What is HUMANKIND? Added to Game Pass in August

New to XBOX Game Pass in August 2023 is HUMANKIND, a simulation strategy game that sees you begin in the ancient eras, leading your civilisation to modern times.

What is HUMANKIND?

Developed by Amplitude Studios, HUMANKIND is a game that’s comparable to the Civilisation series, which puts you in charge of your people, leading them through famine, struggles and explosive growth into a thriving modern-day civilisation.

While it’s easy to see the similarities to the Sid Miers series, Sega’s HUMANKIND puts its own spin on the strategy genre, seeing you intertwine 60 different cultures to create your people, which unlocks a vast range of different possible gameplay styles, to really help you make your people

One of my favourite new ideas in Humankind is the Neolithic Era. It starts each run with a small band of nomadic hunter-gatherers who must collect enough food or science to advance and become a settled society. I enjoyed this unorthodox playstyle so much that I wished I could have spent more time with it, or even remained nomadic.

However, the game eventually settles into a more traditional 4X routine of expanding cities through districts to collect food, science, production, and cash, against up to nine other AI or human-controlled empires. I still enjoy this part of the game, but I do miss the freedom and simplicity of the Neolithic Era.

Here are some of the things I enjoyed about the Neolithic Era:

• The challenge of surviving in a harsh environment.
• The sense of discovery as you explore new lands.
• The ability to build a society from the ground up.

I hope that future updates to Humankind will allow players to spend more time in the Neolithic Era, or even create their own custom scenarios that take place in this era.

Does HUMANKIND Stand Up To Its Competition In The Strategy Genre?

Humankind’s battle system is a beautiful thing. It’s fast-paced, strategic, and full of interesting tactical considerations. But it’s also a tale of two AIs.

On the one hand, there’s the player AI. This AI is ruthless and efficient. It knows how to focus fire, how to use terrain to its advantage, and how to take advantage of line of sight. It’s the kind of AI that will make you sweat bullets even when you’re outnumbered and outgunned.

On the other hand, there’s the enemy AI. This AI is… well, it’s not very good. It often spreads its attacks out over multiple units, even when it would be more effective to focus fire. It doesn’t seem to understand the importance of terrain or line of sight. And it makes some truly baffling decisions, like attacking a fortified city with a handful of archers.

As a result, Humankind’s battles can be a bit of a mixed bag. When you’re fighting the player AI, you’re in for a challenging and rewarding experience. But when you’re fighting the enemy AI, it can feel like you’re playing against a bunch of headless chickens.

I hope that future updates to Humankind will improve the enemy AI. It would be great to have some real competition on the battlefield. But even with the enemy AI’s flaws, Humankind’s battle system is still a lot of fun. It’s a great way to test your strategic skills and see how well you can outmaneuver your opponents.

Is HUMANKIND Free To Play?

Humankind is free to play on the XBOX Game Pass, making it a fun little game to try out, even if it isn’t your sort of style, it’s definitely a game worth checking out since you don’t have anything to lose!