Civilization 6 and Cities Skylines 2 have a new strategy game rival

 

Civilization 6 and Cities Skylines 2 are respectively the biggest strategy and city-building simulations on the market. But there's a striking new rival on the way. Already one of the most wishlisted games on Steam, and now with a confirmed early access date for Steam, GOG, and Game Pass, this game is Civ 6 with a deeper historical focus, or CS2 in the 14th century. Welcome to Manor Lords, a distinctive city-building game from the minds behind Xenonauts 2, Workers and Resources and Terra Invicta.

#One, #Cities, #Civilization, #Game, #rival, #Skylines, #strategy, #There, #New

Manor Lords are absolutely ruthless. A combination city-building and strategy game, it initially seems relatively calm and gentle. We've been waiting for Manor Lords' release date for a while, partly because it looks so nice. You pave your paths. You are establishing farms. You build your houses. Of course, the relaxing European countryside and atmosphere, as well as the magnificent 14th-century architecture, are something to marvel at, but in its opening stages Manor Lords feels like a pleasantly simple strategy simulation.

And then it gets disgusting. This is the medieval period, after all, and if neighboring lords and warring local clans don't kill you, disease, hunger, and harsh winters will. In Manor Lords, your village's survival depends on every single decision. If you try to grow a larger food surplus, the deer herds you rely on for meat will migrate and the soil will deteriorate because you spent too long growing a single crop. If you try to make more money by producing luxury items like leather boots and honey, you won't have enough labor for basic needs like harvesting and hunting.

And then there's the fighting. Again, it's the 14th century and everyone is fighting for the best land, the best access to water, the best resources. You can trade with other settlements to keep things calm, but on occasion the Manor Lords go to war. When real-time combat is used, it is not a case of throwing nameless units at the problem and mass producing them if they are killed.