Firaxis dev releases mod that makes Civ 6 look like Civ 5

I love Civilization 6, but sometimes I pine for the art style of its equally wonderful predecessor, Civilization 5. Civilization 6's cartoony vibe is all well and good, but when you've got an entire civilisation's worth of people resting on your every decision, a serious look is sometimes required.

Thankfully, there's a mod for that - and this one's from a developer at Firaxis.

The Environment Skin: Sid Meier's Civilization 5 mod for Civilization 6, by the game's art director Brian Busatti, changes the visuals of the game to better match the colours and tones of Civ 5.

According to the mod's description, changes include multiple terrain texture modifications with more Civ V-like details, and a colour key that puts the buildings and units into a more neutral palette.

Here's how it looks:

You can immediately tell the difference. Note the muted visuals and the much better-looking forests. As a reminder, here's how Civ 6 looks by default:

"I was challenged by the team to create an expansive mod using Mod Buddy, and this was the end result," Busatti wrote.

"It's an example of how much you can change the visuals and I hope it provides inspiration to try your own modifications."

Civ 6's more to a more cartoony look was a divisive one, although I always found it charming. Interestingly, both Civ 6 and Civ 5 are pretty much level-pegging on Steam's top games by current player count, with both in the 20,000s despite Civ 6 being the newer game.

You can find the Environment Skin mod for Civilization 6 on the Steam Workshop. It's compatible with every release, up to and including expansion Gathering Storm.