Civilization fans often claim Part 5 is much better than its reviled successor. With YouTuber Writing Bull, we clarify why Civ 6 is nevertheless played more often.
When developer Firaxis handed the sceptre to Civilization 6 in 2016 to continue the strategy series with honour, not all fans reacted enthusiastically to the sequel. The graphic change – from realistic graphics to a cuddly comic look – simply did not appeal to some series veterans.
Even though the critical voices formed the smaller camp at the time of release (4,629 positive reviews vs. 1,507 negative reviews on (Steam)), there was still a playful aspect that clearly diminished the positive overall impression: the miserable AI, which offered no real challenge. In our test, too, it was the biggest point of criticism and could not earn an upgrade even with the patch.
Among the fans, the succession to the throne between the Civs remained unresolved for a long time. One month after the release of Civilization 6, fans of Civilization 5 made a clear statement and “bombarded” their favourite with almost 8,000 positive (Steam-Reviews).
“Which game is better, Civ 5 or Civ 6?” formed a top question among pundits and fans, (on forums) and on (YouTube) for years. Even though Civilization 6 was celebrated and, according to publisher Take Two-Interactive, also sold faster than any other part, there remained a sense of lack of recognition, it wore “a crown with scratches”
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The numbers don’t lie
Today, almost six years after release, the dust of war has settled and the Steam stats for Civilization 5 and Civilization 6 show an interesting picture – with one winner quietly standing out without much fanfare.
Civilization 6 averages between 30,000 and 40,000 players a month, peaking at 70,000 every now and then, and even 90,000 in February 2019.
Civilization 5, on the other hand, has an average of only 20,000 players a month, the last peak with almost 90,000 players was in May 2016, a few months before the release of Civilization 6.))
How was Civilization 6 able to ascend the throne after all, despite all the criticism? There’s an interesting turning point to be observed in Steam reviews: After years of leisureliness, positive reviews skyrocketed from November 2019 (with 4,854 posts!) and were able to maintain this high until today. It is difficult to identify a single cause for this, most likely it is rather an interplay of various factors that is responsible.
1.) Released in November 2019, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions probably brought many PC newcomers back to Civilization 6. (A special release: the last console version of the series was, after all, Civilization Revolution from 2008.)
2.) Was released in May 2020 the (New Frontier Pass), which over time with six DLCs became an increasingly attractive expansion for old as well as new fans and gave the game a new boost – aside from some critical voices on Steam.
3.) This DLC stretch then flowed into its finale in June 2021, when Take Two-Interactive released the Anthology version of Civilization 6 with all content in one box and offered it for half the price for one month (49.99 Euro instead of 99.99 Euro.
4.) And this point should also be considered, from March 2020 onwards, significantly more people resorted to video games to seek distance from the pandemic.
at the same time, a change in gaming behaviour can be observed. As a representative survey by the digital industry association Bitkom from 2020 shows, gamers played more strategy and fitness games during the pandemic than in previous years (p.11). This development most likely also benefited Civilization 6.
The comic descendant of a strong family
“There’s a whole bunch of reasons,” explains Writing Bull, that could explain the immense player numbers. The obvious reason: “It’s a clear indication that the game quite simply brings good quality.” A second reason, according to the expert, is related to Civilization 6’s family, it being the descendant of a long and successful strategy series that has been faithfully followed by some fans for 30 years. This fan loyalty was passed on to Civilization 6. For example, he said, there are also gamer parents who can play the latest instalment with their children – a cross-generational phenomenon.
“When they pick up the latest part now, they not only enjoy the quality of the current title, beyond that, memories are activated, they experience a piece of continuity, a piece of home to which they return. To memories of how they played through for days and nights. Something they might not be able to do today.”
Writing Bull has not only witnessed the controversy between Civilization 5 and 6, but experienced it first-hand. But it’s nothing really new, he says. “There’s always grumbling. From part to part, even when we switched from part 4 to 5. It’s basically mostly a compliment to the predecessor, to its quality.” But he said he quickly learned to love Civilization 6 and also got used to the much-criticised graphics, especially since they came with a fallacy.
“The idea of the developers was to make the game clearer with the graphics. It was probably also an attempt to make it accessible to a larger crowd,” he explains. “But the fascinating thing is that graphically the game just looked like a casual game to many, but it wasn’t one at all. Once everyone realised that, everyone got hooked. ”
The secret to success: it’s as complex as you want it to be
The strategy sector is divided into many sub-genres, each series trying to score with its own strengths. Age of Empires focuses on real-time strategy, Anno on building and Civilization gives you control of an entire nation on a global scale in the 4X sector (for “eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate”) – with dozens of factors to consider.
“This is where Civilization is the clear leader,” explains Writing Bull, “through its complexity and replay value.” Writing Bull says you can see why Civilization is so hard to wrest the crown from its competitors. The last challenger was Humankind in August 2021, which many called a possible Civ killer. But that was a fallacy, he said.
“Humankind has a different concept. It wanted to be leaner and faster, deliberate for people who find Civ too cluttered. But that’s where it failed, because it’s unnecessarily complicated. A lot of information is hidden, there are massive problems in the late-game and often no good balance between the nations. The developers have ironed it out in the meantime, but there is still a long way to go until Civ 6.” Civilization 6, on the other hand, benefits from a formula that is becoming more and more sophisticated after years.
The success of Civilization 6 is based not only on the main game alone, but also on the constant expansion by developer Firaxis. It is a complex game that is continuously being developed. New content, civilisations, features and options make it increasingly complex. This also opens up more and more possibilities for the player to create his or her very own challenge. With the new districts, the dynamic city building and the many game levels, Civilization 6 could thus also surpass part 5 in complexity and versatility. Writing Bull gives examples from the addons:
“In Rise and Fall, for example, golden and dark ages were introduced, in which our inhabitants can also rebel against us. There are also governors as city administrators, who themselves have individual promotion trees. Alliances can be formed for various bonuses. The world community can request help in the event of a disaster.
