Sid Meier's Civilization VI (Switch)
By Chad Sapieha,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Educational world simulator is a perfect fit for Switch.
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Sid Meier's Civilization VI (Switch)
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What’s It About?
SID MEIER'S CIVILIZATION VI for Nintendo Switch transports the popular PC-based world simulation game to Nintendo's hybrid console. Players take on the role of one of dozens of historical leaders -- Norway's sea king Harald Hardrada, Rome's expansionist Trajan, or Scythia's militaristic Tomyris, to name just a few -- and then start building an empire over the course of hundreds of turns. You'll research technologies and governments, recruit great artists and scientists, engage in diplomacy with other leaders, and get into skirmishes and wars with rival nations, all while working towards a winning objective of your choice, which could mean traveling to the stars or destroying every other country on the map. Virtually everything from the PC game has made the transition to this console edition, from competitive multiplayer -- up to four friends can connect via local area network -- to the active research system, which rewards players who strategically explore and build with boosts to research. It also comes with bonus content built in, including four extra leaders and civilizations to choose from and several scenarios that set up shorter games with specific objectives. Players have the option of playing on a TV or on the Switch console screen, which supports both traditional gamepad controls and a touch screen interface.
Is It Any Good?
The ability to take Sid Meier's world simulation with you anywhere you go is a dangerous proposition for the millions of players counted among the fans of this long-running series. Sid Meier's Civilization VI is a great fit for Nintendo Switch, capturing the addictive strategy and turn-based play of its PC precursor perfectly. The hybrid interface that supports both touch screen and physical controls (you can stick to one or the other, or use a mix of both) is intuitive and empowering. And the game runs surprisingly smooth on Nintendo's relatively underpowered hardware, so long as you don't tax it too much by playing on a really big map. Plus, it comes with lots of extra content beyond the base game, including additional leaders, civilizations, and scenarios. Players looking for a shorter game with specific objectives can try colonizing Australia without combat, conquering Europe as a Viking leader, or defending Poland from a host of aggressors. These quicker, lightly directed scenarios suit the Switch experience very well, especially when playing on the go.
Of course, as with any port to new hardware, Civilization VI's move to Switch brings over the occasional quirk. One of these is that text details of notifications are now pushed to a separate screen rather than automatically popping up on the right side of the display (as they do in other versions of the game), presumably to keep the Switch's smaller display from becoming cluttered and crowded with information. This can leave you blind to other civilizations' strategies and your own cities' troubles if you don't take the time to check them, so make sure you do – especially if you see a red alert notification pop up. But Sid Meier's Civilization VI on Switch is, by and large, a smashing success. It's fun, educational, strategic, and inspiring. Whether this is your first time jumping into Sid Meier's human history simulation or you're a die-hard fan of the PC series and just want the ability to build empires on the go, it earns an easy, wholehearted recommendation.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about screen time. It can be hard to stop playing a game like Sid Meier's Civilization VI, which constantly prompts players to take their next turn, so how long should a healthy play session last?
What qualities are important for a good political leader? Do good leaders come by these qualities naturally, or can they be learned?
Game Details
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Subjects: Language & Reading : reading, Social Studies : cultural understanding, government, historical figures, history, timelines, Hobbies : building
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : decision-making, hypothesis-testing, investigation, strategy, Self-Direction : set objectives, work to achieve goals
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: 2K Games
- Release date: November 16, 2018
- Genre: Strategy
- Topics: Adventures , History , Horses and Farm Animals , Science and Nature , Wild Animals
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Drug Reference, Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Last updated: September 10, 2021
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