For such a complex and in depth game to feel so intuitive is impressive, but for such a game to remain fun, exciting and unpredictable after forty, sixty, one-hundred hours of play? That’s joyous.

Civilization VI is my new favourite addiction that I honestly can’t really fault. Each of the gameplay changes provides a fresh challenge, but they were well worth undertaking once they clicked. It’s packed full of the stuff that made the previous games great, but also has a crisp style that makes things clear enough when the game gets extremely busy.

Civilization VI is still the supreme deity of historical turn-based strategy games. Sure, there are a few technical issues. Load times can be lengthy, and multiplayer could definitely be a lot more stable. However, none of those problems are big enough issue to put a dent in Civilization VI’s armor. If you love the series, history, politics, and/or turn-based games, Civilization VI is a must own.

Although it’s not without flaws, the sixth Civilization brings a lot of outstanding news and makes its mark into the history of the series as crucial point break to a slightly new form of a good old recipe. [Issue #269]

The most empowering and mentally stimulating turn-based game in recent memory, a game that can never be played on autopilot. To battle through Civ VI is to be engaged in a sim from beginning to end, never throwing away a turn - because you never ever want to, because you always want to play.

Civilization VI has reached perfection inside the turn based strategy genre. Complex, addictive and with a very strong personality, Firaxis wants us to spend hundreds of hours in front of our PC.

Improving on its predecessors, Civilization VI stands on the shoulders of giants to reach beyond them. With more freedom, personalization, complexity and meaningful choices than ever, the game is every inch as addictive as ever, even to the veteran, who will toil with the improved difficulty, new victory conditions and mechanics. A masterpiece.

A visually resplendent strategy game that makes every turn feel important and every approach viable.

Civilization VI is most definitely the best base-game installment of the franchise yet. There are so many gameplay mechanics included here that it feels like it’s already had a large expansion. I can’t wait to see what Firaxis could possibly add to improve on an already spectacular and complete game. But as much as I hate to say it, with so much to learn this is one of the least accessible games in the series for newcomers. Still, with beautiful visuals,step-up in AI competence, and so much to do, for returning players this is the best Civilization game in history.

It is a testament to the genre and a game that will steal all of your time until Civ VII comes out!

Civilization VI is the pinnacle of the series. It's featured huge, sweeping changes, and nothing was left out. Everything has found a purpose, they all work together in tandem but also have a reason to stand alone. Only slight AI issues can be found here, but nothing every other 4X or Grand Strategy game hasn't encountered on a worse level. Civilization VI is, frankly, the best 4X strategy game in the world.

These are just a few of the dozens of minor tweaks to what was already an incredibly strong formula. Firaxis' newest entry in the Civilization series isn't a game changer, because the game was already great. However, Civilization VI could easily be the pinnacle of the series.

Civilization VI sounds like a beautiful symphony where all instruments, all its pieces, work perfectly well. It's one of the best games of the year.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is a joy to play, and the best the series has produced. Which pretty much makes it the best 4X strategy game yet made. If you’ve $80 in your pocket and a half decent PC at home, this is a game that will happily and greedily consume as much of your leisure time as you allow it this fall and well beyond.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is one of the best 4x games on the market and one of the best Civilization games to date.

This is an astounding game. Civilization has always been associated as the benchmark for strategy gaming, and Civilization VI is now at the peak. This is as good as it gets.

Even though he didn't create the 4X genre, Sid Meier and the Civilization series unquestionably nurtured and rose it to prominence for the last 25 years. The latest chapter succeeds, again, in bringing new life to the genre and raising the competition bar to new heights.

Civilization VI will go down in history as the most fully-featured launch version in the series. Many of those are smartly revamped versions of Civ classics, buy it finds its own identity with great new ideas like spread-out cities, customizeable governments, research boosts, and leader agendas. And even though the AI has some improving to do, it can put up enough of a fight to make world domination a challenge.

The learning curve is steep for new players, and the new features will disorient veterans for the first few matches. But once you grasp the concepts, you won't want to loosen your grip on the mouse.

Undoubtedly, the best 4X game so far. Civ VI is a total masterpiece and improves all the aspects of the previous incarnation.

Sight, sound, and systems harmonize to make Civilization 6 the liveliest, most engrossing, most rewarding, most challenging 4X in any corner of the earth.

