In this thread we will be documenting all the new additions for Humankind from Amplitude Studios.
TL;DR: You can layer from 60 different civilizations from history to create your own unique narrative. It will stretch from the Neolithic to the Modern age. In the end, the civilization with the most Fame will be the winner. Full of Humanmade Wonders, Natural Wonders, Units, and Buildings for you to construct.
Note: all images are created by the team at Amplitude Studios
TL;DR – Adding aBattle Royale to a Civilization game
seems really counterintuitive, that is until you play it.
Score – 4 out of 5 stars
Review –
In 2019 if there was
ever a trend that could be considered the new hotness that every video game
company wants a chunk of, well that has to be the Battle Royale mode. For those
who may not know, a Battle Royale mode/game is where you have an ever-shrinking
map so you need to gear up, get to the safe zone, defeating any enemies you
come across, and be the last one standing. This is where you get your chicken
dinner, or in this case your escape from a dying planet. But most Battle Royale
games like PUBG, Fortnite, and Call of Duty:
Black Ops 4: Blackout are first/third-person shooters, surely it can’t work
in a strategy game, well I’ve been able to play a couple of rounds so far so
let’s see.
My experience with Battle Royale games is not as extensive as some people, however
I have played/watched enough of the genre to get a good sense of the common
aspects of the game. You have the same phases in a match, when you land you
have to roam around quickly to try and get resources, troops from ruined
cities, helicopters from raider camps, or even a coveted nuclear weapon. You
need to move quickly because everyone else is out there doing the same, so you
have to stretch your resources, but not so much that you overburden yourself.
Then you might pick off one of the players that were not quick enough while
keeping to the ever-shrinking safe zone until there are only one or more
players left and you battle it out head-to-head.
TL;DR – A fantastic addition to the base game that really improves the exploration phase.
Score – 4 out of 5 stars
Review –
Last year I got back into Stellaris a 4X space strategy game, a combination that feels like a video game designed just for me. Over the years it has had a lot of improvements building upon the strengths of the base game. Since then there have been a couple of expansion packs and DLCs and today we are looking the latest addition for the game Ancient Relics.
The core component of this new story pack is the addition of archaeological digs and from this the addition of minor and major artifacts. As you explore out at the start of the game you may stumble across archaeological digs on random planets. These require a science ship to work them much like anomalies but with a little twist. There is a random element in the process where you have a chance to improve until you crack the next level. Most of the digs have multiple levels that you have to progress to before you can complete it and earn research points, resources, or more.
TL;DR
– It builds on everything that worked in the base
game and then adds features that make it a must play
Score – 4 out of 5 stars
Review –
Last year I had a look at a really interesting strategy game about starting the first ever colony on Mars. Just in its name, Surviving Mars, it told you just how hard it would be to build and sustain life on a hostile planet. You could set up a colony only to sit there and watch it die because you accidentally set up a negative feedback loop. But while this can be devastating, the game is always there tempting you to try again, and when you succeed there is so much joy in that moment. While I enjoyed my time in Surviving Mars, it did feel like it had yet to reach its full potential. Well, today we are going to look at the newest expansion Green Planet to see if this helps to fill in the gaps in the base game with copious amounts of Martian concrete.
So to set the scene, you are the commander for the first colony being sent to the red planet. When you arrive Mars is a bleak, hostile, but also a deeply beautiful place. It is a planet filled with promise but also death. You need to build up resources, construct domes to protect your people, provide oxygen and water, and keep it safe from all the disasters that can strike. However, while surviving is fine, there is a next step that you could take. Because what if we can shape Mars to be friendlier, what if we could turn it into a green planet?
TL;DR
– A visually beautiful and fun game, even though
there are still a couple of rough edges in places.
