Rise and Fall adds numerous new leaders, buildings, units, and wonders. It also tinkers with the nation-building strategy in some bigger ways thanks to the additions of loyalty and golden ages. In the end, Rise and Fall’s moment-to-moment action isn’t dramatically different from the base game, but the new bells and whistles provide a good excuse to return to Firaxis’ excellent strategy game.
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall
Firaxis Games · Feb 7, 2018
About
Civilization VI is a game about building an empire to stand the test of time, and the Rise and Fall expansion brings new choices, strategies, and challenges for players as they guide a civilization through the ages. Can you inspire the Loyalty of people around the world, or will you lose cities to your rivals? Will you establish a Golden Age for your civilization, or be mired in a Dark Age? In Civilization VI: Rise and Fall, you truly become a leader for the ages.
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Scores by platform
7.2
Critic reviews
- 8.0Rise and Fall adds a lot of well-meaning nuance to the base game of Civilization VI. The new Loyalty system allows for more peaceful play, offering border expansion and bringing back city flipping as a strategy. The combination of Golden/Dark Ages and Emergency Situations mean it's now harder for one player to surge ahead in a game. There are still issues though, including illogical AI decisions and espionage needing another pass. It's a great addition to the base game, but Civilization VI isn't quite done yet.
- 8.5Rise and Fall is an expansion about strategy, storytelling and is an absolute dream for anybody a fan of long-termism. While it may not initially seem as large or expansive as other expansions in the series history, there's a pervasive nature of all the new additions. These impact and influence everything else within the game. While there is a level of balance forced on players with the new Ages system, it allows for the telling of a true development of your civilization from start to end and keeps things interesting even at later stages.
- 8.0That’s what lies at the core of Rise and Fall. It’s an expansion that homes in on these single moments or specific periods and gives them greater meaning and impact. Sometimes, though, it can be hard to see the big picture, especially when you’re desperately trying to get enough era points and time’s running out. It shakes things up, so it won’t convert everyone, but the added tension and dynamism is a massive boon for a series where the pace can be a bit predictable.
- 9.0Overall, Civilization VI was already a game I’ve put hundreds of hours into, and Rise and Fall has definitely reawakened my excitement. I remember I was underwhelmed by Civilization V at first, but after the two expansions I was fully invested. I was already wowed by Civilization VI, and Rise and Fall only serves to cement my love for this amazing strategy game.
- 8.0As Civ VI's first expansion, though, Rise and Fall works so well with the base game that lingering issues are minor. It enhances, rather than overcomplicates, systems that were already deep and layered to begin with, while introducing features that keep each game engaging from start to finish. Ages in particular provide room for struggling civs to climb the ranks in the late game and keep leading civs on their toes, and the Governor and Loyalty systems add to the city-specific strategies that helped make the base game great.
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