An addictive strategy masterpiece. More freedom, personalization, complexity and meaningful choices than ever. The best things are an improved difficulty, different victory conditions, city management, historic characters and roles.

Probably the best vanilla Civilization from the Firaxis era, a game that feels complete, with tons of features that add depth.

Civilization VI brings the franchise to an unbelievable level of polish and streamlined complexity.

Finally there’s a reason to delete Civilization 5 from our hard drives. Firaxis has improved on many systems, while adding some clever twists like the city sectors. Civilization 6 is a blast to play and we cannot foresee a time when it won’t be installed on our hard drives. This is the definitive turn-based strategy game of the decade.

Civilization remains the preeminent turn-based strategy game. This iteration has a lot of good ideas and a few flaws in execution. The flaws will be fixed, the good ideas will stay and deepen over time.

The perfect combination of innovations and proven mechanics that offers first-class entertainment for dozens and dozens of hours without bothering you over the acceptable limit.

There is so much new and complicated stuff going on in this iteration of the series. To be blunt, I’m not sure how I feel about Civilization VI which, and I’m sure some will disagree with this assessment, is less approachable than others in the past.

Although it does a great job of nudging the player along the way, Civilization VI is complex, deep, and endlessly replayable. Like every entry in the series, Civ VI will no doubt be followed by a number of rebalancing tweaks, small changes, and expansion packs but fresh out of the digital box, Civilization VI is simultaneously familiar, fresh and remarkably fun.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI is simply the best 4X game spawned by Firaxis. With enough new stuff to clearly stand apart from it's predecessors, Civ VI only suffers from a stupid AI when set to the easy settings. A must have for any strategy enthusiast.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is a modern, fun and deep reimagination of a historical brand.

Civilization VI takes all of the elements from the Civilization franchise, improves on them and produces one of the most unique games in the series. It innovates heavily without removing any elements that players have come to expect.

While Civ VI can feel like a greatest hits collection, plus a b-sides, remixes and rarities disc, 25 years on its core gameplay still stands the test of time. [Issue#257, p.51]

A huge game worthy of taking the crown as the game that steals your sleep because you just need to do one more turn. More info on the new features would have been welcome along the way, though.

While not everything has panned out as brilliantly as I had hoped, I have to say this is the most fun I’ve had with a Civilization game since III (I know - heresy).

An excellent sequel, that manages to evolve the series in terms of both accessibility and complexity, and maintain its place as one of the best strategy games of all time.

Despite not introducing many "radical" additions to the series' established gameplay (we will probably have to wait for the game's expansion packs for those), Civilization 6 builds upon the recipe already provided by Civ 5 and its expansions, and improves upon it in every possible way.

You don’t want to spend your night in front of the computer? You have a wife and kids? You cherish your friendships and enjoy parties? Beware of this game. It’s that good. [13/2016, p.44]

If you’re looking for the best turn-based strategy on the market, it’ll be tough to find something as exceptional as this.

Perhaps the most polished and enjoyable release of any in the series, only let down by a baffling AI and some hopefully resolvable niggling issues.

Civilization VI improves on the earlier games in the series in pretty much every way possible. To conquer the world has never been more fun.

With reimagined cities, diplomacy and research progression, Civilization feels familiar enough for veterans while making a lot more sense for newcomers. By far the best Civilization experience we've seen in years, only slightly tarnished by slow load times and art that occasionally feels out of place.

Civ VI has improved upon nearly every system and mechanic in the game, at no real cost to the experience. It's the easiest Civ to play, but it's also the most complex Civ to date. There's enough default automation that you can ignore a lot of the minutia if you want, but micromanagers like myself will still have all the tedium they can dream of. There's nothing quite as satisfying as pillaging every single tile in an aggressive neighbor's civilization.

Despite some shortcomings, Civilization 6 is just great fun. It's amazing how, after two decades, this series still evolves, provides innovations and moves forward. Many gameplay systems were designed from the scratch, but everything works together very well. Now we just have to wait for patches with improvements to the AI.

Civilization VI is a worthy sequel for the franchise. Firaxis has crafted the best vanilla version in the franchise's history, with a host of leaders, a great soundtrack, some keen art direction, and new features like the city expansion. There's not much missing this time around and I look forward to seeing what Firaxis adds to an already amazing game.

