Atemberaubender Aufstieg

The first major add-on to Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Rise and Fall, brings along some great gameplay features such as governors, golden ages and a loyalty system as well as nine new nations and cultures: the Mongols, the Zulu, Georgia, Korea, the Netherlands, Scotland, India and the native American tribes of the Cree and Mapuche - making this a trip around the world. The expansion remains true to the main game in all facets and not only takes you through all the ages in terms of gameplay, but also musically. The quality of the music composed for the newcomers is in no way second to that of the main game and, as far as I can tell as a German potato, captures the spirit of the respective ethnic groups well.

As in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI , composer Geoff Knorr has given each faction four tracks, each of which is assigned to an era: Ancient times, the Middle Ages, the Industrial Age and the Modern Age. While the ancient tracks seem simple and unrefined, the later interpretations of the respective historical models sound more epochal without losing their cultural essence. Instead, one might rather call it variations with a vocal focus in antiquity, string orientation in the Middle Ages, wind instruments in the industrial age and finally orchestral pomp in the modern age.

Games from the Sid Meier's Civilization-series

Sid Meier’s Civilization (1991)

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (2016)

It is not a matter of course for me that the final stage is necessarily the 'best', 'most beautiful' or most listenable version. Especially in ancient cultures such as the Mongols, traditional stylistic devices are at the center of the composition. One example for this might be the famous throat singing, which we might already be familiar with from Age of Empires IV or Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and which I would only be able to do myself under acute constipation. These sounds, even if done with style, are only quotet in the modern times and somewhat lost under all the excitement of additional instrumental layers.

• Cree – The Drums of Poundmaker
• Georgia - Tsaiqvanes Tamar Kali / Shen Khar Venakhi
• Korea – Arirang
• Mapuche – Traditional Mapuche
• Mongols - Pastor Song / Khoomii Improvisation / Urtin Duu
• Netherlands - Gaillarde / L’esmerillonne
• Scotland - Scotland the Brave / Bonnie Dundee
• Zulu – Uthe Ubhuti Asizomlanda / Shaka Mamba; Bayisa / Halala

Of course, I'm not the judge of what appeals most here. My favorite version of Georgian chants, for example, is that of the industrial era, while - if I may say so - the howling of Cree tribesmen in ancient times reminds me more of a mixture of engine starting meets husky packs. Want another example? Gladly! The Korean folk song Arirang, which is around 600 years old (source Wikipedia), sounds like something out of a 1950s Hollywood movie in its industrial version, while the ancient version oscillates between cherry tree melancholy and drum solo.

Gaillarde L’esmerillone, a piece from the early Baroque, is a lot of fun in its intended and later period, but can also be convincing as simple flute music in antiquity. At the same time, it seems strange at first to hear a traditional African song with autotune, but what can I say? It works. Beyond that, I would venture the thesis that the tracks, which, as already mentioned, are based on real or reconstructed models, sound best in the style or era for which they were written. Now I don't want to repeat my conclusion of the main game, but I'll do it anyway: just listen to it, there's definitely something for everyone.