Civilization 6 [official site] is a wonder in singleplayer, though we do have some complaints: the AI still struggles at times and diplomacy isn’t quite the revolution we’d hoped for. The perfect way to sidestep would be to play with non>artificial intelligences, who can conduct diplomacy using swear words and cruel deceptions. We sent our cultural ambassador Robert Zak onto the internet to test out Civ 6 multiplayer in all its forms. Here is his report.

… [visit site to read more]

We’re nearly at the end of silly season: most of the big releases are out now, with only Watch No Underscore Dogs Two really still to go. It’s been a messy one for a lot of the big companies, by all accounts. Let’s see how it shook out during Dishonored 2 launch week.

… [visit site to read more]

I’m a positive person. In life, I tend to find a bright side even if I’m lost in the dark, and I look for the best in people even if they’re concealing their best incredibly well. As a games critic, I tend to think of myself as harsh though, because analysing the best qualities of a thing often means finding all the fine points that fail to work along the way. Despite that, looking back at my reviews over the last couple of years, I can’t help but notice that I appear to like games. Quite a lot actually. I am almost always positive about the games I play and I figure it’s worth explaining why that is.

… [visit site to read more]

Last week, like drinking mulled wine on a chilly November evening, I found great comfort in a Steam top ten that seemed to reflect the wide, weird and wonderful nature of modern PC gaming. After months of recurrent names, it was a bright new dawn of variety. Anything is possible.

I am a fool. … [visit site to read more]

Firaxis’ latest bite at the macro-scale building turn-based 4X ’em up cherry has hardly been with us two weeks, yet has already inspired umpteen illustrious tales of mighty empires, astute observations and bittersweet victory conditions here at RPS.

Wot did strategy aficionado Adam think? He loved it, of course, but there’s always room for improvement – and when a game is made up of quite so many simultaneously moving parts, mods tend to help make that so. Official support hasn’t quite breached the shores of Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 [official site], however that’s hardly stopped keen modders from getting their hands dirty in the meantime. We’ll add to this list down the line, but here’s the best Civ 6 mods available right now.

… [visit site to read more]

An altogether healthier chart than we’ve had over the last few weeks, even if the usual ghosts continue to haunt it. That was a spooky halloween reference. It’s probably still Halloween in Tazmania or something. Even if it’s not, there’s definitely a hungover guy in a vomit-smeared David S. Pumpkins costume shambling down a street somewhere. … [visit site to read more]

I’ve been playing a lot of Civilization 6 recently and I love it dearly. It’s not perfect though. Nothing is, of course, but Civ 6 also suffers because it’s a strategy game so it has all kinds of problems with its AI. When I first started writing a critique of what does and doesn’t work when it comes to the AI, I rather lazily typed out something like that previous sentence: has there ever been a strategy game with AI that is praiseworthy rather than passable? There’s a part of me that has become an apologist for clumsy AI routines in strategy games.

Here are a few artificial intelligences that need the fewest apologies.

… [visit site to read more]

I have played Civilization [official site] games as long as there have been Civilization games. I have always enjoyed them. I have always hated winning them. … [visit site to read more]

Though Adam was the first to settle in the brave new world of Civilization 6 [official site], Alec and Pip have since spent the weekend establishing their own outposts in Sidland. The three of them now form an uneasy alliance to discuss the strengths and failings of the game.

Grievances are aired at length about its new Diplomacy system, jumbled UI and opaque nature, while its vibrant look and elaborate nature are praised. And has learning to play Civ become like learning to play Dota? Let us parley. … [visit site to read more]

Now that I’m past the first 100 turns political offers seem to be turning up with greater frequency. I hate negotiating with AI civilizations so I have decided to appoint former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson as my diplomatic advisor. I cannot afford actual Alex Ferguson so I am, instead, opening his book, A Year In The Life: The Manager’s Diary, at random and reading until relevant advice presents itself.

… [visit site to read more]