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Humankind |OT| Civilisation Redux

Uzzy

Uzzy

Gabe’s little helper
Member
Oct 25, 2017
28,024
Hull, UK
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Platforms: PC/Mac/Stadia (Steam, EGS, Xbox Game Pass)
Developer: Amplitude Studios
Publisher: SEGA
Release Date: 17th August, 2021
Genre: Turn Based Historical 4X
Price: £47.99/$59.99/€59.99 (10% Pre Purchase Discount)

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HUMANKIND is a historical strategy game, where you'll be re-writing the entire narrative of human history and combining cultures to create a civilization that's as unique as you are. Combine up to 60 historical cultures as you lead your people from the Ancient to the Modern Age. From humble origins as a Neolithic tribe, transition to the Ancient Era as the Babylonians, become the Classical era Mayans, the Medieval Umayyads, the Early Modern era British, and so on. Each culture will add its own special gameplay layer, leading to near-endless outcomes.

Steam_03.gif


Face historical events, take impactful moral decisions, and make scientific breakthroughs. Discover the natural wonders of the world or build the most remarkable creations of humankind. Each game element is historically authentic. Combine them to build your own vision of the world. The journey matters more than destination. Fame is a new and unifying victory condition. Every great deed you accomplish, every moral choice you make, every battle won will build your fame and leave a lasting impact on the world. The player with the most fame will win the game. Will you be the one to leave the deepest mark on the world?

Steam_04.gif


Each battle in HUMANKIND plays out like a mini turn-based board game on top of the actual world map. Unstack your armies and command each of your units, including the emblematic units of your culture and their special abilities. Construct siege weapons to besiege and occupy cities. Fight in large battles spanning multiple turns, and don't hesitate to bring in reinforcements!

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EGS Store


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Rock Paper Shotgun Review (Positive)
​

Beyond that sort of thing, my only real problem with Humankind is the issue I alluded to right at the start: that despite really liking it, I'm not 100% sure of what it is. It has set out to prove itself as a historical 4X that is emphatically not a Civ clone, and it has succeeded. But in bending itself around the monolithic bulk of Big Sid's baby, it has grown into a strange shape. There's just a lot going on, is the best way I can put it. At times, this makes for an extremely rich strategic play. At other times, it makes for an experience verging on information overload.

Indeed, and especially in the later stages of a game, Humankind can feel more like a puzzle game than a 4X, with the business of hexes and multipliers abstracting it from its central theme of humanity. Still, if the worst things I can find to say about Humankind are that it sometimes makes me think too much, and that I need to play it more, it's hardly a bloody disaster, is it? Go make yourself some harbours, and tell the Olmecs I said hello. If they ever make it out of their Ancient Era time loop and invent writing, that is.​
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It's simply the best 4X starting experience. By the time my Neolithic adventures earn me enough stars to move to the next era, I've usually pushed back the fog of war considerably, found several potential sites for my first city, and know where I can find dyes and other early-game resources. It's especially helpful when it's your first game, easing you into something that quickly balloons in complexity.

Being able to adopt new cultures and nurture continent-sized cities is certainly novel, but it isn't transformative. It could probably do with being 20% weirder, I reckon. I've done the maths. And I've had lots of practice, given Humankind's aforementioned love of big numbers.

The End Turn button still beckons, however, and Memphis needs more oil for its battleships. I also need to try out a lethal militant build I've been considering, in the hopes of quickly throwing the world into an apocalyptic war. Humankind has still spawned some great ideas that I'm not done with, and can't wait to see imitated and iterated. But now that Amplitude has made its Civilization, I really hope it goes back to making Alpha Centauris.​
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I don't want to spend an entire review comparing Humankind to Sid Meier's Civilization, but it's very clear that this is Amplitude's riff on that classic 4X melody. While I was delighted by some genuine improvements and innovations on my turn-based march from the Stone Age to the Space Age, most of the basics felt pretty familiar. And more than once, that left me wishing it had pushed the boundaries a bit more, like the studio's previous Endless Space and Endless Legend games did.

