Death Stranding came out in 2019. Death Stranding 2 will come out in 2025. That's six years for two games. If these were the PS2 days Kojima would have cranked out 3 Death Stranding games by now and we'd be getting Death Stranding 3: Subsistence along with a teaser for Death Stranding 4 next year.
Remember when video game trilogies used be to a huge thing in the sixth and seventh generations? You'd typically get 3 games in about 5-7 years
See: Halo, Gears of War, Resistance, Killzone, etc
I've tried to get into other 4X's like Europa, Stellaris CK but the learning curve is pretty high admittedly! I'll give Europa another shot someday.
I actually welcome how each Civ tries to do something different, but the districts in 6 are such a huge addition that I'm a little sad they won't return in 7 in the same fashion. Nothing lights up my monkey brain like finding a +6 Campus/IZ/Harbor tile
If there's one thing I worry for 7, it's that the fanbase for 5 is very vocal online. I enjoyed 5 for what it was at its time but going back now it seems TOO simple with the streamlined culture tree and the overemphasis on building Tall. It's a 4X game, turtling at 4 cities is no fun!! The less influence the better.
I started with Civ Rev I for the PS3, I appreciate the goofy art style in 6 haha.
Not to be "that" guy, but Stellaris and especially Europa Universalis fall more into the Grand Strategy genre than 4X. Grand Strategy games are usually more complex than 4X games (such as Civ, Endless Legend, etc.). So if you're looking for alternatives to Civ, maybe focus specifically on 4X games? They should offer simpler gameplay by comparison.
There was plenty of civ-like games in recent 2 years, but all of them were boring.
There are enough 4X games I prefer over Civ, but in regards to Civ-likes, I've heard excellent things about Old World. Mind you, I'm not that much of a fan of the heavy focus on warfare/combat, but it's quite popular, especially with some older Civ fans.
I played Old World and it was pretty boring, though definitely best of the crop, maybe they improved it since release? I also don't like warfare in Civ, something like 95% of my playtroughs since original civ1 were not warlike ones. My favourite tactics was always PRODUCTIVE FORCES all caps.
Do you only play Civilization? If so, which one(s)? Do you enjoy other 4X games ? Depending on how deep you are into the 4X genre, or if you have an interest in Grand Strategy games, I could recommend some stuff if you tell me what you like (besides ... I assume economy/production focus ?)
I like all manners of 4x and grand strategy games, though i must say that even though i don't play in Civ lately, it has been possibly the most consistently fun series of all strategy games, i enjoyed all games greatly except Civ 3, which makes it a whooping 5/6 great games (and Colonization and especially Alpha Centauri were also good).