{
  "id": 14703027,
  "title": "After Civ 7 stumbled, Humankind 2 looks like it's making smart choices to pick up the 4X torch",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/after-civ-7-stumbled-humankind-2-looks-like-its-making-smart-choices",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-15T13:09:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PC Gamer",
    "slug": "pc-gamer",
    "url": "https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/after-civ-7-stumbled-humankind-2-looks-like-its-making-smart-choices-to-pick-up-the-4x-torch/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "After Civilization 7 faced criticism for its new civilization selection at the beginning of each age, Humankind 2 seems to be taking a smart approach to revitalize the 4X genre. Amplitude, the developer behind Humankind 2, has focused on its reworked culture system, which lets players select new cultures to embrace as eras progress. This includes Egyptian cultures evolving into Berbers, Romans, or even English factions, depending on the game's sandbox environment.\n\nA significant aspect of Humankind 2's vision of history is its dialectical approach, where culture is shaped by biome which is, in turn, influenced by culture, and vice versa. Climate plays a crucial role in this process, undergoing natural and unnatural disruptions depending on chance and player/NPC activity. Just like in real life, climate can change unexpectedly, such as Egyptians waking up to snow one day in their desert home.\n\nThe game starts players off with numerous tribes spread across the world, each with a \"First Tale\" linked to their territory and founding myths. These tales provide cultural bonuses and changes to tiles and citizen roles, making each faction feel more connected to its environment. For example, a tribe in the Nile region of modern-day Egypt had a \"Flood Tamer\" First Tale, which made them more efficient at managing water resources.\n\nAs players progress, they'll unlock adaptations that deepen their culture's affinity for its chosen biome. In Ancient Egypt, players could invest culture points in adaptations like mudbricks, camel herding, and heat endurance to cope with the harsh desert environment. However, climate shifts like the Medieval Warm Period or Little Ice Age could negatively impact these adaptations, forcing players to adapt quickly.\n\nAmplitude aims to create factions that feel unique and shaped by their environment, rather than just having different aesthetics and starting bonuses. The various adaptations and customization options in Humankind 2 should make each game session feel distinct. With 70 cultures available, players can expect diverse and engaging civilizations to explore in this revamped 4X experience.",
  "summary": "Very dialectical.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}