Solid foundation with some questionable additions // Recommended for fans of the series

LockeProposal's Big Day Out

+ The 'one more turn' mentality is still present in full force+ Indigenous wildlife boasts much more of a challenge, of a variety, and of a better collective design than barbarians of the previous installments+ Combat against cities and units is as well-implemented and satisfying as ever; the audio design and smooth animations make for a very fulfilling experience+ Upgrades are free of resources requirements and are universally applied amongst all units of that type; does well to eliminate the need to hunt down and manage obsolete units+ Research tree is vastly improved; it can be daunting at first, but the superiority of this system comes through on subsequent playthroughs (once the player is more familiar with the 'branches and leaves' and what they unlock)+ The three possible affinities are a welcome addition and do much to offer great variety and customization in the mid- to late-game+ 'Favors' are a very welcome concept, and work perfectly to improve productivity of player-AI interactions and general diplomacy+ Sleek, aesthetically pleasing, and functional UI+ Effortless and rewarding to experiment with mods through the Steam workshop+ Satellites are a welcome addition, adding another layer of possible resource buffs to the game without cluttering the map+ Stunning environment designs; flora and resources really stand out in beautiful and creative ways+ Espionage and trade work in largely the same ways as in Civ V, with some minor improvements- Culture is now an empty and lifeless statistic in the absence of art, musicians, etc.- Confusing loss of custom game modifiers as compared to the previous installment of the series- Steep learning curve, mostly due to alien and unfamiliar terrain features- Finishing a game is underwhelming, and does little to reward the player, especially compared to previous installments- Health, as a resource, seems to be a slightly poorer implementation than the happiness of Civ V, and feels unreasonably difficult to manage effectively- There are no more natural wonders to be found, taking a bit of fun and reward out of exploration- Quests are boring and repetitive; they do little to add to the game's dimensions- The available factions feel somewhat bland and uninteresting- There are no faction-specific units; the only difference between factions lies in the starting bonuses- AI have almost no aggression factor whatsoever, even into upper middling levels of difficulty