Khmer and Indonesia Civilization and Scenario Pack

Once downloaded, the pack will be yours to keep forever. Each new pack will go live at 10:00 am PST on the listed days above. I haven't made the plunge in any version of Civ VI yet, but it looks like it's time for me to finally add this game to my wonderf?ul collection of simulators on my iPad.

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Coming next February

In a live stream just minutes ago, Firaxis has announced that a new expansion will be coming to Civilization VI next year. Titled Gathering Storm, the biggest addition to the game will be the inclusion of natural disasters. Firaxis is also ta??lking about tweaks done to obtaining energy?? sources in the game along with the inclusion of different energy types.

The "World Congress" system from Civilization V will also be making a return. They will appear every 30 turns (at normal game speed) and give you a chance to vote on critical issues in your ga?me. Those choices will then influence things about the ecosystem of your map and could have devastating effects for everyone playing. It will also play into the new "Diplomatic Victory" condition.

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm will launch for PC on February 14,?? 2019. No price has been ment??ioned yet.

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It'll be $60 once the launch discount wears off

The iPad port of Civilization VI turned out well enough that we're also getting a miniaturized iPho??ne version of the ??enduring strategy game. If you want to give it a test run, the first 60 turns are free.

Aspyr Media is currently charging $23.99 for Civilization VI on iPhone, which sounds pricey until you learn that the normal off-of-sale price will be a full $59.99. Granted, it's Civ -- people will pay. The sale runs until October 16 and the game ??is compatible with iPhone 7 and newer models running iOS 11.

Civilization VI will also find its way onto Nintendo Switch in mid-November.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI [App Store]

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An empire in your jacket

[Update: As part of t?oday's Nintendo Direct ?presentation, we got to see the trailer for this exciting new port. You can check it out at the foot of the article. Amazing how the epic title is being scaled down for Nintendo's baby.]

The award-winning, world-building strategy series Sid Meier's Civilization is set to conquer the Switch, with the announcement that Civilization VI is headed toward Nintendo's h??ybrid-console in just a few short months.

Civilization VI for Switch will see the epic strategy title scaled down for play in portable form. Reserach technology, build armies, visit new lands, trade goods, meet interesting people and go to war with them. All of the Civilization gameplay that has made the decades-long series a success will be arr?iving on Switch November 16.

The Switch release will also include four extra packs of new civilisations and scenarios, including Australia, Poland, Persia and even the marauding Vikings of yore. The new port will also allow four wannabe world-leade?rs the opportunity to team up or fight it out in co-op or competitive multiplayer.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI, already available on PC and iOS, lau??nches on Nintendo Switch November 16.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI for Nintendo Switch [Official]

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Even Simon Cowell loved it!

I can't say I keep up with reality competition shows. I've never been into "American Idol" or any of its various knock-offs, but sometimes contestants will come on and belt out something worth paying attention to. When that something happens to be the theme to Civilization IV, "Baba Yetu," you'll have my attention without question. In a recent episode of "America's Got Talent," the Angel City Chorale from Los Angeles performed Christopher Tin?'s Grammy-winning song and the performance is just awesome.

You know you have a great performance when Simon Cowell can't even come up with any negatives. Really, just watch the video below and see how great th?is is.

Every time I hear this theme, ?I have to just stop and listen in awe. I still remember booting up the game for the first time in 2005 and being greeted with this powerful, sweeping and utterly majestic song that introduces you into the cradle of civilization. Finding out years later that is was simply the "Our Father" in Swahili gave me a new perspective on how people can find religion so quintessential in their li?ves. Such is the power of music.

Angel City Chorale??: Amazing Choir Earns Golden Buzz?er From Olivia Munn - America’s Got Talent 2018 [America's Got Talent via YouTube]

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NO SURPRISES!

Ever since the announcement late last year, I've been eager to find out what new stuff is coming in Civilization VI: Rise and Fall. Obviously Firaxis was going to include new leaders, but what gameplay tweaks were coming to fix some of the issues from the core game? Was there anythi?ng the series hasn't already touched that could even be expanded on?

