As a long-time Civilization player, I’ve been eagerly delving into Civilization 7, keen to see how it builds upon – and diverges from – its predecessor. After several hours of gameplay, I’m both intrigued by its innovations and occasionally puzzled by its design choices. Here are my thoughts on what works, what doesn’t, and what remains unclear.
The Good: Evolution in the Right Direction
Unified Influence System
The game introduces an elegant, unified influence mechanism that handles both diplomacy and the management of independent tribes. I appreciate the strategic depth this offers – choosing between converting tribes or swaying neighbouring civilisations adds a nuanced layer to gameplay that feels both fresh and thoughtful.
Enhanced Military Mechanics
There’s a significant improvement in the military system. Army stacking through Generals not only adds realism but also streamlines warfare. You can now assemble cohesive armies that receive bonuses across the board without the hassle of managing individual units. What’s even more clever is that Generals serve dual purposes: they bolster your forces in battle and can boost city yields during peacetime, encouraging dynamic and versatile strategies.
Leader-Specific Governor Promotions and Expanded Tech Trees
I’m impressed by the leader-specific governor-style promotions, which are earned through side quests and open up interesting specialisation paths. In addition, the expanded tech and civic trees allow for a meaningful choice between deep specialisation and broad advancement. These systems enrich the game’s depth without overwhelming the player.
Improved Visuals
Visually, Civilization 7 has evolved towards greater realism. While I’m still undecided whether this aesthetic trumps the more stylised approach of Civilization 6, there’s no denying that the graphics are impressive and add a fresh dimension to the gameplay experience.
The Challenges: Interface and Clarity
Overlapping Windows and UI Confusion
The interface currently feels more cluttered than in previous iterations. Multiple windows pop up simultaneously with little visual distinction, making it hard to discern their purpose. A simple colour-coding system could greatly enhance clarity here.
Ambiguity in Mechanics
Certain game mechanics suffer from unclear presentation. For example, the happiness system shows both global and city-specific metrics, yet its impact isn’t communicated effectively. When war weariness suddenly tipped all my cities into unhappiness, I was left uncertain about the concrete effects on my empire.
Cities vs. Towns
The distinction between cities and towns is intriguing yet underexplained. While it’s clear that towns use gold for purchases and cities rely on production, many questions linger regarding their strategic advantages, stability during age transitions, and how best to specialise each.
Strategic Depth Versus Accessibility
The game appears to be grappling with the balance between strategic depth and accessibility. Battles feel noticeably easier than in Civilization 6 at Deity difficulty, which might be a design choice to appeal to a broader audience. Similarly, smaller map sizes reduce the joy of early exploration—encounters with other civilisations occur far sooner, potentially curtailing the sense of discovery that many players relish.
Settlement limits also present a curious challenge. While they create interesting tensions with militaristic milestones, the happiness penalty system isn’t clearly explained. Is it viable to push beyond these limits if you can compensate with extra happiness buildings? The game leaves this question unanswered.
Outstanding Questions
Even after extended play, several aspects remain opaque:
- Age Transitions:
Although most of my units and settlements carried over between Ages, the process lacks transparency. A dedicated screen showing what survives—and what changes—would be very helpful. - Overbuilding Mechanics:
The concept of “overbuilding” is not well defined. Can you construct new buildings on top of existing ones, and if so, do you lose previous benefits? Clarifying this trade-off would aid in planning city development. - Growth and Tile Yields:
The relationship between food, growth, and tile selection is muddled. I miss the detailed breakdowns of yields and growth rates from previous games. - UI Consistency:
The interface sometimes fails to clearly distinguish between policy cards, buildings, wonders, units, and abilities—all sharing a similar visual style. This can make strategic choices more challenging than necessary. - Bugs and Missing Options:
- The “next turn” function does not automatically shift focus to active battles, so troop movements and engagements often go unnoticed until it’s too late.
- On one occasion, the AI settled in an odd location between one of my major cities and an independent tribe, forcing an unwanted war.
- Selecting units that share a tile with a General is tricky due to overlapping icons, and the current solution feels prone to error.
Looking Forward
Despite its growing pains, Civilization 7 shows real promise. Innovations in military and diplomatic systems open up exciting new strategic possibilities. However, the game would benefit significantly from a cleaner interface and clearer communication of its core mechanics. As with many Civilization games at launch, it will need time to mature. I’m eager to see how the community’s understanding evolves and how Firaxis responds to player feedback.
Robotic Ape 