Sean Bean is back
Civilization VItore onto the scene in 2016, and gave us the first mainlineCivin six years. We need way more simulation games in our lives right now, so I was more than happy to receive it, despite some issues and downgrades compared to past entries.
I had the chance to check the game out on PS4, and it seems like up to the task, similar to have the Switch port was in 2018.
I’ve been jumping in and out ofCiv VIon PC for a while now, but I think I’ll be playing on consoles for the foreseeable future: at least when it comes to solo play (my oldCivmates wouldn’t be caught dead playing on anything but PC, but I’m kind of ready for a new experience. Brilliantly, there’s a tutorial for brand newCivplayers, brand newCiv VIplayers and those “new to the platform.”
If you’ve never played aCivgame before, you’re basically taking control of any number of different civilizations in a turn-based setting under the guise of explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate (otherwise known as the “4X genre”) with the endgame of achieving a Civ VI-specific win condition (commonly referred to as “win cons”). In Civ VI, you’re able to declare victory through religion, science, domination (military), culture (tourism) or a pre-determined amount of points/stopping point.
People loveCivbecause it can essentially morph into any number of different tabletop games, spanningEurogamesand worker management. If you want to play it as a pacifist (which has varying degrees of efficacy depending on the game), you can do that. Or aggressively, or isolationist, and so on. On consoles, hitting L1 (LB) or R1 (RB) will swap between menus with ease, and moving about the hexagonal map with the analog stick is a cinch. Given thatCivis a methodical strategic series at heart it makes a whole lot more sense even without a keyboard and mouse.
Even just for pure historical valueCiv VIis worth playing. There’s an innocent joy to accomplishing a new in-game goal and unlocking a real-life factoid for the founding of Kraków, or hear Sean Bean’s dulcet tones teach you about Teddy Roosevelt. It’s just a relaxing game on any platform: something you can pick up and put a few turns into on an easier difficulty setting, or really challenge your brain on a higher one.
The console editions are also launching with optional expansion bundles (Rise and Fall/Gathering Storm) which offer 18 new leaders and 16 civilizations in total, as well as new literal win and failure conditions for the former, and a host of natural disasters for the latter. AloneRise and Fallis a bit middling, but when combined withGathering Stormit augmentsCiv VInicely. There’s a reason why Firaxis Games is low key one of 2K’s best studios, as they’re still churning out hits likeXCOM 2andSid Meiergames in recent years.
Civilization VIis out on PS4 and Xbox One on July 07, 2025, priced at $60 for the base game and $50 for the expansion bundle. Note that the “platinum edition,” which includes all lesser scenarios and both expansions, is $120 on Steam.Gathering Stormis $40 and Rise and Fallare still separately $30 on Steam, but the base game is pretty packed enough.
[This assessment is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
