Amplitude's Humankind game launched on August 17, 2021 on steam, Epic Games Store, and Google Stadia platforms, is a big-budget 4X strategy game with the ambition to compete directly with Civilization 6.
In terms of gameplay, it's not surprising that Humankind has a lot in common with Civilization as the system is designed to adjust or improve the downsides suffered by Firaxis' long-standing series. Gamers can create mods in Humankind including AI, so veteran gamers can change anything they don't like.
Eras in Humankind
There are six distinct eras of time and begin with prehistoric times. During this period, players make decisions such as choosing where to build the first settlement and whether to separate your tribe to cover more land and risk being devastated by mammoths or staying together to become stronger but have less land.Then, at the end of each era, you choose from a list of 10 cultures to represent the coming era. Each of these cultures has its own characteristics such as the Nubian commercial knack or the famous empire building of Rome.
Although your plans may vary depending on the situation, the characteristics from the cultures at the end of each era can be continued. As time goes on, your territory becomes the intersection of different cultures and that is reflected in the appearance of the cities themselves. All contrasting architectural styles meet and blend in a hexagonal block, telling the story of the decisions you've made throughout history.
Cultures in Humankind
Humankind has many cultures in each era including Libya, Rome, Nbia, Egypt, Germany, Assyria, Babylon, Harappan, Hittite, China. What we've seen is only a fraction of the 60 cultures of which there are about 10 for each era.Each culture offers interesting features like Chinese rocket cars and Roman Magistrates' Eve, so your choice has the potential to impact the image and gameplay on the game at a given time.
Character creation system
One interesting thing is that you can customize your character creation in Humankind, just like you do in RPPS. You can choose hairstyles, skin color, face shape and even scarring. In addition, players can build a personal profile of the character's personality.
Fame is the goal in Humankind.
According to Romain de Waubert de Genlis, head of amplitude studio, civilizations have ups and downs and cultures are not "indescribable". The player's mission in Humankind is to maintain civilization that endures the trials of time, simply because "you can't win history, that's not what's going to happen."So what's the use of Humankind? In fact, fame is the goal in Humankind. The character you create right from the moment will accumulate fame for having done everything. Defeat enemies, build impressive things or have a massive city. Fame is expressed as a star and there are a total of 21 stars for each era. Over six eras, it's 126 stars that you can collect. You will need to earn 7 of the stars at a certain era to progress to the next stage.
Terrain plays an important role in Humankind
The terrain will have a huge impact on your civilization. High ground is of course useful for combat advantages at the same time it is also better for reconnaissance. Walking through a valley will obscure your view but walking through a plateau will allow you to look further. Spotting interesting places will also be important. When you find notable locations such as the largest desert or ocean, you will be named for them, adding a reputation to your civilization. The same is true of unique natural wonders.Amplitude has also created terrain-based bio-biomedigraphy. Each territory has a certain type of bio-biosynthist that will create appropriate landscapes and create a balance between realism and graphic style.
The map in is divided into areas where you can claim by building a city or outpost in it. When growth is sufficient, your city will need different districts. Over time, some districts will become "city centers" that continue to modernize through the ages but others will be "iconic zones" that retain their original historical appearance. All of these systems aim to make each city a unique reflection of its own history throughout the game.
Have you tried Humankind, and do you prefer Humankind or Civilization 6? Let us know in the comments section!