Humanity | Review – How is it on console?

Specifically, the Paris-based team managed to achieve this with a thoroughly satisfactory result skilfully blend historical reality and science fiction in an inviting mix of variety, with the player encouraged to create their own civilization and personalize it according to multiple interpretations.

The title has been landing since the end of the summer on the console in a version adapted for the padwith the aim of attracting new players – especially on the part of Microsoft with regard to inclusion in Xbox Game Pass (the subscription can be found on the Best price via this Amazon link).

Mission successful up to a point And that’s what we expect after devoting many hours to it on the Xbox Series humanity manages to evoke equal parts amazement and regret compared to what one experienced in the PC version.

But let’s go one step at a time.

The importance of culture

From the perspective of Contentsthe console version of humanity proposes the same modes available in the PC counterpart and highlights the possibility of devoting yourself to a game potentially infinitein which you can lead your civilization from the Neolithic to the modern era.

All of this happens through fishing about sixty cultures that actually existed and reproduced faithfully, especially in relation to sociocultural declensionsto give the player complete autonomy in the path they wish to take.

The element that really sets it apart humanityThis version also firmly anchors the naturalness with which it leads the player to a coherent and increasingly compelling choice of the type of faction he wants to develop further.

All of this presents numerous political, religious, martial and social options, which are also reflected in extremely diverse ways in the relationships with the other factions encountered and enchant the player in this loop “Two more minutes and I’ll be gone”.

Obviously the console version of humanity immediately includes i various correction updates that have been added to PC since the original release in 2021 a slightly more balanced offer at the level of artificial intelligence – for example linked to the behavior of the other factions, now more coherent and more varied depending on the difficulty level chosen.

In addition, it is also possible to dedicate yourself, so to speak, to a more focused single-player experience that projects the player in feudal Europewhich in particular led the Franks during the Hundred Years’ War to try out more advanced sessions and game options in a shorter time, ideal even for beginners.

Civilization within range of pad

From a pure gameplay perspective, we were somewhat apprehensive about remaking the many existing 4X strategy mechanics humanity and readjusted for the Regulatornamely the new command assignment It only partially succeeds in reproducing the same pleasant feeling as with the mouse.

As for the positive and encouraging aspects, we have many windows and elements that can be easily consulted on the screen Activating buttons and triggers in combination, opening and closing the various updates available from round to round in a snap. We admit that they are options that require a little familiarity but that, once learned, allow us to enjoy the games to the fullest. humanity.

We find evidence of this a comfortable use of resources and technologies for buildings, units and the general progress of the faction: in this way, the game at 1:1 scale recreates the feeling of involvement that is easily felt in games with a mouse and keyboard.

It’s a shame that the game interfaceOften chaotic Since too many terms are displayed as mere notifications, it becomes even more difficult for the player to navigate the controller.

An element that is particularly clear The sections dedicated to battles are extremely difficult to focus on and to be adequately monitored, with the risk that some strategies will be left to chance.

However, the element that most makes us turn our noses up at the console version of humanity remains his Camera, extremely awkward, entrusted to you Combination of analogues This takes time to digest.

Concretely, the left analogue allows you to move the actual player display – dedicated to the controls – between the different hexagons that characterize the game board, while the right analogue exclusively moves the camera without having to worry about the aforementioned cursor.

As you can see from these lines, it essentially means committing to it Try to move both analogs harmoniously To navigate the map and question everything happening before our eyes. A choice that inevitably makes you turn up your nose and risks becoming, especially in the first few games indigestibleThis prevents the player from gaining naturalness and confidence with the pad in hand.

It’s a shame, because we notice and appreciate the efforts of Amplitude Studios to adapt its peculiar and lively gameplay to the needs of console gamers without distorting it a structure that still remains pleasant and full of surprises as the different districts grow.

It is precisely for this reason that we would like to advise you to rely on it without too many problems automatic explorationsUsable for most routine movements via a convenient button, extremely useful when we start managing multiple separate units and armies at the same time.

The menus are also dedicated to the same extent civil progress and to diplomacy They are among the ones we were able to appreciate the most on console, despite the amount of information to unravel.

Last, but not least, in terms of technical area We can’t find any particular differences from the original version humanitywhere the solidity of the finished product is valued as much as its own peculiar artistic direction.

Referring specifically to this element, it is almost impossible not to draw a comparison with the legendary saga of civilizationalthough we assure you of that humanity In its own way, it manages to stand out – for better or worse – from almost every angle