Skip to main content

Teddy Roosevelt will kill you with culture in ‘Civilization VI’

“It takes more than that to kill a bull moose,” Theodore Roosevelt famously said after being shot just as he was about to give a speech to an adoring crowd. If you’re Gandhi in the Civilization series, a couple hundred nukes might be enough, but everyone else has a lot fear in America’s 26th president: He’ll kill you with culture.

America has two special abilities in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: one based specifically on the country’s leader, and the other on more general American history. The “Founding Fathers” ability lets you take less time to earn “government legacy” bonuses.

“As a leader, Teddy Roosevelt can provide the Americans with a combat bonus for fighting on their home continent,” the narrator says in a new “first look” developer video. “He also has the Rough Riders as a unique unit. These mounted troops are effective in hills, gain culture from kills on their home continent, and have a low maintenance cost.”

What’s unclear is whether Roosevelt himself will participate in the fighting. He didn’t just organize the Rough Riders; during the Spanish American war, he resigned from his position as assistant secretary of the Navy and led the unit into battle in Cuba.

If you plan to win in a more peaceful fashion, America can do that as well. A special “film studio” building gives a bonus to tourism, as does Teddy Roosevelt’s influence on the country’s national parks. Of course, sending a spy into Yellowstone to feed the bears processed food could probably bring that bonus back down.

“With these advantages, the other ‘civs’ will be wearing blue jeans and listening to your pop music as America cruises toward a cultural victory,” the narrator adds.

Civilizaton VI is out on October 21. During our time with the game, we said it looks like “a worthy successor to its revered predecessor.” Read our hands-on review here.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
What’s free on the Epic Games Store right now?
Robots attacking in Industria.

Checking in on the Epic Games Store is one of the easiest ways to grow your gaming library. Epic gives out a free game or two every week, ranging from darling indies to AAA titles. All you have to do is jump on the Epic Games Store to claim the free games and they'll be added to your library to keep forever.

Keeping track of all the free titles and gaming deals can be a pain, so we're monitoring the Epic Games Store for you. We'll update this article every time a new game is made available!
What's free on the Epic Games Store right now?
These games can be picked up on the Epic Games store right now for free. Scroll down to the Free Games section of the app's Discover tab or find the individual title using the search bar. Just find and select the Get button to claim your free game. You do not have to download or install it right away.

Read more
Is Fallout 76 cross-platform?
fallout 76 nuclear winter cancelled cancel

We've all loved exploring the different regions of the wasteland in the Fallout series alone, but it wasn't until Fallout 76 that we had the chance to do so with friends. While it wasn't quite what people were hoping for at launch, years of support have made this an excellent world to explore and go on quests with friends in. While most games released in recent years support cross-platform play between consoles, Fallout 76 came out before that was the standard. If you've got a group of friends playing on different systems, will you still be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the wasteland together? Here's what you need to know.
Is Fallout 76 cross-platform?
Fallout 76 does not support full cross-platform support. The only two platforms that can play on the same servers are Xbox and PC, but only in the case where PC players are accessing the game through Game Pass. If you are on a PlayStation console or bought the game on Steam, you will only be able to play with others on those respective platforms.

Considering how many years it's been since Fallout 76 launched, it is unlikely that cross-platform support will be added at this point. Should we be proven wrong, we will update this guide to reflect that.

Read more
Sea of Thieves beginner’s guide: 16 tips for new pirates
sea of thieves how to play solo sanctuaryoutpost 2

Cooperative piracy simulator Sea of Thieves is a game that drops players right off the plank and into the deep end of the ocean as soon as they start it up. You're left to figure out how to do almost everything alone or with a crew of friends. All of it is picked up through experience as you play, which is part of what makes Sea of Thieves interesting. There are tons of little nuances and best practices, however, that you need to become an effective pirate.

If you want to win sea battles, escape plunderers, gather treasure, and generally be the best pirate on the Sea of Thieves, there is a lot to learn. Luckily, these tips will make you an effective sailor, a deft brawler, and a smart privateer when you join up with a crew. Going it alone has its perks as well, so check out our tips for your lone pirate voyages.
Start with the tutorial mission

Read more