Back in 2016, video game company Firaxis put out one of the best games of the year. It was a turn-based strategy game which let players take control of a civilization starting in the Stone Age, guiding it to the Space Age and beyond.
And the truth is that 2016’s Civilization VI was a worthy follow up to the earlier Civilization V, offering the same addictive gameplay as its predecessor – after all, these games have been keeping up fans of the series awake into the early hours of the morning since the first game in the series hit shelves back in 1991.
Civilization VI brought several improvements to the series such as the new city districts, the new way in which builders function in the game and other gameplay improvements, making it arguably the best version of the long-running strategy series to date.
Thankfully, Civilization VI has moved to other platforms aside from the PC since its launch, with a Nintendo Switch version of the game hitting shelves in November last year, while it’s now been announced that the game will be hitting the PS4 and Xbox One this fall.
Firaxis has revealed that this console version of Civilization VI is optimized for controller play, and that navigating the map and viewing information in-game will be “a breeze” in this upcoming version of the game.
Hopefully, then, this will be as smooth to control and play as last year’s Switch version of Civilization VI, which is currently one of the best-reviewed games on Nintendo’s portable console.
A plus is that console players will also be able to purchase the two expansions released for the game. These will be available in the form of an Expansion Bundle on PS4 and Xbox One, and also on Nintendo Switch. These are titled Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm, the first one adding Golden Ages and Dark Ages to the game (with their corresponding bonuses and negative effects) plus a new Loyalty mechanic while the second brings natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions to the game and the World Congress – great for those who prefer to win the game via diplomacy instead of war.
Both expansion packs also include new leaders such as Genghis Khan and Queen Dido, adding new gameplay possibilities to the game.
But while Civilization VI’s launch on PS4 and Xbox One is good news for those fond of strategy games and fans Firaxis’ video game series, the arrival of the game on Sony’s and Microsoft’s console has stirred a bit of controversy.
This is in part due to the fact that PS4 owners will be getting some extra content that Xbox One owners won’t. Actually, PS4 owners will be getting the Nubia Civilization & Scenario Pack, plus the Khmer and Indonesia Civilization & Scenario Pack together with their game, while Xbox One owners won’t. These DLC packs include new civilizations (Nubia, the Khmer and Indonesia), leaders and scenarios to play amongst other things, and sure are a welcome addition to the game that sadly Xbox One owners will have to pay for, while those on PS4 won’t due to a promotion with Sony as was reported on Game Rant.
Also, it has been reported that the game won’t support cross-play online multiplayer. More annoyingly for some, all versions of the game will support cloud saves except for the PS4 version. This means you won’t be able to start a game on Nintendo Switch, for instance, save your game and then continue said game on the PS4 if you also own that version of the game, as the PS4 edition of the game does not support cross-save as per Sony’s policy.
Additionally, some may find the game’s launch price of $60 US dollars on PS4 and Xbox One slightly over the top, taking into account that Civilization VI is already three years old and that the Nintendo Switch version is selling for half the price now. There’s also the Expansion Bundle containing the game’s expansions (which retails for $50 USD), meaning those wanting to enjoy the complete experience will have to fork over quite a bit for the privilege of doing so.
Nonetheless, Civilization VI is one of the best strategy games to come out in a very long time, so here’s hoping that the new console versions of the game turn out to be as good as they can be when they ship later this year.
Note: Civilization VI will be released on November 22, 2019 on PS4 and Xbox One.