Image: Firaxis Games
Here are our thoughts from an early preview of Civilization VII.
And they really meant it.
This results in a plethora of combinations of leaders and civilisations a player can have in different ages.
That said, once a player chooses a leader, the leader remains the same across all ages.
Speaking of ages, the game now also runs in three very distinct ages.
These are: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern (in temporal order).
since each age comes with its own set of unique civilisations (more on this later).
Why does the new Age system work this way?
This huge change in having different ages and civilization choices in Civilization VII is partly due to player feedback.
This means a shorter 3 to 4 hours of Civilization competitive play that is more conducive for an audience.
The first thing I noticed in the new game was the updated graphics.
Some elements of the game also seem a little simpler now compared to Civilization VI.
In previous Civilization games, tiles could be worked on to produce certain yields or resources.
The yields of the game are also different.
Instead, we now have Happiness and Influence.
Celebration is a brand new mechanic in the game, and unlocking a Celebration requires Happiness.
When you now build a settler and begin a new settlement elsewhere, a town is created instead.
Towns, like cities, can be worked on, but there is no production queue for towns.
Buildings have to be bought with gold, and towns convert all their production into gold.
Towns can specialise the moment they hit 7 in population, and each specialisation gives different benefits.
Otherwise, once you get used to some of the changes, the game becomes quite intuitive to play.
The crisis would also escalate, and I had to implement some very unkind crisis policies.
When the crisis concludes, the age of Antiquity is over and it is time to move on.
With the end of Antiquity, it is time to choose a new civilisation for the next age.
Once you complete a legacy path, you will then unlock an ability for victory.
In that regard, it is similar to other Civilization games.
Civilization VII has, for better or for worse, become a lot more straightforward.
I found myself actually enjoying this, with its gameplay loop feeling more streamlined.
However, I am still ambivalent about the new ages and changing of civilisations.
There is no denying that Civilization VII marks a new age for the Civilization franchise.
It is quite unlike the games that came before it, and yet it still feels so familiar.
