While Civ VI retains the functional hex-grid structure introduced by Civ V, developer Firaxis has dropped the more realistic look, redesigning everything with brighter colours and cartoonish characters more similar to those in Civilization Revolution. Of course, the most recognisable change is the art style. It might even be the most in-depth Civilization game to date. The good news is that in the 15 hours and several hundred turns I've poured into a pre-release version of the game-which features all of the structural and mechanical features from the retail release, half of the game’s 20 distinct civilisations, a comprehensive list of different map types, three map sizes, and two game speeds- Civ VI is already very good indeed. The release of Civilization VI is the next big step, and after 2014’s good-but-not-outstanding Civilization: Beyond Earth, which felt more like a spinoff than a sequel, expectations are high. It’s an important milestone for a series that has shaped the strategy genre in countless ways over the last quarter-century. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Sid Meier’s Civilization.

Civilization vi demo