Millennia Review: The Next Civilization?

Paradox Interactive subtly blends fable and legend into its budding 4X recreation to let gamers create their very own historical past; discover out extra in our Millennia evaluation.

Once I heard of Paradox getting concerned in a 2024 4X title, I obtained pretty inquisitive about how they might make their recreation stand out. And after seeing the gameplay reveals, I used to be totally dedicated to seeing Millennia’s distinctive odysseys play out.

Enjoying Millennia felt like a historical past buff’s fever dream. However regardless of its apparent charms and engrossing mechanics, the components that mattered probably the most felt like they fell simply in need of greatness. Here is our full Millennia evaluation discussing the sport’s excessive and low factors, and the way the Home windows unique will be improved sooner or later.

Gentle spoilers forward!

Millennia Evaluate

Everyone Needs to Rule the World

Developed by indie recreation studio C Immediate and printed by Paradox Interactive, Millennia takes gamers on a journey spanning centuries. These play on the tune of acquainted and not-so-familiar mechanics that work collectively to make the IP promising sufficient to comply with.

Millenia’s all-new Area system supplies specialised buffs and instantaneous unit spawns that serve any playstyle. From speeding the Domination W with the Raiders Nationwide Spirit, to establishing a late-game utopia together with your Engineers, you get cool and attention-grabbing archetypes which you can combine and match in later phases.

Millennia’s alternate historical past sim provides a strong economic system. From early imports to late-game market commerce, the C Immediate title provides again what you place into it. It took me a number of playthroughs to get conversant in every particular mechanic (that is coming from an individual who’s performed Civ since 2005), however the recreation rewarded me for my efforts everytime.

That mentioned, I used to be anticipating extra outstanding legends in my video games. For example, historic Druids put a curse on my Pennsylvania once I entered the Age of Kings. However as a substitute of getting distinctive soundbites or cool graphics for my otherworldly encounter, all I obtained was a pop-up display of the usual disaster occasion alert.

Onerous Occasions

Millennia holds itself again from greatness throughout its most important moments. Nations that declare conflict are introduced with a easy textual content display, and the UI would not present indicators of enchancment. However what actually hinders the Paradox title is its terrible battle overview display.

Repetitive animations whose last-gen sprites seem like they got here from a predecessor title would not serve Millennia’s fight system in any respect. And regardless of my facet having a transparent numbers benefit, sure match-ups do not make sense. I’ve seen lots of of my items get taken out by a single. Barbarian. rowboat. merely due to a technicality that was hidden from me by 4 different pop-up screens that most likely did not should be there within the first place. However what actually confused me was Millennia’s useful resource system within the midgame.

Useful resource tiles are hidden till you unlock sure components of Millennia’s Expertise tree. Because of this you will not know for those who’re sitting on an ultra-important useful resource till later within the recreation, which I felt conflicted about. At which level ought to a recreation’s distinctive factors take away from it is enjoyment? Ought to this have been a part of the problem? Eitherway, I could not deny that this main roadbump contributed to Millenia’s reasonable gameplay.

Final on my record of grievances is Millennia’s Disaster Age system. Lengthy story quick, for those who’re main within the Tech tree, odds are you will be selecting which age the world enters in. However issues can take a fairly tough flip if Disaster Ages power different gamers to modify up their playstyles at a drop of a hat. However for those who can look previous all of those, Millennia’s dynamic (however flawed) evolution makes for a enjoyable approach to discover legendary occasions.

6/10  When Language Fails

Paradox Interactive’s try to deliver a brand new spin on a time-worn style succeeds in lots of areas, however falls flat in others. That mentioned, solely time will inform if Millennia will have the ability to overtake Civilization within the 4X technique style.

Nonetheless, the sport’s an ideal addition to any hardcore 4x participant’s assortment. Despite succeeding extra on its warfare, gamers that take the street much less travelled will discover huge rewards within the late-game, the place the technologically-advanced phases take center-stage. However the early recreation wants probably the most consideration because the fantastical additions make the early grind extra satisfying.

Millennia’s areas of enchancment are painfully apparent at this level, however we have seen worse video games soar to larger heights. If C Immediate video games and Paradox keep away from the pitfalls of previous developments, then I can say that this recreation will likely be well worth the cash.. after just a few main patches.

Recreation reviewed on PS5 with a duplicate supplied by the writer.

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