Civilization is a very odd series to review, because despite each game iterating on the formula set by previous titles, people simply have their favourites with Civ. A game that they accept, warts and all. No Civilization game is perfect, but a favourite is worth more than perfection to Civ fans. For me, it's Civ V, a game that still has buggy multiplayer to this day, but a title that simply keeps me coming back again and again despite its age and plenty of other strategy games vying for my attention.
Civilization VI was a step in a more approachable direction, one that I couldn't really get to grips with. Weirdly, though, as Civilization VII turns that step into a leap into streamlining the whole process, I found myself enjoying it much more than the series' previous entry. There is a lot of new in Civilization VII, so much that I really struggled to put it all into my preview, and yet because of the way it's spread out before you, it's easy to take it in more bite-sized chunks.
Largely, that's down to the fact that a game is not one long marathon, but instead three shorter jogs thanks to the Ages mechanic. Instead of just picking one leader that's tied to one civilisation from the beginning, you'll be able to change Civs at each Age passing, while keeping your leader throughout. At each Age passing, there's a decent break in the game. Some of your units will be upgraded, others left behind. Your cities will return to towns, with the upgrades that can pass from Age to Age. If you're not just playing for one Age - which you can do if you and your friends don't have a spare 10 hours to hand - then you will be building a Legacy throughout the game, which essentially defines your victory path, whether it be through science, culture, warfare, etc.
The Legacy does allow you to plan over Ages, but largely you'll be playing from Age to Age, as the Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Age each have a different focus. This in one sense gives you a fresh start every so often, but it can at the same time be rather jarring, and doesn't really deal with the fact that players can snowball from Age to Age. If you're strong in Antiquity, you won't be weak in Exploration. Of course, that depends on your own skill as a player, but against the AI, it's rare to see anyone come back after getting stomped in the early game. Speaking of the AI, one of the biggest changes in Civilization VII revolves around diplomacy and the use of Influence, a new resource that lets you take diplomatic actions like supporting an ally's war effort or spying on an enemy empire. The idea in concept is great, but if you pool your Influence, it's far too easy to be the nice guy or be able to spend it frivolously without worrying about the consequences.
It'll take hundreds if not thousands of hours to really understand the Ages and decide whether they're a good or bad addition to the formula. It does seem an odd choice, though, to platform and praise a shorter experience when Civilization fans are more than happy to spend endless hours going through their cities, spamming the next turn button until they can get to their next bit of empire organising. Besides Ages, a lot of the new mechanics are clear successes in streamlining and refreshing the Civ experience.
Being able to change your Civ throughout each Age at first sounded like an overcomplication, as it means that you're going to have to learn a lot more about each civilisation before heading into a game, but in reality, thanks to other streamlined elements, it allows you to dig into the depth that Civilization VII offers. It also prevents certain Civs having power spikes earlier or later in the game. You don't have to play around your peak anymore, as each new civilisation is designed to be strong in its own Age.
Army commanders stood out to me when I first played the game, and I do believe they may secretly be the biggest change to the franchise thus far, being able to contain multiple units in one tile solves one of the biggest problems with wars in Civ, where it felt like whoever could hang onto the most tiles would just win. Army commanders, combined with the new battle animations and gorgeous-looking units, make combat really enjoyable in Civilization VII, which I was pleasantly surprised by, considering I don't usually take part in warring until much later in the game.
The environments and overall visuals have received a clear upgrade this time around, and it's the first time I feel like we can really call a Civ game pretty. In the past, the graphics have either looked too old or - as in the case of Civilization VI - too cartoony and goofy. Civilization VII combines Civ V and Civ VI's looks, creating a game that you can't just help look at in detail, sweeping over your empire to check out all your little buildings and units. It seems like Civilization VII knows it looks good, too, as it often will show off its visuals when you build a Wonder, or face a natural disaster.
Managing your cities has never been more streamlined, as each time you grow a settlement, you'll automatically improve the tile you choose, as well as expanding your borders if you can. Districts are back, allowing you to create urban and rural areas of a settlement, and the focus on Towns as your secondary settlements again takes some elements out of the player's hands in order to let you focus on the fun stuff of building in your biggest city. Of course, you can make a Town a City, but you'll need gold to do it, with the cost increasing with each other City you have. These changes might sound controversial to a hardcore Civ player, but they're a great way to get to grips with all the newness of the game without getting bogged down by the micromanaging you had before. There's still plenty of space to make your empire more efficient, but I will say that I miss workers dearly. Their absence places the focus of the game much more heavily on your military units and settlement production, rather than wondering what your civilians are up to.
All in all, Civilization VII is a more than worthy inclusion in this historic franchise. As with any Civilization game, not all of the changes are going to be welcomed by every fan, but largely, this is a streamlined 4X strategy that is just as endlessly playable as its forebearers, and a title I have enjoyed, warts and all.