Tornados, Volcanoes and Flooding, Oh My!
by Dillan-James Carter
Courtesy of IDBG.com
Gathering Storm is the most impactful DLC to hit the Civilization franchise since the eponymous theme “Baba Yetu”. The inclusion of natural disasters wreaking havoc across the globe along with the inclusion of CO2 emissions raising global sea levels makes Civilisation VI feel like a fully fleshed out world with all the worse bits left in, in the best possible way.
Natural disasters add an element of randomness to the stale strategy of city placement. If you place Istanbul by a river, you’ll receive added yield for your floodplain tiles throughout the game, however, your farms and districts shall be damaged whenever a flood hits. Along with this, climate change has been added to the late game in which the use of strategic resources leads to the polar ice caps melting away. These new systems add to keep the player far more engaged on the choices they make while playing, yet they aren’t a constant game-ending nightmare.
Besides these additions, we have eight new leaders who are more diverse than the people on the First Bus night service. The Maori, for instance, start in the ocean and must find an area to settle through exploration; and the Phoenicians can move their capital at will to make the loyalty of its colonies stronger. These new leaders are a brilliant shake-up of the regular cast, and add truly unique abilities never seen in the franchise – though I’m still waiting for the day I’ll be able to build walls as Trump.
The world congress is back from the previous game which puts the policy-making of the UN to shame. A widespread of resolutions like the Border Control Treaty and Heritage Organisation have vast effects on the gameplay and either work as a boon or curse to the targeted player. Moreover, a grievance system has been added to keep the more aggressive civs in check by keeping a record of hostile interactions. So, if the time comes when your people have to take up arms, the other leaders will not denounce you immediately.
Overall, Gathering Storm takes Civilization VI to a whole new level with improvements across the board and worthy additions. The biggest downside of Gathering Storm is the excruciatingly high price, which puts it out of sight until the next Steam sale for most – although, if you're ready to lose your life to just one more turn, then your student loan is damned.
Released: February 14th, 2019
Platform: PC
Price: £35