Civ is a game that almost defies a straightforward 1-10 scoring system. It's a way of life. A serious undertaking which can't be quantified with a simple number. Suffice to say, this is a feature-rich and immersive iteration where attention to detail in design is apparent from the first turn and systems you didn't even realise could be significantly improved have been infused with a spark of genius. True, the AI is a woeful mess and it's lacking a few tooltips but there is none of the hollowness that Civ V had on release.

Civ 6 has a few rough edges, but they’re pushed far into the periphery by spectacular strategic depth and intricate interlocking nuances. Any frustrations I experienced were immediately eclipsed by my desire to continue playing. Just one more turn, every turn, forever.

All in all, Civilization VI is a solid, fun and enjoyable 4x game. Its basic mechanics are simple enough that players of almost any age can learn to play, but the gameplay is complex enough that multiplayer games can be brutal challenges that force players to the limits of their tactical ability. It has its share of flaws but nothing does more than slightly detract from the game. Whether you're playing for a few minutes before work or glancing up to realize that it's 4 AM, Civilization VI is exactly the kind of game that gets its hooks deep into you and never lets go.

This is a captivating game, one that consumes your time and gives back more than you put in. It’ll test your ability to make sound decisions, and anticipate the future. While diplomacy and numbers tuning will be required to combat some of the frustration that the game brings, this is yet another outstanding 4X game from Firaxis Games that will undoubtedly become one of the most popular PC titles for the years to come.

Firaxis has done a great job with this sixth episode, addictive and fun, where you always want to play one more turn. And keeping a franchise relevant for 25 years is indeed an accomplishment.

It's a more playful, fun feel to the franchise, perhaps, but all that's wrapped around a deeply nuanced game. If you've ever enjoyed playing a multi-layered, immersive and strategic board game with a bunch of funny characters, get in here.

It'll take a few balance patches and expansions before it achieves absolute perfection, but the list of wholesale changes Civ VI brings to the storied formula makes for an instantly sumptuous strategy treat.

This is a deep, massive, complicated game in the best traditions of the franchise, and though it doesn't do everything right, it's likely that strategy fans are going to be very pleased with what they get with Civlization VI.

Civilization VI is pretty much the best incarnation of the famous series on release day. It takes things from Civ V and makes them better, plus it introduces many changes and new additions. And it's really pretty. There are some classic issues with a not-so-smart AI on top of the pile, but the "one more turn" syndrome is strong. And that's the best recommendation you can give.

Civilization VI is a new beginning for the iconic series, with some new and fresh introductions that change the management of the cities and speed up the pace.

We could easily get lost talking about the details and systems of Civilization VI, but what's essential to take away is that this is absolutely a strategy game worth playing, regardless of your experience with the genre or series. Rarely are Civilization games so fully featured at launch. Future updates have a strong foundation to build upon, and there’s so much to explore in the meantime.

I’ve had an absolute blast with Civilization VI. I found it easy to approach, and loved how deep I could choose to go with it. The number of options to completely customize my civilization, and how drastically different each play could be thanks to the randomly generated maps made each match a challenge.

Civilization VI breathes new lives into the series with new diplomacy options, a new government mechanism, different art style and improved AI.

The king of the 4X games is back and it has come with a golden crown. Firaxis has made a whole new Civ with a taste both of the past and the present. Perfect for newcomers and a challenge for the experienced ones.

Sophisticated sequel with outstandingly complex game mechanics. The bad AI is a drawback.

With some tweaks under (and over) the hood, I can happily say that building an empire that can stand the test of time has never looked so pretty, nor has been so fun, in Civilization VI.

Civilization 6 is an advance on the previous game, offering more variety, smarter use of assets and a wider palette of potential activities. It remains the best of its kind, always demanding my attention, forever creating new narratives out of stats and maps. But it fails to move the concept of a history simulation beyond the ambitions set 25 years ago. We've reached the point where Civ games are as much a simulation of themselves, as they are of the march of human progress.

Civilization 6 core gameplay has not changed. The additions the developer made only contribute to the excitement and challenge. Civilization 6 is a worthy successor to the franchise.