Turns out we won't even have to wait for launch, because ??this new trailer basically explains everything about the game. While you won't get a feel for how these changes wo?rk in the minute-to-minute gameplay, you won't need to guess how the new "Heroic" and "Dark" ages work or what new policies are on offer.

The biggest thing that sticks out, for me, is the art style. While Civilization has never gone for a purely realisti?c look, this new expansion seems to double down on the already exaggerated expressions that the base game had. I think it looks neat, but it also feels a little out of place. That will just have to be something that grows on me.

Since the new expansion launches on February 8, it won't be long before we get our hands o?n this new content.

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Everyone welcome Chandgragupta

For the upcoming Rise and Fall expansion of Civilization VI, developer Firaxis is showing us a different side of India. Traditionally, Mahatma Gandhi is the Indian leader. As this video poi??nts out, Gandhi's nation prospers in times of peace since, you know, Gandhi is kind of the de facto i??deal of nonviolent resistance.

With Rise and Fall, there's a new sheriff in town. Chandragupta is being added as India's second leader and he's not shy about spilling blood.?? That's why he has war elephants working on his side. Those are not stomps of peace.

Further evidence: Chandragupta's unique ability involves declaring territorial wars in the pursuit of expansion (after researching the military training civic). Contrary to all that aggressive stuff, Chandragupta actually gave up his throne and become a Jaina monk? before he fasted to death. That's probably not how your Civ VI Indian empire will end, though.

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The world is yours

New frontiers ahoy for Sid Meier's Civilization VI. After spending the past year or so on PC, Mac, and Linux, the renowned 4X strategy game is coming to a more mobile format (if we ignore the invention?? of laptops, of course.)

Today, Civ VI is available on newer iPad models. The exhaustive list of co??mpatible Apple tablets is: iPad Air 2, the 2017 model of iPad, and any iPad Pro. Also, it has to run iOS 11. That's the equipment you need before you even think about the cultural nirvana you want to create.

To help ease the resource burden, 2K is launching Civ VI at a discounted rate. Through January 4, the iOS version will be $30; afterward, it jumps back to the regular $60 price. For those unsure folks, the free 60-turn demo is in effect -- although you can't accomplish a whole heck of a lot in 60 turns. And, for anyone concerned about storage, this takes up 3.14GB of spac?e.

It's probably also worth noting that this is only the base game without any of the expansions. So those extra civilizations like the Vikings and the Aztecs aren't included. But, it's still an important development leading up to Civ VI's Rise and Fall add-on releasi??ng next Febru??ary. Chalk this one up as a victory.

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More Sean Bean narration!

Early next year, Civilization VI is going to get bigger. Announced just today (with a CGI trailer), Firaxis is going to expand its premiere strategy series with Civilization VI: Rise and Fall. Launching February 8, 2018, this new expansion will focus on "Great Ages" and introduce a new concept where your empire can go through a dark period. A new city based loyalty system also means your ?cities are at a constant threat from your misdirection, so you can't rest on your laurels and expect to win.

"Rise triumphantly from a Dark Age and your next Golden Age will be even stronger – a Heroic Age," says 2K Games. "With the new Great Ages system in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Rise and Fall, players can experience the ??ebb and flow? of building empires amidst the challenges of history, either to lasting greatness or the dust of antiquity."

In my review, I found Civilization VI to be one of the most feature complete launches in the series' history. I honestly couldn't picture what an expansion would even add, but Rise and Fall seems to? be going in the right direction. Hopefully it fixes some of the lingering AI ??issues that the core game still has.

The post Firaxis announce??s Civilization VI: Rise and ?Fall expansion appeared first on Destructoid.

Gandhi's lack of fucks are also free

Gandhi has a couple of nukes pointed in your direction. To get him to back down, you'll need to head on over to the Humble Store and grab Civilization III Complete for free. It doesn't make sense why Gandhi would relinquish control of? his nukes for absolutely nothing, but he told me to pass on that message. He has had enough of people not paying attention to his nuclear threats.

