Summary
Any time a new 4X game comes out that spans the entire course of human history, it’s going to be compared to the legendarySid Meier’s Civilization.Civ has never been perfect, but it’s always been best-in-class.Millennia, a new title from C Prompt Studios, offers its own spin on the genre that offers new strategic challenges and exciting alternate-history scenarios.
After playing an exhaustive amount of both games - relative to the length of time since they’ve been released, of course - we compared these epoch-spanning experiences to see which one does it better.
6Number Of Playable Countries
Technical Tie
Civilization 6, with all its DLC, offersmore than 60 playable Leadersafter years of expansion and development. Each has unique skills that, combined with the strengths of their associated empire, give them a clearly-defined style of playand path to victory. Choosing your character in Civ 6 can wildly change how you approach your campaign, and with so many available you’ll be hard-pressed to try them all.
Millennia, on the other hand, has only18 playable nations, but your choice won’t affect gameplay that much, and mostly just defines what your flag looks like. Instead, you’lldevelop your culture’s strengths throughout the gameby selecting new Governments and National Spirits. Two different campaigns as the same nation can end with a completely different build as you adapt to new challenges on the fly. There aretens of thousands of possible combinationswhen all is said and done.
Ultimately, the games approach nation design in two distinct ways and excel at each. If you like tohave a strategy in place from the start, Civ is the game for you. If you prefer tochange your approach to meet the needs of your current situation, Millennia will give you ample opportunity to do so.
5Graphics And UI
Civilization 6
Despite being several years older, Civilization 6 is a beautiful game. The world always feels vibrant and alive, and it’s easy to get all the information you need quickly. While itscartoony styleruffled some feathers as a departure in tone from Civ 5, there’s no denying that Civilization 6 is charming, immersive, and consistent.
Millennia hasbeautiful, evocative artworkfor its distinct Ages, Technologies, and National Spirits, but the map - which players will spend most of their time looking at -can’t hold a candle to Civ. Add in a less-than-stellar user interface, and Civilization becomes the clear winner where appearance and presentation are concerned.
4Storytelling
Millennia
4X games are, at their heart, sandboxes that let you create the entire history of your own world. Millennia leans into this with its Ages system, letting your nation flourish or stagnate totake the story into fascinating scenarios.If you’ve ever wanted to see a world where advances in alchemy lead toBioshock-style underwater cities, Millennia can make it happen.
Civilization has a little of this thanks to its Golden and Dark Eras, whichclearly provided the basis for Millennia’s system. However, outside of some esoteric alternate game modes like Secret Societies or Apocalypse,each game of Civilization is rooted firmly in real-world historyand limits its potential stories to that sphere.
3Approachability For New Players
This might be a result of it being the gold standard for 4X games since 1991, butCivilization is about as intuitive as the genre gets. New players can guess how something works - spears beat cavalry, crossing rivers takes extra movement, and so forth - and they’ll usually be correct. That’s not to say that Civ 6 doesn’t have obtuse systems (Housing and Amenities come to mind), but it gives beginners a foundation to build with and learn from.
Millennia, on the other hand, seems to bebuilt with experienced players in mind.A bit of trial and error never hurt anyone, but it can take a few restarts to get your feet under you when you start playing for the first time.
2Depth Of Strategy
Every game boils down to a series of decisions taken by the player. Titles as deep as these offer chances to create a large ripple effect each turn, but Millennia does so in a way that feelsempowering and satisfying. Choosing Culture Bonuses, National Spirits, and deciding whether to go for a Variant Age all let you feel like you’re in control of your destiny. Warfare also has more depth overall, thanks to stacking units and balanced counters.
While Civilization has more depth than most games,Millennia’s approach to the 4X gameplay loopoffers more meaningful turns overall.
1Price
Millennia, But Not Always
Civilization 6 has been available for seven-and-a-half years. As often happens with older games,it regularly goes on sale for as much as 90 percent off.If the standard price tag of $59.99 is too much, all you really have to do is wait.
Millennia, a newer title from a smaller studio, isvery reasonably priced at $39.99,but you probably shouldn’t expect it to go on sale for at least six months or so. It’s also got the potential for updates and DLC, where Civ 6’s development cycle is effectively over.
While no announcements have been made, fans expect Civilization 7 to launch sometime in the next year or two.