I don't dislike Humankind – far from it. But as the sun sets on my attractive empire, I'm not that impressed with it either. It certainly has some strong ideas, and the diplomacy system, at least in theory, is excellent. I loved the flexibility of being able to specialize in something different with each new culture I adopted. But especially against the passive and tactically inept AI, I kept feeling like I'd rather be playing Civ 4, or Civ 5, or Civ 6. To be fair, if this were a Civilization game, that would almost be expected – they've each come out in a state that was a bit underwhelming compared to where their predecessors ended up after multiple expansions. And maybe with time and DLC, Humankind will stand alongside the best of them as well. For now, it's an intriguing, though not always excelling, offshoot of a time-tested formula that succeeds at making me want to keep clicking one more turn…​
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jph139

jph139

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,527
Really glad this is coming to Game Pass - I was getting it for Psychonauts anyways, and I really wanted to try out Humankind, pending updates and stuff. I've mostly moved off of Civ VI (I bought the final season pass and played it like... twice, haven't even tried out the last few updates) in favor of CK3, but I can see myself diving back into a good 4X experience.

The fact all the reviews point to it being really, REALLY complex, information-wise, is a flag though. Stuff based in history has a strong core to bind it, which is nice, but the demo had a really steep learning curve and I'm hoping there's some solid tutorials to help level that out.

Or at least, like, they let some Youtubers go to town and make some "the first thing to do when you play Humankind!" type videos.
 
Big-E

Big-E

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,169
Was waiting for reviews though I have not been steered wrong from their previous stuff.
 
OP
OP
Uzzy

Uzzy

Gabe’s little helper
Member
Oct 25, 2017
28,024
Hull, UK
jph139 said:
Really glad this is coming to Game Pass - I was getting it for Psychonauts anyways, and I really wanted to try out Humankind, pending updates and stuff. I've mostly moved off of Civ VI (I bought the final season pass and played it like... twice, haven't even tried out the last few updates) in favor of CK3, but I can see myself diving back into a good 4X experience.

The fact all the reviews point to it being really, REALLY complex, information-wise, is a flag though. Stuff based in history has a strong core to bind it, which is nice, but the demo had a really steep learning curve and I'm hoping there's some solid tutorials to help level that out.

Or at least, like, they let some Youtubers go to town and make some "the first thing to do when you play Humankind!" type videos.
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Quill18 you're our only hope.
 
Jambi

Jambi

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
516
Is there no preload for gamepass? You can usually preload most games but its not up yet.
 
CloseTalker

CloseTalker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,678
Was excited to try this, but yeah, the constant comments about how complex it is turns me off. I know me, and with all the games coming out I won't put in the time to crack into this the way it needs to really get the fun out of it.
 
Lightjolly

Lightjolly

Member
Oct 30, 2019
4,638
Have it preloaded. Reviews are all over the place from 7s to 9s, but thats par for the course for 4X games not named civ
 

DonnieTC

Member
Apr 10, 2019
2,378
I thought this was pretty neat. Stadia is going to have "direct touch" controls (basically touch screen friendly controls).
https://9to5google.com/2021/08/13/humankind-direct-touch-controls-stadia-android/

Also this game will be utilizing Stadia's "State Share" functionality in a pretty neat way:
https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/13/22624023/stadia-direct-touch-control-scheme-humankind-stadia
The game will also feature Stadia's State Share feature, which allows a friend to pick up where you left off in a game just by sharing a screenshot or video clip with them. In the case of Humankind, that also allows you to use a feature called "Leave Your Mark" where you let your friend play through your same world, find the ruins of your civilization, and compare their achievements to yours as they play.
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EDIT: Stadia actually just posted a blog going over the features I mentioned above in more detail:
https://community.stadia.com/t5/Sta...-with-State-Share-and-direct-touch/ba-p/66103

State share:
Within HUMANKIND, you'll see a feature called Leave Your Mark, which is how Amplitude Studios uses State Share to add a competitive spin on the game. Think that you've done a great job in your game of HUMANKIND? With Leave Your Mark, you can capture a screenshot or video clip and invite friends to play your unique game world from the beginning, with the ability to compete against your own accomplishments and discover remnants of your civilization.

Your Mark gives players three types of content to explore and compete to discover within every game state captured with State Share:

  • Memories Events - These mark significant accomplishments by the game state creator during the game, with Fame rewards.
  • Challenges - These are great actions by the game state creator that will generate additional challenges for players to attempt, rewarding Fame if accomplished in time.
  • Archeology Sites - The map records the remains of civilizations and humanity left behind by the game state creator. Discovering these sites triggers Fame bonuses and special Narrative Events.
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Direct touch:
In addition to State Share, Stadia is making it easier than ever to play games on your phone with a new input method called direct touch, launching first with HUMANKIND. Direct touch enables you to interact directly with a game using your phone's touch screen. Instead of using a touch gamepad overlay. For example, direct touch allows players to control the game by tapping, sliding, and pinching the screen with your fingers to directly play the game.
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Serene

Serene

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
52,603
Reviews are kind of weird because it seems like the reviewers are like "7/10 because it's just Civilization" but also "9/10 because it's just Civilization!"
 