That being said, I would definitely recommend checking out Civilization III. While I still feel that IV is a better game, III was a dramatic upgrade over past entries that really solidified the classic status that Civilization has earned over the years. It is a quintessential experience and Destructoid even ranked it as #31 on our "Top 50 Games of the Decade" around eight years ago. That has to ?mean something!

Sid Meier's Civilization® III: Complete [Humble Store]

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Say two 'Hail Mary's' and an 'Our Father'

While Civilization VI is an excellent game, its not without some flaws. The most noticeable shortcoming as with the religious victory path. Not only was the combat pretty brain dead, but it was far too easy to amass a small convent of priests and have them convert other cities to your creed. The tile based n??ature of the game map also meant that religious units often occupied spaces that your army would travel on, thus making military action harder to accomplish.

While not everything is changing about how religion works, the system seems to be getting tweaked for the better. In the upcoming Fall ?update, religious victories will be getting expanded with new beliefs and units. The coolest sounding of these is the Warrior Monk, which makes me want to create Shaolin and take over the world with Ip Man. There will also be a Guru support unit? that can heal your priests, which was definitely lacking before.

Firaxis is also improving the AI to be more aggressive on the oceans, a factor that was lacking on lower difficulties. Before, if you sieged an ocean based city, the AI often had no comeback for your units. It looks?? like naval ships will? now play a stronger role in their strategies, which should make for more intense battles.

Wrapping it all up are some UI tweaks, specifically the Diplomacy screen. The amount of info on screen in vanilla Civ VI could be a bit staggering, so I'm all for streamlining some of the information. Hopefully this all improves the game, as I've had a blast ?playing it over the l?ast year. I could always go for one more turn, even when I'm hyper busy.

Religion Gets a Reboot in the Civilization VI ‘Fall 2017 Update’ [Steam Community]

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Kushy

It has been almost half a year since the last DLC pack for Civilization VI was released, but the wait is finally over. The Nubian kingdom of Kush will be coming to the game with Amanitore leading the cause. S??he?'s here to walk like an Egyptian and kick some ass while doing so.

Amanitore's unique unit is the Pitati Archer, a specialized ancient era unit that is faster and stronger than traditional bowmen. Their exclusive structure is the Nubian pyramid, which is a tile improvement that leaches bonuses from adjacent tiles (such as getting more food from?? a farm or faith from a temple/church). Amanitore also has increased productivity towards creating districts and all ranged units will have faster experience gain (as well as shorter production queues).

No release date has been announced, but this new civ will be automatically unlocked ?for anyone who owns the Digital Deluxe Edition of the game. Nubia is the fifth civilization being added to the game, so there should only be one more that was promised in the deluxe bundle. Maybe ??we'll see an expansion next year, or possibly later this year.

I'm not really sure what else you could add, though. In my review, I found the game to be pretty well balanced and feature rich, almost feeling like Civilization V with its three expansions integrated. Apart from fixing up lag issues with online play, I don't even have a wish list for what I might add. Maybe an expansion of the faith victory and combat to be more than just lightning bolts striking f?rom the heavens, which is about the only shallow aspect of the current game.

Civilization 6 introduces Nubia as next civ [Eurogamer]

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Deals worth mulling over

Two digital retailers are offering up 2K titles at cheap prices well before summer sales kick off in earnest. At GamersGate, you'll find a giant 2K Games sale with discounts up to 82% off on dozens of popular franchises published by 2K, including XCOM, Civilization, Borderlands, and much more. At Green Man Gaming, you'll find an overlapping Civilization sale with similar discount, so to sort throug??h the barrage of deals we've rounded up the best from each retailer below.

The headline for the Civilization series is Civilization VI Deluxe Edition falling to a historic low price of $45. This gets you six additional DLC packs, all of which aren't really worth buying on an individual level. Also noteworthy are historic low prices on both Civilization: Beyond Earth and its expansion pack Civilization: Beyond Earth: Rising Tide (which makes Civ:BE a signifi?cantly better tit??le) at $9 and $15, respectively.

