Summary
Civilization 7looks to take the franchise to a new age by emphasizing, above all else, how cultures emerge over time. The tried-and-truegrand strategy formularemains, but the key changes this time around are more than enough to justify it asCivilization 7instead of “Civ 6.5.” Indeed, Firaxis Games has a key approach known as the 33% rule when it comes toCivsequels: 33% remains the same, 33% of the content is upgraded and improved, and 33% of the content is brand new. Between the improvements and brand new content, everything about the game feels top-notch.
Game Rant recently visited Firaxis Games in Baltimore, Maryland, playing around three hours ofCivilization 7. During this time, we were able to get near the end of the Antiquity Age, check out most of its new features, and otherwise enjoy our time growing our cities, attacking other civilizations, and engaging in various levels of diplomacy as well. While there’s still quite some time until its February 11 release date and there were some rough edges for Firaxis to buff out, we walked away impressed and hungry for more. We would’ve genuinely played all day if Firaxis let us, which speaks volumes in its own right.
New Civ 7 Screenshots
Playing Civilization 7
To keep things simple, we went with the recommended combination of Egypt as a civilization and Hatshepsut as our leader. Once we loaded into the game, there were a couple of interesting things that immediately caught our attention. First, graphically, its stylized diorama approach is truly impressive. It also pairs well with undiscovered locations, which are shrouded by hexagons sporting theCivilization 7logo. The game also guides players through their checklist of things to do, which is a nice touch to ensure nothing is overlooked and forgotten. It doesn’t inform players of every single change or what they should do, but it’s a nice reminder to produce things in a city, that certain research elements are done, and that units can move or act.
Hatshepsut Bonuses
Egypt Bonuses
After we founded our capital, we sent out scouts to begin uncovering the map, producing Medjay to form armies, and investing in developing technology. Thetechnology game felt very familiar toCivilization 6, but it felt like a “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” moment. We were also able to begin investing in Civics that help buff and define our people as a Civilization. The rest of the turns played out as one would expect from aCivilizationgame. We kept investing in our city, kept producing various units and exploring, and we eventually met independent states and other Civilizations. Using Diplomacy, we eventually became Suzerain of an independent city, and we began 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 thanCivilization 6.
There are also a few random elements to aCivilization 7turn that we enjoyed. Occasionally,natural disasters akin toCiv 6will strike, which is not that surprising, but there are also story elements and choices for players to make - aside from all the grand strategy elements. For example, we were informed during one turn that our men had grown sick, and we were able to decide how to treat them. It was a choice between two options, neither of which sounded like the best medicine, but we went with our gut and everything turned out fine…this time. These little elements are going to do a lot to add to the life ofCivilization 7, really endearing players to their map and Civs. After all, we played for nearly three hours and still didn’t finish the first Age.
We wanted to see how military operations could work, so we found ourselves in an alliance with theRoman Empire’s Julius Caesaras we went to war with Ashoka. Because it was a Surprise War, we were heavily penalized. One of our Military Legacy Path objectives was to capture a city, so we got two decently leveled commanders, built armies of Medjay and Archers, and attacked Ashoka’s main city. It was a resounding loss, sending our commanders into retreat as everyone else died at their feet. Once enough time passed, we tried forging a truce with Ashoka, but that didn’t work out exactly. However, not long after, it seems Julius was able to wipe out Ashoka, and we received a city from his defeat. It seems like we just lucked into that one, but still, it was a lot of fun. With better planning, expansion, and unit strategies, it seems simple enough to wage war and take out enemy Civilizations. We went in haphazardly, paid the price, but also still got a reward.
Not long after that, our crises began to come online. It results in a pop-up similar to the Civics screen, but we were forced to choose from a selection of debuffs. We went with unruly commanders, which penalized happiness, and then later on we had to pick a second element of that crisis. There were still stops along the way in the Crisis timeline, and we wish we could have seen how this plays out more. The end result, we know, is the Age Transition, but we didn’t get quite that far of course.
Overall,Civilization 7feels like a targeted upgrade. It knows what it wants to do—be a model of how civilizations grow and change over time—and it implements smart features to push that to the fore. Meanwhile, its depth is more than enough to satisfy the most hardcore fans, while there are some nice quality-of-life touch-ups for those who may find themselves overwhelmed by the various systems at play. It remains to be seen how it ultimately performs, but it seems forCivilization, 7 is a lucky number.
Civilization 7releases on February 11 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided travel and lodging for the purposes of this preview.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
WHERE TO PLAY
The award-winning strategy game franchise returns with a revolutionary new chapter.Sid Meier’s Civilization® VIIempowers you to build the greatest empire the world has ever known!InCivilization VII, your strategic decisions shape the unique cultural lineage of your evolving empire. Rule as one of many legendary leaders from throughout history and steer the course of your story by choosing a new civilization to represent your empire in each Age of human advancement.Construct cities and architectural wonders to expand your territory, improve your civilization with technological breakthroughs, and conquer or cooperate with rival civilizations as you explore the far reaches of the unknown world. Pursue prosperity in an immersive solo experience or play with others in online multiplayer.Whether you choose to follow a path rooted in history or reimagine possibilities to chart your own way forward, build something you believe in and create a legacy that echoes through the Ages inCivilization VII.
