REVIEW – Firaxis Games has launched Civilization VII with a less than triumphant start. In the last few hours, thousands of players have been able to immerse themselves in the strategy experience thanks to the early availability of the Deluxe and Founder’s Editions, but the initial feedback has been far from unanimously positive. Many players have criticised the developers for the clunky interface, limited content and various bugs. And now, another problem has been added to the fix list: a sound bug that has already tested the patience of many fans.

Civilization VI was an excellent game, but it was not as successful as its predecessors. With the seventh installment, Firaxis offers a return to the early days of the franchise, while trying to adapt the formula to the demands of modern strategy games. Some of the defining elements, such as the hexagon-based urban quarter system, have been retained, but in Civilization VII they have been reworked and fine-tuned to provide a smoother and more enjoyable gameplay experience. The combination of new and reintroduced mechanics ultimately creates an experience that can appeal to both novices and seasoned strategists.

For those already familiar with the series, the first few hours of Civilization VII may feel like familiar territory: you choose your leader and your civilization, then establish your first city on the map. From there, you begin the familiar exploration: scour the countryside, map available resources, and start expanding. But the real differences – while small at first – gradually unfold as you first encounter natural wonders, hunting camps or ancient burial mounds that offer valuable bonuses. Whereas in previous episodes these were often limited to a single free technological upgrade, Civilization VII has a much more flexible system: you can choose to recruit soldiers to gain an early military advantage, for example, or distribute resources among your cities to provide extra food and production.

These small, but strategically significant changes are key, as they allow you to flexibly adapt your strategy to your chosen civilisation, leader and the initial circumstances of the game. Added to this is the system of city-states scattered across the map, which initially take a neutral or even hostile stance towards you. However, if you gain enough influence, they can become your allies, which not only gives you initial bonuses, but can even open up the possibility of a new city being incorporated into your civilisation.

Dynamic evolution of leaders and civilisations

Civilization VII offers amazing flexibility, allowing you to develop a long-term sustainable strategy that you can tailor to the strengths of your chosen leader. The game offers a choice of twenty-two historical characters, each with their own unique bonuses and abilities that will have a decisive influence on your playing style. But here’s the twist: just because you start with a civilisation doesn’t mean you’ll end the game with it. You’ll have to choose a new civilisation every time you switch eras, which can radically change your strategy.

In one of my playthroughs, for example, I started as Harriet Tubman, the creator of the Underground Railroad – a 19th century refugee route that helped slaves escape to free territories in the north. In the beginning, I led the Axum civilization in antiquity, then transformed into Songhai in the Age of Discovery, and finally into the United States in the modern era. I must admit that the last shift felt a bit forced geographically, but strategically it worked perfectly. The bonuses I received and the stacking of strengths made the transitions logical and beneficial to the gameplay.

Tubman’s character is particularly well suited to civilisations that rely on militia and diplomacy. His unique ability allows him to increase his influence through espionage operations, as well as gain war support points if he is declared at war. This was a huge advantage in my gameplay, as I was able to gain a lot of influence relatively quickly, build good relationships with other leaders, and get some city-states on my side. I also won a decisive victory in a war by executing my opponent.

In another game, I chose Lafayette, an iconic figure of the French Revolution. His unique bonuses allowed me to adopt extra social policies, which helped me, for example, to accumulate certain resources more quickly and deal with crisis situations more effectively. One of Civilization VII’s greatest strengths is that each game offers a completely unique experience depending on the choices you make in terms of leadership and civilization development.

One of the most interesting new features of the game is that you’re not completely left to your own devices. To make the experience smoother, the game also offers recommendations as you move between eras and civilisations. These recommendations can be based on geographic, strategic or historical aspects, and help you to make your decisions not only more logical but also more effective.

All these changes take the gameplay to a whole new level. In theory, you can replay a game with the same leaders, but if you make different decisions or take your civilisation in a different direction, the end result could be completely different. That’s one of the most exciting aspects of Civilization VII, made truly unique in part by the reworked era and time system.

