Civilization 7 offers big changes, but its core is warm and familiar
I played Civilization 7 at Gamescom, and it's shaking up the franchise in a big way. Read our preview to find out why.
Lloyd Coombes
23rd Aug 2024 07:45
Images via 2K
How do you shake up a series like Civilization? Firaxis' 4X strategy title is essentially gaming royalty at this point, and while it has evolved in meaningful ways since it began, Civilization 7 has grand aspirations.
The game will introduce a new Ages system, which will see players gently nudged toward objectives to offer greater connectivity between turn 1 and turn 1001.
Civ 7's new Ages system is a big change
If you've spent any time playing Civilization over the years, you'll know how easy it is to get into a rhythm.
You found a city, make some warriors, pick your ideological path, and then it's more cities, settlers, and around you go again.
This time around, you'll kick off on turn one in the Age of Antiquity. Throughout the age, you'll have gentle nudges toward objectives and opportunities to work towards four Legacy Paths.
Each of these (Science, Economics, Cultural and Military) are tied to a traditional Civ playstyle and win condition.
All good things come to an end, though, and Ages will move with your progression. As you improve and grow your civilization, you'll move into Exploration and Modern Ages.
With each transition come Crises, potentially damaging effects that will chip away at your civilization until it needs to be built up again.
Each Age comes with its own units, too, meaning you won't necessarily be able to pit your 1000BC Warriors against modern tanks anymore, but it should allow for some opportunities for players lagging behind to catch up.
That's not to say there aren't bonuses for being ahead. Players leading the pack will suffer from these Crises too, but you'll also earn a series of bonuses and can carry forward elements of your civilization to your next one.
Next Civilization?
Yep, that's right - you'll be able to switch civilizations when you move between ages. Firaxis gave an example of an Egyptian civilization prepared to take the world via river, but which has seen success in creating cavalry units and dominating the plains.
In this instance, the game may suggest a player switches to Mongolia as a Civilization in the second age, teeing up a new suite of perks, along with the chance to change your Legacy Path.
Firaxis has also split rulers away from civilizations now, so you can pick the two independently of each other. That's a huge change and could see lesser-played civilizations like the United States come into play more often if they're paired with a leader that can offer bonuses in early turns.
Speaking of turns, I was able to spend about 20 minutes playing. It's certainly not enough to get too deep into the game, but I enjoyed the amount of decisions I had to make that dragged me away from my usual template of early turns.
Alongside the new Ages, decisions will appear more regularly. Find a burial site of an ancient civilization, and you can opt to steal its ceremonial dressings or learn to craft your own. Meet villages and you can decide whether to steal something precious from them or buy it.
These decisions will likely carry weight into later turns, but for now, it's a nice way to keep players engaged in quieter stretches where you're mapping the world. Make no mistake, though - Civilization is as fiendishly moreish as ever, and its familiarity remains despite those big changes.
Final Thoughts
Civilization 7 is pleasingly familiar for anyone who's played the franchise before, but its Ages system helps players shape a more cohesive narrative that runs deeper than turn to turn.
It's still a sandbox of strategic possibilities, but now there's more of a chance to write your own story.
Check back later this week for a deeper discussion on Civilization 7 with the game's Creative Director, Ed Beach.
About The Author
Lloyd Coombes
Lloyd is GGRecon's Editor-in-Chief, having previously worked at Dexerto and Gfinity, and occasionally appears in The Daily Star newspaper. A big fan of loot-based games including Destiny 2 and Diablo 4, when he's not working you'll find him at the gym or trying to play Magic The Gathering.