Score – 4 out of 5 stars
Review –
Last year the world was introduced to Sea
of Thieves a game about sailing the open seas, digging for buried treasure,
and sinking pirate vessels. As a concept, it looked like a great idea, and I
watched a couple of streamers like Stephanie Bendixsen have a lot
of fun on the open ocean. However, while it looked like a really fun game the
price point was just too high here in Australia for me to be able to dive into
it myself, something that has only be amplified by being out of a job for four
months. Recently the game released its one-year anniversary update which seemed
to add in a lot of the features people mentioned were missing, so I was glad the
game was getting continued support. But one day I opened up my email to find a
surprise, my friends had bought me a copy of the game. This meant that for the
first time I got to explore the world and discover the highs and lows of Sea of Thieves.
TL;DR – While the big up-front features are interesting,
for me it was a lot of the small quality of life changes that really stood out
Score – 4.5 out of 5 stars
Review –
Now, if you have read anything on our site before, you will likely know that I quite like the Civilization series. Well, I have had my hands on the new expansion Gathering Storm for a couple of weeks now and have been able to play a number of games with many of the new civilizations, so I think I have reached the point where I can give the game an informed review. With that in mind in today’s review, we will be looking at the civilizations, the main features, the improvements, and then the production to see what sort of expansion Gathering Storm is.
So to set the scene, if you are not familiar with the game, Civilization VI is a turn-based strategy game of the 4X persuasion. This means that instead of moving all at once, each player takes their turn to build wonders, move troops, and explore the map or whatever they are trying to do. Your aim is to build the biggest empire through economic, military, scientific, cultural, or religious means (or all of the above). Thus you eXplore, eXpand, eXpolit, and eXterminate. Gathering Storm is the second expansion pack for Civilization VI after Rise and Fall, which has historically meant that this is the last expansion for the game, but we’ll see about that.
Civilization Leader: Suleiman
Civilization Agenda:
Civilization Capital: Istanbul (not Constantinople)
Civilization Bonus: Great Turkish Bombard – +Production of Siege Units, +Combat Strength for Siege Units, Conquered cities do not lose populations, Cities not founded by The Ottomans get +Amenities and +Loyalty.
Leader Bonus: Grand Vizier – Can use Ibrahim a Unique Governor
Unique Unit: Janissary – Starts with a free promotion, Stronger and cheaper than the Musketman, cost a Population to build (unless built in concurred city)
Unique Unit: Barbary Corsair – Cost no movement to Coastal Raid, Can not be seen unless units are right next to it.
Unique Building: Grand Bazaar – extra accumulation of Strategic Resources in city boarders, + Amenities for each improved Luxury in the city boarders
Rivers: Litani River, Kızılırmak River
Mountain Ranges: Balkan Mountains
Deserts: Tanezrouft Basin
TL;DR– Bringing the survival gameplay into a world of dinosaurs is a fantastic idea, but for me,the balance is not quite there.
Score – 3.5 out of 5 stars
Review –
If you have read my reviews in the past, you would know that one of the easiest sells for me is to add dinosaurs to something. Movies, TV, Books, you name it and if it has dino’s in it I am there for it. However, when it comes to video games with dinosaurs I am much more hesitant after getting burnt in the past with games like The Stomping Land,and more generally in this genre with Day-Z.So when Ark first came out I was not prepared to invest in another Early-Access survival game, but now it has been out in full release for a year I thought it would be a good time to take the dive into the world of Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, lots of Dodos,and oh the mechanic that lets you know when you pooped.
TL;DR
– In some respects the Let’s Go games are huge improvements on what has come before, and
in other ways, they are a real step back
leading to an interesting if uneven game.
Score – 3.5 out of 5 stars
Review–
I have been playing Pokémon games since the first Red and Blue were released onto an expecting world not knowing the cultural touchstone they were creating. And besides that statement making me feel super old, it has been interesting to see the series change and develop while still holding fast to what came before. So today we are looking at the first Pokémon on the Nintendo Switch, which is a remake of Pokémon Yellow, which was a remix of the original Pokémon Red/Blue, that already had a remaster with FireRed/LeafGreen and with elements of Pokémon Go added to it, so it ends up with an interesting final product. Well, I have been playing it for a couple of days now, and while I have not beaten the Elite Four yet I do have a good idea about my feelings of the game.
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