Beyond Civilization goodies, the best-selling titles in the sale are the XCOM series, notably XCOM 2. While 6?5% off isn't q??uite new low price territory, you are still looking at a much more favorable price than its list price of $60.

The GamersGate complete 2K sale is running now through Sunday, May 21 and Green Man Gaming's Civilization sale runs until Tuesday, May 22.

Note: Games in bold below are at their lowest ever price. The discounts on Civilization VI are running a bit longer until May 30.

Civilization

• Civilization VI Digital Deluxe (Steam) — $45.55  (list price $80)
• Civilization VI (Steam) — $34.16  (list price $60)
• Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide (Steam) — $14.99  (list price $30)
• Civilization: Beyond Earth (Steam) — $8.90  (list price $40)
• Civilization V: Complete Edition (Steam) — $10.49  (list price $50)
• Civilization V: Gods and Kings (Steam) — $7.50  (list price $30)
• Civilization V: Brave New World (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $30)
• Civilization V (Steam) — $6.60  (list price $30)
• Civilization IV: Complete Edition (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $30)
• Civilization III Complete (Steam) — $0.66  (list price $3)

Borderlands

• Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Season Pass (Steam) — $13.20  (list price $30)
• Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (Steam) — $10.56  (list price $40)
• Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition (Steam) — $8.80  (list price $40)
• Borderlands Game of the Year Edition (Steam) — $6.60  (list price $30)
• Borderlands 2 (Steam) — $4.40  (list price $20)
• Borderlands (Steam) — $4.40  (list price $20)

XCOM

• XCOM 2: Digital Deluxe (Steam) — $26.40  (list price $75)
• XCOM 2 (Steam) — $21.12  (list price $60)
• XCOM: Enemy Unknown The Complete Edition (Steam) — $8.90  (list price $50)
• XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Steam) — $6.67  (list price $30)
• XCOM: Enemy Within (Steam) — $6.67  (list price $30)
• The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (Steam) — $4.25  (list price $20)

NBA

• NBA 2K17 Legend Edition Gold (Steam) — $44  (list price $100)
• NBA 2K17 Legend Edition (Steam) — $39.16  (list price $80)
• NBA 2K17 (Steam) — $32.03  (list price $60)
• NBA 2KVR Experience (Steam) — $4.40  (list price $15)

More 2K Games

• WWE 2K17 Digital Deluxe (Steam) — $37.53  (list price $75)
• Mafia III: Digital Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $26.40  (list price $60)
• Mafia III (Steam) — $17.60  (list price $40)
• Mafia II Digital Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $6.80  (list price $40)
• Mafia II (Steam) — $6.67  (list price $30)
• Spec Ops: The Line (Steam) — $6.67  (list price $30)
• BioShock Infinite (Steam) — $6.60  (list price $30)
• The Darkness 2 (Steam) — $5.34  (list price $30)
• BioShock Infinite: Season Pass (Steam) — $5  (list price $20)
• BioShock (Steam) — $4.60  (list price $20)
• Bioshock 2 (Steam) — $4.40  (list price $20)
• Duke Nukem Forever (Steam) — $3.56  (list price $20)
• Sid Meier's Pirates! (Steam) — $2.50  (list price $10)
• CivCity: Rome (Steam) — $2.50  (list price $10)
• Sid Meier's Railroads! (Steam) — $2.20  (list price $10)

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

The post ??Big 2K weekend sale: cheapest Civ VI Deluxe and Beyond Earth appeared first on Destructoid.

As is Civilization Revolution

Even though I enjoyed it at the time, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is o?ne of those games that utterly slips my mind. Somehow, despite its marvelous name, I flat-out forget it ever existed. That might change goi??ng forward, as the Xbox Live Arcade metroidvania title is now compatible on Xbox One.

Joining Shadow Planet on the backward compatibility list is Civilization Revolution, a game I never c??ared to try but one I feel like I've seen regularly pop up as a wished-for addition. If you have a soft spot for its brand of strategy, know that today's the day. It's ready and waiting for your return.

