Highlights
- Civ 7 focuses on cultures evolving over time with 33% same, 33% improved, and 33% new content.
- New features include Age Transitions, Legacy Paths, Crisis System, and unique Civ Units.
- The game offers a stylized diorama approach, strategic decisions, and improved military operations.
As I delved into the captivating world of Civilization 7, I felt like I was transported back to the golden age of antiquity. The visuals were nothing short of breathtaking, with every detail crisper than a Roman coin fresh from the mint. The introduction of Commanders added a new layer of strategy to the game, making it easier to rally troops and navigate the battlefield like Julius Caesar himself.
In a new leap for the franchise, Civilization 7 focuses primarily on showcasing the evolution of cultures throughout history. While the core grand strategy formula remains intact, the significant alterations set it apart as more than just an upgrade from “Civ 6”. Instead, think of it as Civilization 7, not “Civ 6.5”. Firaxis Games employs a unique method for their Civilization sequels, known as the 33% rule: one-third remains unchanged, another third is enhanced and refined, while the final third consists of entirely new content. The updates and fresh elements make the game feel exceptional in every aspect.
Recently, Game Rant had a chance to spend around three hours at Firaxis Games in Baltimore, Maryland, delving into an early version of what seems to be ‘Civilization 7’. During this playtime, we managed to progress almost to the end of the Antiquity Age, exploring many of its new features and generally having a great time expanding our cities, waging war against other civilizations, and partaking in various diplomatic interactions. Although there’s still a lot of work for Firaxis to polish before its release date on February 11, we left with an impression that was favorable and a desire for more gameplay. If given the opportunity, we would have gladly continued playing all day – a testament to the game’s appeal.
Civ 7 New Features and Improvements at a Glance
- Civilizations and leaders are chosen independently of one another. For example, someone could be Benjamin Franklin with Egypt as their starting Civilization.
- There are Three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Each age features unique content, Civilizations, and gameplay systems.
- Crisis System – A Crisis begins at the end of every Age and brings about its demise.
- Age Transitions (from Antiquity to Exploration, Exploration to Modern) sees players retain certain bonuses and see their Civilization evolve and change by selecting a brand new one. For example, depending on choices made in Antiquity, someone could be Egypt in Antiquity and Mongolia in Exploration. This system represents how cultures emerge.
- The Legacy Paths (Science, Cultural, Military, Economic) provide goalposts to ensure someone can achieve the associated Victory Condition by the end of Civ 7. Advisors will provide recommendations and issue warnings in relation to each Legacy Path.
- Cities start off as Towns with no production yield; it all goes to gold. They can be upgraded into Cities later and can be given a specific Focus.
- There are no builders; cities and towns grow organically.
- Cities have urban and rural districts.
- The Diplomacy feature uses Influence to perform various actions with other Civilizations and independent peoples.
- Commanders are a new Civ Unit that boosts other units, can “pack” units into armies, and move them collectively across the playing field.
- Every resource has a unique gameplay benefit, while Empire resources affect your entire civ.
- There are navigable rivers.
- Ageless means certain units or buildings can be built at any time.
New Civ 7 Screenshots
Playing Civilization 7
As a gamer, I chose Egypt as my civilization with Hatshepsut leading the way when starting up Civilization VII. Upon entering the game, the visuals immediately grabbed my attention – the stylized diorama approach was nothing short of impressive! The unexplored territories were intriguingly hidden beneath hexagons bearing the Civilization 7 logo.
Hatshepsut Bonuses
- +1 Culture for every imported Resource
- +15% production to constructing Buildings and Wonders in Cities adjacent to Navigable Rivers
Egypt Bonuses
- +1 Production on Navigable Rivers
- +30% Production towards constructing the Pyramids
- Unique Unit: Medjay – Egyptian Unique Infantry Unit. Has no maintenance. +3 Combat Strength in friendly territory,double when stationed in a Settlement you own.
- Unique Unit: Tjaty – A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities with a Necropolis, and the specific Tjaty received is random. Each Tjaty can only be received once. Cost increases per Tjaty trained.