Every new era is a new beginning

Civilization VII divides the gameplay into three distinct eras: Ancient Age, Age of Exploration and Age of Industrialization. Each period has its own themes and focal points that determine what your options will be in that era. When you enter a new era, you can choose the strategy you follow, the technologies you develop and the political system you choose for your civilisation. Your achievements in the previous era will not be wasted: if you meet certain goals, you will receive bonuses that will make it easier to progress. This system turns every era change into a true new beginning, a huge departure from previous episodes where the progression of time was mostly just a state of the technological tree.

While the eras may look familiar from the older episodes, Civilization VII has completely reworked this system, adding fine-tuned mechanics and new options. Each era has its own progression paths and metrics that determine how successful you are on the road to ultimate victory. The classic victory criteria remain, but vary from era to era. For example, the conditions for achieving scientific victory are completely different in the Old Age, the Age of Discovery and the Age of Industrialisation. The game has introduced a new objective system that determines at the beginning of each era which paths you will take depending on your chosen leader and civilisation. This means that it is entirely up to you to decide which direction to take and which branch of technological innovation to focus on. The system allows you to follow a completely unique strategy in each era – whether it’s military, diplomatic or scientific – and leave a legacy that will provide additional bonuses for the future.

This system not only gives you more freedom in gameplay, but also means that each era change is a completely new opportunity. It’s almost like playing multiple separate mini-games within a Civilization VII thread, as each era is a new chance to build your strategy from scratch while your advantages from the previous era help you progress. Age shifts and legacies being passed on to other civilizations adds a whole new layer to the game. While these changes may seem small at first, they actually add a great deal of depth to the game and make the system more transparent and understandable, even for those new to the series.

However, despite this apparent freedom, the game doesn’t always let you do things entirely your way. The artificial intelligence (AI) sometimes reacts too aggressively to your decisions, as if it wants to keep you on a predetermined path. In some situations, the AI may show unduly harsh resistance to completely harmless decisions. For example, in one playthrough, I went to war – with all its economic, social and military consequences – without even seeking a military conflict. The AI reacted hysterically to the fact that the border of one of my cities encroached slightly into its own. Despite my diplomatic efforts to defuse the tension, the rival civilisation refused peace altogether, preferring to declare war as if all other options were out of the question.

New and old aesthetics

One of the most striking new features of Civilization VII is the graphics, which show a noticeable improvement over the previous installment. The level of detail has been greatly improved, especially in the development of cities, where the architecture changes dynamically as the different eras progress. Firaxis has successfully captured the sense of the growth and transformation of ancient cities as the cultural and historical layers of the settlements unfold.

In terms of visuals, Civilization VII returns to the aesthetic of the fifth installment, but this time with much more detail. This experience is enhanced by the excellent sound: whether it’s the effects during gameplay, the atmosphere during city-building or the selection of music specifically tailored to the era. The game’s music perfectly follows the characteristics of the historical periods, which adds to the experience.

More opportunities, more freedom and a new start

While Civilization VII isn’t flawless, and there are still some imbalances in the game systems, it still delivers one of the most complete and accessible experiences in the series’ history. The game’s mechanics are much more transparent than in previous installments, and the tutorials are clearer, making it easier for newcomers to immerse themselves in the game. Of course, the system still contains minor bugs and elements that need fine-tuning, but at least now it’s easier to understand what’s happening and why.

With gameplay tweaks, Civilization VII delivers a familiar yet fresh experience. Classic mechanics return in a reimagined form, keeping the game true to its roots while delivering new experiences. There are also major advances in customisation: not only can you switch between different civilisations and leaders, but you can also actively shape your strategy as you play.

Firaxis has succeeded in creating a precisely designed, smoothly running system that constantly encourages you to play “one more round” and wait to see how your civilisation evolves. The game simplifies a few things, fine-tunes existing mechanics, and introduces new features that keep the experience fresh but provide enough depth to keep you hooked for long hours – all while mantraing to yourself, “One more round and then I’ll really stop!”

-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”-

Publisher: 2K Games

Developer: Firaxis Games

Style: 4X Strategy

Release: February 11, 2025