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Civilization VI now available for iPads

Civilization VI hits the Apple iPad, first full Civ game for tablets
Civilization VI hits the Apple iPad
More than just becoming available for Apple's tablets, Civilization VI is also the first game in the series to deliver the full desktop experience to those playing it on a slate.

The Civilization games have been available since 1991 when MicroProse launched the first title for MS-DOS computers. In the meantime, this iconic strategy game and its spin-offs reached more platforms with each new version, including Macintosh, Amiga, Atari ST, Super NES, PlayStation, N-Gage, Windows, Linux, and now Apple's slates. However, the Civilization VI version for the iPad tablets is the first one so far to provide the full Civilization desktop experience on a mobile device.

Civilization VI was released in the last quarter of 2016 and quickly became one of the most popular strategy games of that year. Although the Linux port arrived in early February, it took a while for the game to finally reach the iOS App Store. This happened yesterday, thanks to Aspyr Media's efforts.

This company has been working on various ports for Apple's operating systems for two decades now. BioWare's Jade Empire and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic reached iOS devices thanks to them, working on both iPhones and iPads. However, Civilization VI only works on iPad tablets. The reason for this is that the game provides the same experience as the desktop version that works on Windows and Linux PCs and it would be impossible to replicate it on a phone screen.

Sadly, Civilization VI does not work on the iPad mini or the original iPad Air, requiring an iPad Pro, iPad 2017, or an iPad Air 2 with iOS 11 onboard. Although the interface has been tweaked a bit, the keyboard shortcuts can be easily used with the smart keyboard. A frustrating issue for those who would like to enjoy a multiplayer game with their friends is that cross-platform LAN multiplayer is not supported. Another problem is that Civilization VI works on the iPad Pro 12.9-inch, but does not support its native resolution, so it ends up looking a bit blurry.

Civilization VI is listed as a free app in the App Store, but there is a catch: only the first 60 turns are free. If you decide to purchase the game, the price is US$59.99, the same as the PC and Mac versions. Fortunately, until January 4, 2018, those interested can grab it for only half that price, and US$29.99 for a full Civilization VI game is not bad. Just be aware that this price is nothing compared to those (way too) many times when you will end up saying "Just one more turn and then I'll go to sleep" before spending a few more hours to eliminate those pesky barbarians...

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Codrut Nistor, 2017-12-22 (Update: 2017-12-22)