Major Nelson [Twitter]

The post Ooh, Insanely Twis?ted Shadow Planet is playable on Xbox One appeared first on Destructoid.

New DLC and a scenario pack

The trickle feed of new civilizations continues with Alexander the Great being the next new ruler to be added to Civilization VI. Along with Macedonia getting representation will be Persia with Cyrus the Great. Together, they will make a great combo. Alone, they will be ??great rivals. Greatness awaits is the point I'm making (suck?? it, Sony!).

In addition to those two new leaders comes the announcement of a scena?rio pack. Dubbed the "Double Civilization" pack, I can only imagine it entails some co-op mode or the ability to run two civs in a solo campaign. The details for that pack will be unveiled when the Spring 2017 upda?te lands.

While I love the production quality put into each of these extra civilizations, I still don't understand why 2K is dead set on going the route of piecemeal DLC along with full scale expansions. I waited for a good two years before buying into any of Civilization V's DLC and I was rewarded with a Special Edition upgrade for $5 that contained everything. Why not just save these new lea?ders for the inevitable expansion pack?

Double Civilization & Scenario Pack Coming Soon to Sid Meier’s Civilization VI [Steam Community]

The post Conquer the known world w?ith Alexander the Great in Civili?zation VI appeared first on Destructoid.

Worth a peek

How much can you get done in your first 60 turns of a Civilization campaign? If you're anything like me in Civ VI and are prone to oh-so-tempting barbarian di?stractions, not a whole heck of a lot.

Firaxis Games has a Windows-only Civilization VI demo on Steam, and it's exactly that: 60 turns with which to get things started for China as Qin Shi Huang. Crucially, there's also a tutorial. It won't be entirely sufficient for all-new Civ players, but this installment is re??latively approac??hable.

As tends to be the way, the full ver??sion of the game is currently discounted.

Civilization VI [Steam]

The post Ge?t a feel for Civilization VI with this 60-turn demo appeared first on Destructoid.

Gandhi would be proud

While pretty much every main Civilization game is great, a lot of people prefer a specific entry. Be it III's refinement of the classic style of games to IV's jump to 3D, there are many different opinions about which game is the best of the bunch. I suppose having a series where everything is pretty damn good is better than one where certain entries are best left forgotten. Regardless, if you've been dying to get into the series, but have no idea where to start, why not just grab this latest Humble Bundle that includes Civilization III, IV, and V along with all of their expansions?

In the $1 tier, you'll received Civilization III Complete and Civilization IV Complete Edition. That is an incredible deal and everyone without the games should buy that. In the beat-the-average tier (currently hovering around $7.61), you'll get Civilization V, Gods & Kings, Brave New World, and the DLC collection pack along with a 20% discount on Civilization VI and 25% discount on Civilization VI Digital Deluxe.

Better yet, if you opt to spend $15, you can get everything above and Civilization: Beyond Earth with its expansion. While Beyond Earth wasn't exactly well-received by fans, spending less than $20 for four games is an awesome deal. Too bad I own everything else in the bundle, because I'm kind of tempted to get Beyond Earth.

Humble Civilization Bundle [Humble Bundle]

The post You can get C??ivilization III through V on the cheap in?? this Humble Bundle appeared first on Destructoid.

Dennis can now play!

One of the most-requested features for Civilization VI will soon be upon us. In an upcoming free update, Steam Workshop support will be going live alongside some new team options and the Australian Civilization DLC. While I've sunk more time than I care to admit into the core game, finally having official mod support will be huge for the longevity of Civ VI. It did wonders for Civilization V, which I still occasionally play to this day.

As for the new DLC, this marks the first time Australia is officially in a Civilization game. Australia will feature John Curtin, Prime Minister of the country during World War II. Firaxis also detailed some of the unique un?its and buildings that Australia will have, including "The Digger" and "The Outback Station." Looks ?pretty neat.