KingSnake

KingSnake

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,065
I had this in the back in my mind since I saw it first time, but I had no idea is launching so soon. I don't mind complexity and since it's on Game Pass I get to deep into it without needing to make a buying decision. I like history, I like information even when it's overwhelming, I'm curious, I hope it's fun.
 
Jag

Jag

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,704
CloseTalker said:
Was excited to try this, but yeah, the constant comments about how complex it is turns me off. I know me, and with all the games coming out I won't put in the time to crack into this the way it needs to really get the fun out of it.
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Based on playing all the other Amplitude (Endless, etc) 4X games, they will throw a ton of info at you, but it was never overwhelming.

Found this dev video regarding the late game slog that plagues so many of these games.


I really hope modern weapons are the game changer they claim. By the time you get such advanced weapons, so many of these games are usually over at that point.
 
Deadceptor

Deadceptor

Member
Oct 26, 2017
552
I was really looking forward to this after trying it out on Stadia last year, but completely forgot it after the delay. I knew it was coming out later this year, but god damn that day is tomorrow! Pre-ordered just now. A full-blown strategy game in my pocket has been my dream since I first heard about Stadia.
 
Dracil

Dracil

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,450
Excited for this generally though it does seem to be reviewing lower than their other games. But some of that is probably the Civ factor (and it being too similar or too different from reviewer expectations).

I need more multiplayer reviews though as I was hoping to play this with my gf.
 
B00T

B00T

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,650
The beta was fun and surprised me, glad to have it on game pass or I was gonna have to wait some time before playing this.
 
Bremsstrahlung

Bremsstrahlung

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,398
How much are we expecting the base game to be, price-wise? I'll probably wait for that but if it ends up more expensive than the deluxe preorder price I'll kick myself.
 
Anno

Anno

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,045
Columbus, Ohio
I'm very excited for this. My favorite part of Civ games is really just exploring the map, taking it all in and building an awesome looking empire, and this game seems perfect for that. It's so beautiful and the maps are so big and interesting.

Mechanically it leans more into the number-go-up side of Civ that CiVI started to move away from but that's totally okay with me. Hopefully it helps the game pacing, too.
 
RiOrius

RiOrius

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,093
jph139 said:
Really glad this is coming to Game Pass - I was getting it for Psychonauts anyways, and I really wanted to try out Humankind, pending updates and stuff. I've mostly moved off of Civ VI (I bought the final season pass and played it like... twice, haven't even tried out the last few updates) in favor of CK3, but I can see myself diving back into a good 4X experience.

The fact all the reviews point to it being really, REALLY complex, information-wise, is a flag though. Stuff based in history has a strong core to bind it, which is nice, but the demo had a really steep learning curve and I'm hoping there's some solid tutorials to help level that out.

Or at least, like, they let some Youtubers go to town and make some "the first thing to do when you play Humankind!" type videos.
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Demo? Is there still a demo available somewhere?
 
Delusibeta

Delusibeta

Prophet of Truth
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,648
Bremsstrahlung said:
How much are we expecting the base game to be, price-wise? I'll probably wait for that but if it ends up more expensive than the deluxe preorder price I'll kick myself.
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It appears that the pre-order bonus is a complementary upgrade to the Deluxe Edition, and that the post-release standard price is $60.
 
Maledict

Maledict

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,175
So excited for this. Amplitude are fantastic developers who support their games really strongly. Finally some competition for civ!
 
Grue

Grue

Member
Sep 7, 2018
5,180
Been following this for a while, expected middling reviews at launch as these things need a lot of tweaking and expanding. Heck even Civilization improves considerably with each expansion pack.

More competition in the 4X space has to be good.

OP going to get some shit for that 's' in the title
 
Tailzo

Tailzo

Fallen Guardian
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,070
Uzzy said:
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Platforms: PC/Mac/Stadia (Steam, EGS, Xbox Game Pass)
Developer: Amplitude Studios
Publisher: SEGA
Release Date: 17th August, 2021
Genre: Turn Based Historical 4X
Price: £47.99/$59.99/€59.99 (10% Pre Purchase Discount)

uXcZCy7.png


HUMANKIND is a historical strategy game, where you'll be re-writing the entire narrative of human history and combining cultures to create a civilization that's as unique as you are. Combine up to 60 historical cultures as you lead your people from the Ancient to the Modern Age. From humble origins as a Neolithic tribe, transition to the Ancient Era as the Babylonians, become the Classical era Mayans, the Medieval Umayyads, the Early Modern era British, and so on. Each culture will add its own special gameplay layer, leading to near-endless outcomes.