Gathering Storm introduced new features that were previously not available in the main game or the add-ons: there is now energy and power, which are obtained from strategic resources and are crucial in the endgame. The World Congress was added, where you could gain advantages for your game and disadvantages for your opponents. Diplomacy was also added as a new victory variant.
With the New Frontier Pass came not only new civilisations, but also optional game modes and completely new mechanics, including the protectorates and diplomatic quarters. That’s a great example with the protectorates: There are different attractive terrain zones on the map. If you set up a nature reserve, for example, you can make it very profitable. This is a feature that not all players immediately recognise as useful. But those who have tried it out will always come back to it enthusiastically. And that’s how you can always experience Civ 6 differently.”
Writing Bull would like to emphasise one thing here: This increasing complexity does not diminish the fun of the game, it just offers many game options where each player can choose the one that suits them. You don’t even have to have all the functions to win. Casual players can get good games on the “Prince” difficulty level, while “Chieftain” with mali for the AI is recommended for beginners, says the expert. Civilization 6 also offers a lot of content for many different types of players.
“I’ve often witnessed casual players who come from the building corner using the framework of Civ 6 to put their own game on top and build their empire quite peacefully.” In keeping with the motto: each to their own. Writing Bull, for example, loves playing against the AI in single player, while others seek the challenge in multiplayer. Civilization 6, he says, is an all-rounder and a good overall package, even if the biggest problem from the start remains.
The AI: With great power comes great computation
“The AI is now much better under standard conditions than it was when the game was released. The bugs have not been eradicated, but they have been narrowed down. You can’t tell if it’s really stupid. Because we players only see our part of the map, many of the AI’s moves seem incomprehensible to us and stupider than they are. But with all goodwill: The AI has clear deficits in exploration, expansion and tactical decisions. And thus it often does not pose a real challenge.
It can handle the standard game to some extent, but it is not set up for the optional game modes. The AI problem already started with Civ 5. You used to be able to stack units, so the AI didn’t have to calculate as much. With Civ 5, however, ‘one unit per field’ was introduced, and that’s where the kink was. The developers never managed to make the AI act as intelligently as humans.
The AI problem can only be compensated for by huge bonuses. I like to play against them and also make my own house rules and with that I have very cool games. The New Frontier Pass delivers highly specialised civilisations, extra for Civ veterans, there are six different game modes and five different victory modes (domination, research, culture and so on.) There are always new challenges. I always enjoy tinkering and puzzling in Civilization 6.”
The multiplayer: a world with a big hurdle and a lot of potential
Those who have outgrown the AI and are looking for greater challenges will find them in Civilization 6’s multiplayer. Ice Dragon188 and Teppic are long-time multiplayer players from Writing Bull’s community and offer some insight.
“It’s the thrill of competing with others,” explains IceDragon188. “Other players can surprise you with a completely new tactic, even a beginner,” says Teppic. The big problem with the multiplayer is the matchmaking, which didn’t work in Civilization 5 either, both explain.
It is purely a matter of luck, because the players are randomly assigned. This is also difficult to solve because there are dozens of modes, dozens of speeds and dozens of maps. Here, professionals who are looking for a fight could also end up in a round with peaceful build-up players every now and then. And when everything fits and one player gets the upper hand in a match, it is rare that games are even played to the end.
The solution is to be on the lookout for groups of players and to arrange to meet people and work out the exact rules of the game beforehand. This is the only way to ensure that the rounds are fun for everyone. On the other hand, you then also get to enjoy the social component of the game, to ally with others, to negotiate secret agreements and to declare war on others for an impertinence.
There is still a lack of some quality-of-life features such as clearer and more compact menus, which players have meanwhile built in via mods, explains Eisdrache188. A scenario editor and a spectator mode have also been missing for a long time. Beyond that, however, Teppic admits that they are satisfied with the multiplayer – as long as they help themselves.
Does Civ 7 even need it?
Almost six years after its release, it seems, Civilization 6 could finally claim the series throne for itself. The strategy colossus convinces players above all with its complexity, its replay value, its versatile gameplay options and the appeal of being able to throw oneself into new challenges again and again and discover new ways of working the game in the process.
But if Civilization 6 is so great, so complex and so versatile, it’s fair to ask whether the game world needs a successor at all. We asked the Civ experts and received very modest answers.
Writing Bull: “That’s an exciting question that I also often ask myself. What else is possible? Civilization doesn’t get better by getting more complex. You can’t juggle that many balls. If more and more balls are thrown at me as a player, I drop too many. The AI, however, is better. The developers should definitely put more resources into that in Civ 7. And that’s honestly all, I have no other wishes. It would be great if they finally gave us a worthy challenger in Civ 7. ”
Teppic: “Sid Meier once said that with new games, 60 percent is left as is and 30 percent is renewed. What would this 30 per cent be? It would be possible to bring back old ideas. Like the underwater and space cities from Civilization: Call to Power. There are still enough possibilities. Likewise, it would be conceivable to expand the playable period before and after, with Stone Age and Space Age.”
Eisdrache188: “The development of Civ 7 can happily start, even if Civ 6 is far from finished. But Civ 7 will be necessary to improve the performance and single player experience. Especially the AI. If they can manage a good AI, Civ 7 can come too.”
Apart from a suspicious job ad, but which could also point to the development of XCOM 3, there is currently no info on Civilization 7, but our colleague Martin Deppe knows exactly what the game needs to move the strategy series forward. Until then, Civilization 6 seems to reign supreme, belatedly but deservedly.
