Rise and Fall is the first official expansion pack for the turn-based 4X strategy game Sid Meiers Civilization VI from 2016. It introduces new mechanics to the game, like World Eras, Great Ages, Loyalty, Emergencies, and Governors. The expansion pack was developed by Firaxis Games and published in 2018 by 2K Games. It is available on PC (Windows, macOS, Linux).

New leaders, civilizations, and global content

Civilization 6 Rise and Fallintroduces nine new leaders and eight new civilizations, each with its own unique abilities, units, and structures, to make the gameplay even more diversified. Among the new civs, there are Korean, Mongolian, Zulu, and Dutch, and some of the new leaders are Chandragupta, Shaka, Robert the Bruce, and Genghis Khan.Additionally, the game received some new world and natural wonders, few new units, three new resources, two districts, and fourteen buildings.

World Eras

The expansion pack introduces the World Eras mechanic, besides the already existing Individual Era achieved by each empire. From now on the world itself can also have its own era, resulting in your empire being in two eras simultaneously an Individual Era and a World Era. World Era is determined by the progress made by existing empires and it impacts every empire present. For example, techs from before the current World Era are 20% cheaper, making it easier for empires lagging behind to keep up with the progressing world.

Loyalty

One of the new mechanics introduced in the expansion pack is Loyalty. From now on each city has a loyalty score between 0 and 100 which tells how closely the city is tied to the empire. There are a lot of factors determining cities loyalty, including the neighboring cities of the same or other civs, the happiness of the citizens, or the presence of the governor in the city. Some buildings and policies also may affect loyalty. Maintain high loyalty, or face the consequences disloyal cities have penalties to yields and population grows, and if the loyalty drops to 0 the city will revolt, turning into a Free City.

Emergencies

CIV 6: Rise and Fall implements Emergencies system. It is a type of event aimed against empires that may pose a threat to the whole world. An emergency may trigger after launching a nuclear attack, betraying a valuable ally, or after conquering another city while being one of the leading powers in the game. The emergency allows forming a temporary alliance against an unpredictable nation. Members of the emergency treaty are given a special task which needs to be accomplished before the time runs out. If members succeed, they will get powerful bonuses, but if they fail, the nation against which the emergency launched will get them instead.

Reception

Rise and Fall DLC received positive reviews and is considered by some as the must-buy expansion pack for Civ 6. Among some of the praised features was Loyalty mechanic which increased the difficulty level in a way balanced enough to not become an annoyance. The newly added features were warmly welcomed because of making the game experience deeper, more complex, and more diversified to some extent, while not requiring to learn to play from scratch.

The most important aspect of the Civilization series are, obviously, civilizations. The DLC provides you with an entirely new and interesting civilizations at your disposal. You will be able to control Korea, The Netherlands, Cree, Dutch, Georgian civilization, Mapuche, Mongolia and Scottish civilization. Each one of them has different traits, strengths, weaknesses and story. New leaders are also waiting for you. Have you ever dreamed of conquering Asia and Europe as Genghis Khan? Now you can. Build your own Mongolian cavalry and blaze through Europe.

The loyalty system

Cities now have the individual Loyalty systems which are some of the most important elements of your leadership let it fall too low and face the consequences of low yields, revolts and the potential to lose your city to another civilization, or its own independence. The loss of one civilization might be a gain for yours. Cities might seek aid within your borders. In other words, you might take the city without a battle. Just make people believe that you are a hero and they will happily open their door for you. Dominance and victory during the conflict are not gained on battlefields but through politics. Remember about that if you want to become a prominent leader.

Governors are here to help

he system of governors appeared already in previous installments of the series. However, new governors are a real evolution of your civilization. Sending a Governor to a city is a way for you to make an active decision about the development. You don't have to constantly monitor each settlement. Besides, it would be next to impossible in big civilizations, where you control a few dozens of cities. Governors are a way to specialize your cities. They have different tree skills and set of priorities. There are seven of them, each with different personalities. Appoint them to the target place and in return, they're going to turn your city into a flawless pearl.

Great ages provide you with a new set of challenges and bonuses

Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall gives you milestone "historic moments" which you achieve as your civilization starts to shine and flourish. Dark Ages, Golden Age, and Heroic Age are waiting for you. Rise from the ashes during Dark Ages, develop your economy during the Golden Age and become an empire in the period of Heroic Age. Use them to your own advantage or try to survive their challenges.