Steam_03.gif


Face historical events, take impactful moral decisions, and make scientific breakthroughs. Discover the natural wonders of the world or build the most remarkable creations of humankind. Each game element is historically authentic. Combine them to build your own vision of the world. The journey matters more than destination. Fame is a new and unifying victory condition. Every great deed you accomplish, every moral choice you make, every battle won will build your fame and leave a lasting impact on the world. The player with the most fame will win the game. Will you be the one to leave the deepest mark on the world?

Steam_04.gif


Each battle in HUMANKIND plays out like a mini turn-based board game on top of the actual world map. Unstack your armies and command each of your units, including the emblematic units of your culture and their special abilities. Construct siege weapons to besiege and occupy cities. Fight in large battles spanning multiple turns, and don't hesitate to bring in reinforcements!

et40WPn.png


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EGS Store


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Rock Paper Shotgun Review (Positive)




PC Gamer Review (71%)




IGN Review (7)
​
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Thank you for making the OT :)
 
Gyoru

Gyoru

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,608
Gonna check it out on Game Pass. Amplitude's previous games have been shallow experiences once you dig past their veneer.
 
Pheace

Pheace

Member
Aug 23, 2018
1,339
DonnieTC said:
I thought this was pretty neat. Stadia is going to have "direct touch" controls (basically touch screen friendly controls).
https://9to5google.com/2021/08/13/humankind-direct-touch-controls-stadia-android/

Also this game will be utilizing Stadia's "State Share" functionality in a pretty neat way:
https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/13/22624023/stadia-direct-touch-control-scheme-humankind-stadia
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No multiplayer crossplay though on the Stadia edition, for those considering it.
 
Lightjolly

Lightjolly

Member
Oct 30, 2019
4,638
Gyoru said:
Gonna check it out on Game Pass. Amplitude's previous games have been shallow experiences once you dig past their veneer.
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I wouldn't call Endless Legend even remotely shallow, heck I get exhausted playing it sometimes because there's so many systems to be on top of.
Endless space 2 on the other hand is deep enough for the casual player to enjoy but definitely would seem shallow to the hardcore 4x players coming off from the likes of Distant worlds universe
 
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Totakeke

Totakeke

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,678
Humankind removes a lot of the micro from Civ games through its novel systems, if you're more of a casual Civ player you might not appreciate that, but it makes it quite fun to play for me, even though the systems may not quite be as balanced as they should be yet.
 
Dracil

Dracil

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,450
Dang, Fanatical ran out of keys for Humankind. I'm guessing it's selling well.

Also there was a multiplayer stream at https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1119974608

Looks like it's not 100% stable and people get disconnected. But at least rehosting and rejoining isn't too bad with the autosaves.
 
Anno

Anno

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,045
Columbus, Ohio
theAllseeingEYE said:
Oh shit, this releases tomorrow? I can't wait to see what Amplitude's take on Civ plays like. I hope it's as good and fresh as it sounds.
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It's definitely evolutionary to Civ design rather than revolutionary. But from the 30ish hours I played across the betas I think the minute to minute decision making and empire building is quite a nice change, even if the grand-scale changes aren't huge.
 
theAllseeingEYE

theAllseeingEYE

Member
Apr 4, 2018
4,611
Vancouver, BC
Anno said:
It's definitely evolutionary to Civ design rather than revolutionary. But from the 30ish hours I played across the betas I think the minute to minute decision making and empire building is quite a nice change, even if the grand-scale changes aren't huge.
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Cool, thanks for the impressions. That's probably enough of a change for me.

I still love Civ, and I would love to play a game with similar gameplay and themes, but it would be great if this is something that adds enough of a spin on the formula to carve its own place alongside Civ's inevitable sequels. Really looking forward to trying it out.
 
Anno

Anno

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,045
Columbus, Ohio
Quill18 has started posting his first YouTube campaign with a focus on tutorializing some early game stuff for people that have no experience with the game at all

 
Ferrio

Ferrio

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,193
Been eyeing this, but I've been knee deep in a new campaign in Crusader Kings 3... so hrmmm.
 
shodgson8

shodgson8

Shinra Employee
Member
Aug 22, 2018
4,314
Have been watching the Quill18 play through. This looks really good, I have kind of avoided all the pre release stuff but I am impressed with what I have seen of the early game.
 
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