Civilization 6 Review Roundup

Sid Meier's Civilization series returns with Civilization VI. The strategy game released last week, and after spending enough time with the game, critics have started to deliver their verdicts. So far, the reception is very positive.

Those who preordered Civilization VI got access to the Aztec Civilization pack on October 21. Everyone else will get to play as them for free, but it won't be until early next year. The nations available for everyone at launch include Greece, Spain, Sumeria, Brazil, Egypt, China, England, and America.

If you're wondering how your PC will handle the new Civ game, then you can check out the system requirements here. They're quite modest, with a graphics card recommendation of an AMD HD 7970, Nvidia GTX 770, or higher.

We've collected a series of review scores and editor opinions and compiled them below. For a wider view of the critical reception, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Civilization VI
• Developer: Firaxis
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: October 21
• Price: $60

GameSpot -- 9/10

"Civ VI 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." -- Scott Butterworth [full review]

The Telegraph -- 5/5

"From its various routes to victory and how those methods of play intertwine; to its leaders and the numerous interactions between those bold and colourful characters, this is a supremely strong strategy experience with only a handful of quirks and flaws. It launches in such a feature full-state that it's a wonder where Firaxis could go next. 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 40, 60, 100 hours of play? That's joyous." -- Sam White [full review]

PC Gamer -- 9.3/10

"For each valley and steppe and oasis, I could tell you why I’d developed it the way I did much more meaningfully than 'Because hills are a good place for mines.' As the board shaped my empire, and I shaped it, the history of my civilization and my decisions accumulated and followed me right up to the threshold of the stars. And that, more than anything, is why I'll never need another Civ game in my life besides this one." -- T.J. Hafer [full review]

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USGamer -- 4.5/5

"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." -- Mike Williams [full review]

PCGamesN -- 9/10

"The way the series has evolved reflects our own play cycles with Civ. Each entry is like starting a new game--carrying into it the expertise and heritage of past games but being unafraid to try a new strategy to achieve victory. These are just Civ VI's first few turns on a journey that will go on for the next three years or so as the game evolves. It's just the beginning of a new Civ chapter, and what a glorious, confident beginning it is." -- Robert Zak [full review]

Polygon -- 8.5/10

"Civilization VI 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." -- Colin Campbell [full review]

Time -- 8/10

"I love almost everything else about Civilization VI. It's friendly in a way that belies its complexity. The interface looks busier than it feels, which is to say never convoluted. You can glean all the information you need, without peeping the spreadsheet views hiding under tiny icons (which seem to exist more for the reasons scientists publish their data--so you can double-check the math if you like). 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." -- Matt Peckham [full review]