Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 Review

Whenever a new Civilization game is released, it normally has the same reaction from fans. They’re unsure about the new features that differ from the previous title; if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Over time, we get used to these changes and, in some cases, start to prefer them.

You might think no Civilization game could be as controversial as Civilization 6, with its district overhaul and updated visual aesthetics. You’d be wrong. Civilization 7 introduces major changes to the series that fundamentally change how it is played.

It’s still too early to tell whether it will benefit the series, but even with these massive changes, this is still, for the most part, the same Civ you know and love.

Civilization 7 Changes The Way You Play Civ

The game’s two big changes are felt before you take a single turn. Leaders are no longer tied to their own civilizations. Instead, you pick them to lead throughout all three of the game’s Ages, the second new feature in Civ 7.

Despite all of these massive changes, this is still the same Civ experience you know and love.

You can mix and match your Leader to various civilizations, offering a more customizable game experience. On the one hand, it means that there’s a loss of historical identity; it’s still weird to see Augustus lead the people of Egpyt. However, it means that you can have more control over the way you play.

The game will offer recommended civilizations to pair with your Leader, but ultimately, the playstyle is up to you. Each Leader has a preferred playstyle; for example, Ben Franklin ideally focuses on diplomacy and the economy, while Napoleon is all about military and culture.

You can also give your leaders Mementos, which add various in-game benefits, such as extra attribute points or other abilities. It’s another level of customization that can help keep things fresh.

There’s no need to fill the game’s roster with countless leaders, most of which you’ll never play. Instead, you can play from the select number of leaders your way. It’s also a great way for me to experiment with more leaders than in past Civ games.

Ages Split Civilization 7 Into Three Distinct Acts

None of the changes in Civ 7 are as significant as Ages. They split the game into three separate acts, essentially creating three smaller Civ games in your one extended session. Each Age represents a major period of history, and the playable cultures during these ages all fit the bill historically.

The Antiquity Age features powerful ancient civilizations such as Rome, Greece, and Persia. The Exploration Age, when it’s time to embark and explore the new world, is led by Spain and Mongolia. Then, finally, there’s the Modern Age, filled with modern-day powerhouses like America, Japan, and Russia.

The introduction of Ages to the Civilization formula addresses one of the franchise’s biggest critiques: the games take way too long. Splitting each match into three smaller sections introduces logical stopping points if you need to take a break.

Furthermore, you can start a game at any age you’d like; you can waste no time and begin in the Modern Age, for example. No need to toil away early on only to realize that one of your opponents has snowballed out of control. Everyone is, for the most part, on a level playing field once an Age begins.

I still miss the marathon sessions of Civ. Those early moments were so crucial because you needed to set yourself up for long-term success. You could feel the fruits of your labor as your civilization blossomed after the first couple hundred turns.

Yes, doing well in a past age can set you up for an advantage when heading into a new one, but these ages do a good job of acting as an overall reset to the game, which makes for fewer feel-bad moments. It takes some getting used to, but I’ve eventually come around to the changes, even if it still feels weird to pick up a new civilization after I’ve developed an attachment to my old one.

Minor Tweaks With Big Improvements

With an increased focus on diplomatic gameplay, the way to gain allies has changed. You now gain Influence Points, allowing you to set up relationships with other Leaders in the game. Without them, you can’t establish relationships, trade routes, or other diplomatic actions.

The same is true for dealing with Foreign Powers, which is the result of City-States and Barbarians combining, for lack of a better term. Some will act hostile and attack your empire, while others remain neutral. You can send influence their way, even the hostile ones, to help convert them. Or you can just capture them and gain a bonus for your civilization.

It’s a neat, subtle change that adds an extra layer of strategy to the game: Do you eliminate all the foreign powers, or do you work on influencing them over other potential allies? This adds another level of strategy without making the game more complex.

Civilization 7 Still Feels Like Civ, And Yet…

Despite all of these massive changes, this is still the same Civ experience I know and love. I don’t think it’ll ever not be jarring to have Leaders pick and choose their civilizations, but it’s a good way to keep things fresh.

And yet, although it shares the same DNA as one of my favorite franchises, there are still some issues at play. First, my preferred playstyle is to go all-in on Science while building a strong economy. With the Leader system in Civ 7, I can pick leaders who are strong in two aspects of the gameplay and have that be the overarching theme of my empire, regardless of the civilizations I choose.

Those bonuses from my Leader persist throughout every Age, and yet, there is not a single Leader at launch with a playstyle of “Economic Scientific.” It’s an odd exclusion considering the overlap of Cultural orEconomic Leaders, or those focusing on Expansonists or the Military. Sure, those two are honestly different playstyles, but they normally go hand-in-hand; you can’t expand your empire without a strong military.

We already expected a major drop in the number of Leaders available in Civ 7. That’s just natural after coming from two full expansions and extra post-launch support from Civ 6. Still, it’s disappointing, and the game feels a little incomplete, especially since there’s already post-launch DLC coming over the next few months with new Leaders.

Civilization 7’s UI is Disappointing

As controversial as Civ 6‘s more colorful presentation was, it was extremely helpful to learn valuable information about your empire. There wasn’t any need to click on tiles and figure out what was happening. It was all crystal clear.

Even in its current state, I can see myself playing this for years to come, though nowhere near as much as I did with Civ 6. There are too many frustrating issues that need addressing.

That is not the case in Civilization 7.

I’m not here to poke at easily fixable design issues and typos. That is what it is; they’re annoying and frustrating but easily fixed. Instead, just look at that above.

Now, let me zoom in on my city of Waset. At a glance, I have no idea what any of these districts do.

On the left side, there’s a cluster of three tiles that feature an Academy, a Library, and the Mastaba. Could have fooled me because they all look so similar.

They don’t have defining characteristics or other visual identifier clues. They’re just shades of brown that don’t stand out.

I’ve heard critiques that the UI was built with console or handheld devices in mind, but playing Civ 7 on my Steam Deck was a frustrating experience made worse by the unhelpful UI. The controls were not intuitive; I had to hop back onto my PC immediately.

There Are Still Even More Changes in Civ 7

Firaxis went all-in on making Civilization more accessible, and they succeeded by making its length more manageable. However, the quality-of-life department didn’t get the memo.

Even with the game split into separate Ages, by the time you reach the Modern Age, you’ll have to control a lot of units, even if you’re jumping straight into a Modern Age game.

That means, yes, your turns will take a while, just like they used to.

Somehow, you’re no longer able to have your Scout units auto-explore, which means you have to give them assignments 24/7.

For a game that does so much to make the Civ experience much more manageable and accessible, this is a bigger misstep than the UI issues for me.

There’s a fantastic game somewhere in Civ 7 that I’ll easily spend 1,000+ hours with. Even in its current state, I can see myself playing this for years to come, though nowhere near as much as I did with Civ 6. There are too many frustrating issues that need addressing. At least that’s what I keep telling myself, only to come back to boot up another game. Firaxis made a gigantic gamble with the changes to Leaders and Ages, and somehow, it paid off. If they can improve the game’s flaws with future updates, we’ll have another iconic entry in the legendary 4X strategy series.