Recent reviews by blkbutterfly

I love the Dune movies and am a sci-fi nerd.
This is a fun game even though I'm not particularly fond of the RTS element. (I prefer turn based strategy).
That said, I was an early adopter and participated in user feedback and bug reporting, many of which were fixed by the developer.

If you like Naval gameplay then this DLC is for you. Polynesia is a must have culture for an early game navy.

A hidden gem!

The most fun since BioShock! And then some...

But the narrative is peculiar, presumably written by Marvel. The big bad is...your mum! LOL
Easier than XCOM 2, it apparently is nothing like it (besides being turn based strategy). I highly recommend playing it on a free-to-play weekend or on game passes and then pick it up on a sale (which is what I did).

Typically Firaxis, Marvel's Midnight Suns is turn based strategy just like Civ.
Because I mostly play while cooking or doing chores being able to attend to other things whilst playing is crucial and is how I am able to make time to play.

Civ V is "peak civ".

Or perhaps its successor Civilization: Beyond Earth is? IDK
Either way, with the release of Old World from Mohawk, 4X is stepping back in time. Civ V is retro as hell.
If like me you like scenarios and maps, then Civ V is vastly superior to Firaxis' followup Civ VI. Scenarios Into The Renaissance and Scramble For Africa are sublime.

As for MP, Beyond Earth and Civ VI are better games. But the single player experience in Civ V considerably more challenging.

Civ V honed the addictive "One More Turn" game play. Civ VI not so much.

HUMANKIND is a breath of fresh air!

There is a steep learning curve and arcane language that belies this deep and complex entry in 4X strategy.

Notably the mini tactical battles that if anything borrows from XCOM. (It puts Firaxis to shame for not having thought of this themselves first for Civilization). These mini game-within-a-game battles make city sieges considerably more interesting than in Civ VI.

If you were waiting around for Civ VII (that is 7!) from Firaxis+2K, then this game, though not without bugs and exploits, is definitely worth checking out. HUMANKIND is very much a next gen 4X strategy game.

Sega + Amplitude did the unthinkable: they reinvent the wheel in 4X strategy. And then some.

Bravo!

TL;DR Step aside Civilization. The new king of 4 X is here!

Amplitude did the unthinkable: it reinvents the wheel and succeeds. Bravo.

HUMANKIND is the game we all wished the studio behind the Endless series - Amplitude - would make. Now they have, finally.

IMO HUMANKIND is to Civ what Facebook was to MySpace.

Anyone who pre-ordered HUMANKIND can join the Closed Beta. I highly recommend trying it out.

I've only played a couple of hours of ES2 but it's beautiful to play. The UI is very elegant and simple, though at first maybe a little bewildering. I love the way you can zoom in on planets and then zoom out into star system and galaxies.

The only slightly jarring thing IMO is the cheesy synth pop music which I swear is also used on myRide virtual spin classes! So playing the game makes me feel like I'm at the gym. LOL

With each additional DLC pack the game is getting more unbalanced. I do like the Pirates! and Red Death scenarios. Both are fun in multi-player.

But the standard game is becoming increasingly unsuitable to multiplayer. The single player game is where Civ VI shines. Deity (the hardest level) is now increasingly easy to play thanks to the new over powered game modes that do not IMO add much to game play.

I do really love the new civs introduced with the New Frontier Pass. Even though they are slightly OP they are fun to play.

Apart from the poorly thought out sponsors (or civilizations) Beyond Earth is the best designed game in the Civilization franchise IMO. Firaxis have streamlined the civ playing experience in trade, diplomacy, war & peace negotiations. It makes for a much better multi player game.

I can't wait for C:BE2!!