While I think Civilization VI is ?great, I haven't actually purchased any of the additional content. I think $5 for a single civilization and scenario is a bit much. Still, I'm sure there will be plenty of people happy that Australia is now finally in the beloved franchise, even if they are locked behind a paywall.

Civilization VI: John Curtin Leads Australia [Steam Forums]

The post New Civilization VI update brings Au??stralia DLC and Ste??am Workshop appeared first on Destructoid.

Best Civ prices since the Winter sales

Update: Civ deals are GamersGate have ended but the sales have moved onto other retailers at the same price range for Civilization VI. Deals listed below.

The Sweden-based PC digital retailer GamersGate has launched a Civilization midweek sale slashing prices on Civilization VI to prices we haven't seen since last year's winter sale. The Civ sale really isn't overly comprehensive, but does get you 26 percent off Civ VI and 30 percent off the Civ VI Deluxe Edition.

Civilization Sale

• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Digital Deluxe (Steam) -- $58.39  (list price $80)
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (Steam) -- $44.99 (list price $60)
• Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth (Steam) -- $10.89  (list price $40)
• Sid Meier's Civilization V: Complete Edition (Steam) -- $10.50  (list price $50)
• Sid Meier's Civilization V: Brave New World (Steam) -- $6.60  (list price $30)

GamersGate has a few other titles on sale like Civilization: Beyond Earth and Civilization V Complete. In terms of a discount, Civ V Complete generally goes on sale for $12.50, so this is slightly better than the usual 75? percent off deal.

Civilization VI has been as cheap as $39.34, so for a non-holiday sale price it's not a ?terrible time to pounce on one of the most pop?ular games of 2016. The sale ends rather quickly, tomorrow February 10 at 6pm Eastern.

The post Civilization VI (and? other Civ games) get attractive pricing again appeared first on Destructoid.

Rip and Tear!

2016 wasn’t the best year for gaming, at least in my opinio??n. We definitely saw some solid titles come out (along with the end of a decade-long wait for two games!),? but a lot of the major releases this year were retreads of tired themes and genres that haven’t seen a mix-up since the last console generation. While I typically don’t play a lot of games released in a particular year until the following year, I can’t even make a top 10 list for 2016 as I just didn’t play enough quality titles.

Still, I want to honor the games that really did wow me with something, so I’ve opted for a top five games of 2016. To me, these ??represent some of the best games from this tumultuous year that I played, even if others are “objectively” better.

Honorable Mention – Super Rad Raygun

I don’t have much more to say about this title over what my review did, but I want to throw this into the list as it barely missed making the top five. The game is a love letter to the classic Game Boy along wi??th containing a really well-thought-out plotline. The character of Rad is super adorable and his evolution into a wiser machine echoes a lot of what I’ve gone through in my own life.

There is also the fact that Capcom has failed to make a Mega Man game for six years now and Super Rad Raygun nearly fits the bill. It may not have the copy ability that Mega Man does, but the open-ended world map and basic gameplay design strongly mirror the seminal Capcom series. Super Rad Raygun is a must-play for old-s??chool fans and a pretty solid title in its own right.

5. Watch Dogs 2

Quite honestly, I’m surprised I enjoyed this game as much as I did. While I hadn’t played the first Watch Dogs until after getting this (as a friend thought it was necessary), I was quite taken with how unrestricted your arsenal of tools was. I suppose you could go in guns blazing and solve every mission with several magazines of ammo, but the true joy of Watch Dogs 2 is how no one answer is the correct one.

You can melee all of the guards, fly you??r quadcopter through some air vents, jump from ca??mera to camera and hack computers, or some combination of everything. The only way this game let me down was in the general story, which lacks any kind of motivation or central villainous character. I appreciate Ubisoft trying to make a more realistic tale of script kiddies causing havoc, but it becomes super difficult to remain invested when every mission is mostly a “fuck the man!” type message.

That is made up for with how strongly the characters are written, including a transgender politician and a pudgy, bald lady with an ??unconventional style. No one is called out for their looks or their gender, but on how their actions are hurting the society around them. Basically, this game puts the “don’t judge a book by its cover?” idiom into practice. It makes for a remarkably grounded and joyous game that is easy to get sucked into, as long as you ignore the basic narrative.