The old Civ mantra of “one more turn” is stronger than ever. The additions make for a much deeper strategy game and the inclusion of most of the features from previous entries makes for a remarkably well-rounded launch. It will be interesting to see where Civ VI goes, but I have a feeling there won’t be nearly as dramatic a change as Civ V saw.

Civilization has come a long way over the years. There are so many options in this strategy game, it makes us dizzy. It might be a tough cookie for people that are not familiar with Civ, but for experts this is a near perfect Civilization game.

Civilization VI is the most strategic installment of the Civilization series to date. With upgrades to everything from city planning and management to an entirely revamped social policy system, the are lots of new and improved features to dive into. Diverse maps, unique leader abilities and plenty of interesting rival empires to befriend and fight, Civ VI has a lot to explore and great replay value.

Even with the restriction that the AI is seemingly unable to cope in the final third of the game, this is a good and content-rich old-school strategy that keeps calling me with the infamous “one more turn”.

Districts are surprisingly autonomous: temples generate faith without believers and campuses don’t require scientists to produce science. Sure, you can take some people off fields and put them to work in factories – but each “pop” will give you only +2 production, while the same pop working a forest hex brings back 3 production and some food to boot. [Issue#214, p.76]

Civilization is still one of the most addictive series in gaming, and the new installment offers some really interesting additions. The sometimes stupid AI is a bit of a letdown, though.

The most replayable Civ yet, but the AI is a drawback. [Issue#181, p.77]

Civilization VI has room to improve (particularly the AI), but this is the most complete a baseline Civ game has felt in ages and a few smart tweaks on the formula distinguish it from its predecessor.

For all its frustrations, though, Civilization VI remains incredibly addictive.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI is probably the best 4X actually on the market and for many years. A masterpiece of strategy who know improve all aspects of previous game. A good mix of accessibility and complexity.

At its worst, Civilization VI is a game with a handful of bugs and a somewhat lacking AI that is wrapped up in a somewhat cartoon-like package. At its best however, Civilization VI is an engrossing 4X strategy game that has more depth and features than ever before.

Civilization VI builds on the great foundations of the series while taking important steps to innovate - among them the new districts in cities. But despite being the greatest game in the series, several smaller issues, such as annoyances related to the AI, keeps it from being a true marvel.

It is, in most of the ways that matter, the best-looking, most systemically well thought out, and thereby most fun I’ve had with a Civilization since 1996...Except for that one thing

Despite the weak diplomacy layer and clumsy UI, Civilization 6 as a whole outshines its shortcomings.

The potential is there, and the good mechanics easily outweigh the bad ones, bringing us the good old loop of ''just one more turn''.

The suburbanization, the cartoonish aesthetic, and the “one more turn” addictiveness are still recognizable parts of the core experience people keep coming back for. It is still a full, massive, joyous videogame, even if I have to squint to find the joy beneath mere wit—but the two extremes are now growing wider and wider apart. How long before the fabric of the game snaps under the strain?

Firaxis has made some significant, exciting changes, but has also obscured vital information. [Christmas 2016, p.70]

I found some problems with 'Civilization VI' but not enough to keep me from enjoying it for quite a few hours. Firaxis has improved some systems and stumbled on others, including things that should be in good shape by now, like diplomacy. I have a feeling that a year from now it will be a much better, bigger game, (not to mention cheaper) as is tradition with this series. I just wish that the inevitable DLC felt more like expansions and less like content filling in the gaps from the day one release.

Ultimately is Civilization 6 worth buying? Certainly there have been a few solid play improvements on Civ 5, but not enough to justify its current price tag. The graphics are much less appealing than previous Civs, and depending on your personal tastes, you may find this edition simply unplayable because of it. Really, the best thing Civ 6 has done is make Civ 5 cheaper.

As a series, Civilization is being quietly surpassed. [Christmas 2016, p.114]

It’s not my place to second guess game design. As you know, you go to Civilization with the game you have, not the game you might want or wish to have at a later time. But it is my place to note that when I go to Civilization, I’m looking for more than just a laid back single-player cities builder with the AI frittering idly in the margins. I cut my teeth on Sid Meier’s grand strategy without a brain-dead tactical layer drizzled over the top. I admire a lot of what Firaxis is doing to move on from the mess of Civilization V. They’re headed in the right direction, even if they are dragging a lot of baggage.