- Unique Building: Mastaba – +3 Culture. +1 Gold Adjacency for Desert Terrain and Wonders. Egyptian Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
- Unique Building: Mortuary Temple – +4 Gold. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Navigable Rivers and Wonders. Egpyitna Unique Gold Building. Ageless.
Following the establishment of our capital, we dispatched explorers to decipher the layout of the land, recruited Medjay forces to form armies, and poured resources into technological advancements. The process of developing technology reminded me of playing ‘Civilization 6’, yet it seemed like a situation where if something isn’t broken, there’s no need to fix it. We also started focusing on Civics that enhanced and shaped our civilization identity. As anticipated in a game of ‘Civilization’, we continued investing in our city, produced various units for production, and explored new territories. Eventually, we encountered independent nations and other civilizations. By employing diplomacy, we eventually gained suzerainty over an independent city, and subsequently started investing in our legacy paths.
We decided to focus on the Military Legacy Path, which at first tasked us with producing an army and rallying them under a Commander. This is a big QoL improvement when it comes to moving units across the field because a Commander can “pack” them in and all move as one unit. The Commander cannot attack, but it can buff nearby units and the more battles won with them in the vicinity, the faster they level up for more buffs. We eventually founded a Town, let it produce gold for us for a while, specialized it, and then turned it into a City for 350 gold. Everything needed to establish players in a world map are top-notch, with everything feeling crisper than Civilization 6.
As a gamer, I must say that I appreciate the unpredictable aspects that come with each turn in what seems to be Civilization 7. Just like in Civilization 6, natural disasters can occur, but it’s not just about grand strategy anymore. There are intriguing storylines and decisions for us players to make, adding a human touch to the game. For instance, during one of my turns, I was informed that some of my people were ill. I had to choose between two less-than-ideal treatments, but trusting my instincts seemed to do the trick this time. These small yet significant details are what’s going to make Civilization 7 feel more alive and keep us hooked, even though I didn’t manage to finish the first Age in nearly three hours of play!
To explore how battles might unfold, we formed an alliance with Julius Caesar of the Roman Empire for a clandestine conflict against Ashoka. Since it was a secret war, we faced severe consequences. Our goal within our Military Legacy Path was to seize a city, so we selected two capable commanders and raised armies consisting of Medjay and Archers. The attack on Ashoka’s capital city proved disastrous, causing our commanders to retreat while the rest perished before them. With time, we attempted to negotiate a truce with Ashoka but failed. However, it appeared that Julius ultimately vanquished Ashoka, granting us one of his cities as reward. Although our victory seemed fortuitous, it was undeniably thrilling. With more careful planning, territorial expansion, and tactical decisions regarding units, it seems feasible to wage war and conquer rival Civilizations. We charged headlong into the conflict, paid a hefty price, but ultimately reaped rewards as well.
Soon after, my gaming world started to spiral into chaos online. This wasn’t just any ordinary glitch; it presented a series of pop-ups reminiscent of the Civics screen, but with a twist – I was given the tough choice between debuffs. I opted for unruly commanders, which took a toll on my happiness levels. As if that wasn’t enough, I was later compelled to pick another aspect of this crisis. The timeline of the Crisis still had some stops along the way, and I can’t help but wonder what would have happened next. Ultimately, I know this leads to an Age Transition, but alas, we didn’t quite make it that far in our game.
Essentially, “Civilization 7” appears as an advanced version tailored specifically for its purpose: portraying the evolution and development of civilizations over time. It effectively incorporates intelligent elements to emphasize this core concept. The game offers sufficient complexity to please dedicated enthusiasts, while also providing user-friendly refinements to help manage the numerous systems involved, making it less intimidating for newcomers. Time will tell how well it performs overall, but so far, “Civilization 7” seems to have hit the mark as a worthy addition to the series.
As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve been given the opportunity to preview the much-anticipated release of Civilization 7, happening on February 11 across various platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant covered my travel and lodging expenses for this sneak peek into the world of strategic empire-building.
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2024-08-21 00:16