Also, you can call cops on random?? people, then call gang members on the cops, and then call cops on the gang members you ordered in. That is just awesome.

4. Clustertruck

This is one of the few titles that came out of nowhere for me. I had never heard of it until TinyBuild sent us an e-mail with a review code and it just looked crazy to me. Usually first-person platform games have problems with identifying depth, making jumps feel almost impossible due to the perspective. Somehow, Clustertruck? nails the idea of movement and creates some truly awesome scenarios that feel straight out of Hollywood action film.

Clustertruck also follows the winning pattern of Braid by introducing a simple, core concept and then building upon it with varying?? level designs. While there are special abiliti?es you can unlock, the entire game is possible with just your starting skills. As you get better at the game, you learn to think on your feet and identify patterns with lightning speed, making for some narrow escapes and death-defying jumps that will have your butt clenching in fear.

The final boss kind of throws all of that out the window, but the game includes Steam Workshop support and has more then enough levels before the final confrontation to remain enjoyable for the four or so hours it takes to beat. I highly recommend this if you were a fan of Mirror’s Edge, but hated how the? combat mechanics took center stage in some levels.

3. Alone With You

Point-and-click adventure games have definitely made a resurgence ever since Telltale Games signed on to revive Sam & Max. Its early portfolio is loaded with some really good retro-style adventure titles, but its more recent work has taken a step towards?? cinem?atic narratives. While I can’t fault them for changing up the formula, I missed the quality titles they were making in the vein of LucasArts.

While Alone With You isn’t exactly an adventure game, it contains a lot of the same gameplay loops that the classic LucasArts titles did. You get sent on a quest to discover the downfall of scientific research base that was looking for life?? on another planet. At the same time, your discoveries lead to your AI companion being able to temporarily bring back the memories of some of the key staff that perished along with the outpost you’re stationed at.

What really makes this game work is how well-written everything is, but I was mostly taken with how beautiful the “love” story at the center of the title is. There are multiple paths and endings to this game, allowing for unique stories between playthroughs and players, but opting to stick with? the AI and watching as it g?rows a personality and becomes concerned for your safety nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Sure, there may not be the most in-depth or original gameplay, but puzzles that require logic and memorization are always a plus in my book. The wonderful mus??ic and fantastic art style a?lso make this a joy to be engaged with, even if you get a bit lost.

2. Doom

Growing up in the '90s, I was a pretty big fan of shooters. The genre had started to take hold of the gaming landscape with the release of GoldenEye 007 and it hasn’t let up since. While I don’t care for the majority of shooters released in the last five or so years, Doom had my attention due to the nostalgia factor. That it ended up being a solid, fast-paced, and bloody throwback to simpler times was as big a surprise to me as it was to anyo??ne.

While Doom isn’t exactly “classic” in t??he sense of level design or progression, the gunplay that drives each encounter feels like a natural evolution of the original game’s concept. You’re given an extr?emely varied and chaotic arsenal of guns to dispatch enemies with and the game speed is cranked to 150% to keep you moving. If you stand still, you will die!

What initially stopped me from truly loving the title was the emphasis on collecting secrets to power-up your guns. The original Doom handled secrets by giving you temporary boosts to your health or armor, but this new game throws a bunch of random tasks at you to improve the damage output of your guns or permanently increase your health and then bombards you with pop-ups about new weapons, hidden collectibles, and “rune” abilities that grant you passive bonuses. Aren’t I the Doom guy? I’m suppo??sed to be a badass without an?y help.

Thankfully, an “Arcade” mode update was released that does away with any secret finding and just gives you everything from the start. Now, you get to experience the game in a manner that feels truer to the original title while also allowing you to unload with ultimate dominance at every moment. Sure, the main campaign is solid enough, but there is too much in the w?ay of downtime if you opt to scour each inch of every level for all of the secrets. It doesn’t help that there doesn’t seem to be a way to turn off those pop-up boxes that lead you to the dry and pointless flavor text.

