Civilization VII Preview
It’s been almost a decade since Civilization VI became the biggest 4X game in the world. A lot has changed in that time, including a resurgence of the genre that Civilization basically created. Firaxis studios have always tried to respect tradition with each new iteration of the franchise, even as they try to take the series in surprising new directions. Civilization VII arrives making bold choices, thoughtfully poking at what it means to be a new Civilization game.
Age of Enlightenment
The biggest and most obvious divergence change begins from the very first choice you will make. Over the course of a game of Civilization, you will now actually play as three different Civilizations. You choose one at the outset, the Age of Antiquity, and you choose again in the Age of Exploration and the Modern Age. Your choices come with an obvious historic path (like going from the Normans to the French) but you can also unlock choices through completing certain milestones such as building a big enough wall or having enough trade routes.
Short term objectives really keep Civilization VII moving. A lot of attention has been paid to the endgame. I know I am not the only person who plays the first 100 turns of a Civ game over and over. Now there is always a clear objective and a clear reward. This system feels like excellent successor to Civilization VI’s Eurekas and Golden Age tracks. The system is tighter in Civ VII, weaving across the objective types and sometimes taking your game in a surprising direction.
Mastering the Endgame
When you start a new age, the game goes through a bit of a refresher. Some of your troops will be automatically promoted, and struggling cities can downgrade. You can also move your capital at the beginning of each age. At first I didn’t understand why I’d ever want to abandon my original capital, but once I tried it there was no going back. Not only does this spread bonuses all over your empire, it can also change the name and the culture of your Empire. You may start as Rome but you might end the game ruling from Washington DC. The developers have talked a lot about wanting to feel the different layers of history building atop one another and with mechanics like these, I’d say they were pretty successful.
There’s also been a lot of attention paid to minute micromanaging systems and finding a way to make them fun. I actually really like the new diplomacy system, which has been made into more of a strategy game than a pseudo RPG. Influence is your new diplomatic resource. When another Civ offers you a deal, you can usually accept it for free, or you can sweeten the deal for both parties by committed influence of your own. You can also torpedo the deal, spending influence to build conflict. The espionage system- long my most ignored Civ feature- is integrated into this diplomacy system, which streamlines a ton.
Echoes of Eureka
There are a couple of curious mechanics. There are new narrative story events, which seem at odds with the game’s strengths. These usually pan out as choosing one of two bonuses: do you want science or culture? Gold or influence? You burn through most of the narratives on a single playthrough, and they end up becoming a bit of a chore even if they are almost always little bonuses. There is also the curious decision to divide techs and civics in half, meaning you have to research Writing and then Writing II. The narrator reads the same quote for each of the techs.
That all said, the strange narrative mechanics do underscore how good Civilization VII feels to play. I can totally see that system teased out in future expansions or even mods. I think that shows that the bones of the game are strong enough to hold up to the weight of history. Civilization VII adds more complexity, but the structure never feels in danger of collapsing. The gameplay mechanics support the themes of the game!
The March of Civilization
Civilization VII is also the first entry in the franchise that boasts a significant metaprogression. As you complete gameplay milestones (essentially achievements), you can unlock small permanent bonuses, which can be attached to leaders at the beginning of the game. This opens up another level of customization, as you can essentially tack one leader’s bonuses onto another for maximum synergy. It also gives players a reason to play every single Civ, pushing them out of their strategic comfort zone.
A game of civilization can take days, and you are meant to enjoy many games. That means that there is a lot of game in this game and even spending a lot of time with it still barely scratches the surface of everything the game has to offer. After a couple dozen games, I am still seeing new wonders. I am still trying new strategies. Civilization VII makes me want to be the very best, like no one ever was. Keep an eye on this space for a full review in the coming weeks! And in the meantime: try to stay civilized out there.
