As a long-time fan of the Civilization series, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of Civilization VII. Now that I’ve spent countless hours exploring this new iteration, I’m ready to share my thoughts on how it stacks up against its predecessors and what it brings to the table for both veterans and newcomers alike.
First Impressions
From the moment I fired up Civ VII, I was struck by the visual overhaul. The game is absolutely gorgeous, with a level of detail that surpasses anything we’ve seen in the series before.
The landscapes are lush and varied, and the civilizations themselves are distinct and beautifully rendered. But as any Civ player knows, looks aren’t everything – it’s the gameplay that keeps us coming back for “just one more turn.”
The Age System: A Bold New Direction
One of the most significant changes in Civ VII is the introduction of the Age system. Instead of progressing through a linear timeline from Ancient Era to Information Age, the game is now divided into three distinct Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modernity. Each Age brings its own set of challenges, technologies, and victory conditions.
At first, I was skeptical about this change. Would it feel too disjointed? Would it lose that sense of a grand, sweeping narrative of human history? After playing through several games, I can say that while it does take some getting used to, the Age system adds a refreshing dynamism to the gameplay.
Antiquity Age
The Antiquity Age feels familiar to long-time Civ players. You start with a settler, found your first city, and begin to explore and expand.
What’s new is the emphasis on early decisions shaping your civilization’s identity. The choices you make in Antiquity have a profound impact on your options in later Ages.
Exploration Age
The transition to the Exploration Age is where things get really interesting. Your civilization undergoes a transformation, allowing you to choose a new cultural identity.
This mechanic, reminiscent of Amplitude’s Humankind, adds a layer of flexibility to your strategy. Did your aggressive military expansion in Antiquity not pan out? You can pivot to a more culturally or scientifically focused civilization in the Exploration Age.
Modernity Age
The Modernity Age brings the game into a more recognizable recent past, but it stops short of the far future technologies we saw in previous Civ games. This decision has been controversial among fans, but I found it allowed for a more focused and balanced endgame.
Combat and Diplomacy: Refined and Revamped
The Commander System
Combat in Civ VII has seen a significant overhaul with the introduction of the Commander system. Instead of moving individual units, you now control Commanders who lead groups of units. This change streamlines the often tedious late-game unit management while still allowing for strategic depth.
I was initially concerned that this would oversimplify combat, but I found that it actually allowed me to focus more on overall strategy rather than getting bogged down in unit micromanagement.
The rock-paper-scissors element of unit counters is still present, but now it’s applied at the army level, making for some truly epic battles.
Diplomacy 2.0
Diplomacy has always been a bit of a weak point in the Civilization series, often feeling like an afterthought compared to other victory conditions. Civ VII makes a valiant attempt to address this with a more nuanced diplomatic system.
The introduction of “Diplomatic Leverage” as a resource adds an interesting dynamic to international relations. Actions that would previously have been simple yes/no decisions now require careful consideration of your diplomatic capital.
Do you spend your leverage to push through a favorable trade deal, or do you save it to sway a crucial World Congress vote?
While it’s not perfect – AI behavior can still be frustratingly opaque at times – it’s a step in the right direction for making diplomacy a more viable and engaging path to victory.
City Management: A New Approach
City management in Civ VII takes cues from Civ VI’s district system but evolves it further. The concept of “towns” as precursors to full cities adds an interesting early-game dynamic. Do you rapidly expand with a network of towns, or do you focus on developing a few key metropolises?
The specialization options for cities feel more impactful than ever before. Choosing to develop a city as a cultural hub, industrial powerhouse, or scientific center requires careful planning and consideration of the surrounding terrain.
One controversial change is the removal of individual tile improvements. Instead, districts and city projects automatically optimize resource extraction. While this streamlines gameplay, I did miss the satisfaction of carefully planning out my empire’s infrastructure.
Technology and Civics: Intertwined Progress
The tech tree in Civ VII takes inspiration from Civ VI’s dual track system of technologies and civics but merges them into a single, more complex web of advancements.
This change emphasizes the interconnectedness of scientific and cultural progress, which I found to be a more realistic and engaging representation of societal development.
The “Eureka” moment system returns, but with a twist. Now, achieving certain milestones can unlock multiple related technologies or civics, creating a more organic feeling of progress.
I often found myself pursuing seemingly unrelated goals just to trigger these cascading advancements, which added an enjoyable layer of strategic planning to my games.
Victory Conditions: Evolving with the Ages
One of the most intriguing aspects of Civ VII is how victory conditions evolve as you progress through the Ages. Each Age has its own set of victory conditions, which not only adds variety to gameplay but also prevents the common Civ problem of identifying your victory path early on and single-mindedly pursuing it for the entire game.
For example, in the Antiquity Age, you might be aiming for a Hegemony victory by conquering your neighbors. But as you transition to the Exploration Age, you might find that a Cultural victory through the spread of your religion is more attainable. This system encourages adaptability and keeps the game feeling fresh from start to finish.
The Good, The Bad, and The Buggy
No review would be complete without addressing some of the game’s shortcomings. While Civ VII is a solid entry in the series, it’s not without its flaws.
The Good
- Visual Design: The game is stunning, with each civilization feeling truly unique and alive.
- Age System: A bold change that mostly pays off, adding replayability and strategic depth.
- Commander System: Streamlines combat without sacrificing complexity.
- Evolving Victory Conditions: Keeps the game engaging throughout all stages.
The Bad
- AI Behavior: While improved, the AI can still make frustratingly illogical decisions, especially in diplomacy.
- Learning Curve: The new systems, while interesting, can be overwhelming for new players and even veterans.
- Limited Future Tech: The decision to cap technological advancement at roughly the mid-20th century may disappoint fans of more futuristic Civ scenarios.
The Buggy
As with many complex strategy games at launch, Civ VII has its share of bugs and balance issues. I encountered occasional crashes, particularly in larger late-game maps. There are also some clear balance issues, with certain civilizations and strategies feeling overpowered.
However, it’s worth noting that Firaxis has a strong track record of post-launch support. If history is any indication, we can expect these issues to be ironed out in the coming months.
Modding and Community Content
One of the strengths of the Civilization series has always been its robust modding community. Civ VII continues this tradition with comprehensive modding tools available at launch.
While it’s too early to see the full potential of what modders will create, the early offerings are promising, ranging from simple quality-of-life improvements to total conversions.
Final Thoughts
Civilization VII is a bold step forward for the series. It takes risks with core gameplay mechanics that have remained relatively unchanged for decades. While not all of these changes will please everyone, the overall package is a fresh and engaging take on the 4X genre.
For veterans of the series, Civ VII offers enough new content and systems to warrant diving in, even if there will inevitably be a learning curve.
For newcomers, while the game can be overwhelming at first, the core “one more turn” addictiveness that has defined Civilization for decades remains intact.
Is it perfect? No. But it’s a solid foundation for what could become, with expansions and updates, the definitive 4X experience.
As it stands, Civilization VII is a worthy addition to the series that had me losing track of time and seeing the sun rise more often than I’d like to admit.
If you’re a fan of strategy games, whether you’re a Civ veteran or a newcomer to the series, Civilization VII is well worth your time. Just be prepared to say goodbye to your free time – the “one more turn” syndrome is stronger than ever.
Score: 8.5/10
Civilization VII proves that even after all these years, there’s still room for innovation in the 4X genre. It’s a game that respects its roots while not being afraid to branch out in new directions. Despite some launch issues and controversial changes, it remains an addictive and deeply satisfying experience that strategy fans shouldn’t miss.
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