Also, the boss battl??es are too damned easy. While I finished the campaign on “Ultra-Violence,” my biggest hurdles were with the larger rooms loaded with dozens of enemies. Every time you get to a boss, you basically dodge a super telegraphed pattern and unload on him. It is boring and kind of? anticlimactic. Isn’t the Spider Mastermind supposed to be the toughest bastard in hell?

1. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

I’m not exactly the biggest fan of real-time strategy games, seeing as how I somehow lack the ability to micromanage my troops or think about actions a few steps ahead of the competition. Without the ability to stop and think, I tend to make gut-reaction moves that cost me precious units and time. For that reason alone, I’ve always loved the pacing and style of the Civilization series. I also like how carefree the game treats history, allowing you to feel smart for having studied Western/Eastern Civ in sch??ool while also manipulating the past to make your own perfect empire.

What Civilization VI brings to the table after five prequels is a lot more strategic depth. I can’t deny that I like just plopping a city down and calling it a day, but having to strongly consider where you put certain districts or even found your citie?s makes every small decision feel a lot more impactful to the game. You can no longer settle wherever you want and make weird designs on the map, since certain areas are going to leave your city desolate and vapid.

The reintroduction of religion with a stronger emphasis on making it a core part of the gameplay is also great. While I know Gods & Kings for Civilization V did bring back theology to the series, it never felt as realized as what Civilization IV attempted to do. Now, though, you can actually win a game with an entirely pacifist rout?e by simply converting all of you?r neighbors to your faith.

Not everything about VI works as well as its fully expanded predecessors, but this is basically the strongest base Civilization game the series has ever seen. What you get already feels like a well-thought-out and developed game that could realistically see one expansion before being perfect.?? Being a fan of the series for a little over a decade now, I couldn’t be happier with what we’ve gotten.

The post Peter Glagowski’s personal picks for Game of the Year 2016 appeared first on Destructoid.

Paid DLC alongside the free Winter Update

Ah, Civilization VI. The game I love and, thankfully (for the sake of my free time and general well-being), I keep forgetting I have installed. "Don't believe its lies. It will eat your weekend."

The so-called Winter 2016 Update is out this week, and with it comes Good Change??s (you can set up an alert for units to sleep until they spot ??an enemy; production costs for Space Race Projects are down by 40 percent), further balancing, AI tuning, fixes, and a pair of DLC packs, including a new civ.

As detailed in the overview video above, the monarch Jadwiga can now lead Poland in Civilization VI. Her standout benefit, and the one that has me seriously considering plunking down five bucks for access to the add-on, is this: when you complete an encampment or fort inside friendly territory, you gain adjacent tiles -- even if that means stealing territory right out from under ano??ther civilization.

That sounds really useful. And this, too, looks awesome??????????????????????????:

That said, I'm unsure if I'll pay for the privilege (it costs $5 for Pol??and and the Jadwiga's Legacy scenario bundled together), or just hold out for some eventua??l DLC package at a reduced rate.

Firaxis is also offering a similarly-priced Vikings Scenario Pack with six new city states, three more Natural Wonders, and "the most detailed scenario released yet for [Civ VI]."

Civilization VI: King Jadwiga Leads Poland [Civilization]

The post Poland joins Civilization VI and it’s here to steal your tiles appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm glad he's not dead

As if Sean Bean doesn't already joke about dying in nearly every one of his films, he makes a crack about being "replaced" in the next Civilization, crea??ting a canon death for his character, the narrator. It's heartbreaking!

More triumphantly, you can get a little behind-the-scenes look at this process, in which he low-key says it's easier than making films because you have the lines in front of you. Oh, and the brief footage of the chorus that perfo?rms live music? Wonderful.

I wish there was h?ours of footage of Sean Bean smiling in a sound booth.

The post Watch (a very much alive) Sean Bean’s soothing voicework for Civilization VI appeared first on Destructoid.