A Timeless Classic Refined or a Dumbing Down of Strategy?
Sid Meier originally came up with the first Civilization way back in 1991, and since then it has been played by millions. We’re now at the seventh iteration of that game. Based originally on a 1980s board game it was the first of its kind to combine exploration, real-time combat, and resource management in a game.
But, personally, I haven’t taken in a Civ for a good while, so I was excited to get back into it, ready to waste hundreds of hours trying to rule the world in Sid Meier’s Civilization VII. I wondered what had changed for the franchise, and whether the gameplay could still hold up in today’s 2025 gaming landscape…
One More Turn
The first point to make about going back into this franchise is that it is still as addictive as it ever was. I’ve never had such an “I’ll give it one more turn” feel to a game as I have with Civilization and Civ VII in particular. It’s a hard game to turn off because it feels like you’ll just leave so many plates spinning, elements that you won’t want to forget about or leave. However, even after a few years away, Civilization VII still feels very familiar.
In fact, diving in is very much like riding a bike again; just one with flashy decals and some new wheels.
New Leaders and Civilization Choices in Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
It’s when you start a new campaign that you will discover a big change in the selection. No longer do you pick a civilization to choose from start to finish, but instead you get a leader that takes you all the way through. There’s a good few included too, from Benjamin Franklin of America or Catherine the Great and Jose Rizal. Each leader has different attributes and strengths to call upon to help you play in the way you want to.
Whatever, your goal is to take your civilization through three ages; ancient, exploration, and modern. The big difference here is that after each age is complete you can then change civilization to suit the way you play. So for example I was putting all my eggs in technology so after one age I changed to that of the Ming dynasty as they were more efficient in that attribute.
It’s a good system and every age can feel like a reset chance. Perhaps that will annoy some, and having a leader who is not from that country can feel a bit odd, but I like it.
Dominate or Diplomatise
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII feels good in how you decide how you want to play and adapt to the world around you. Do you focus on building up your army and aggressive units, going out into the world dominating and declaring war on your neighbors? Or would you prefer to take a more diplomatic route, building, trading and partaking in cultural exchanges with your neighbours and trying to be the peacemaker?
I always felt that somewhere in between is the best place to be, capable of delivering a successful route in a campaign. The goal is of course to get to the last era and go into space.
Exploring the World, Tile by Tile
There is a lot to like about Civilization VII and I personally found slightly more simplified control systems and information taking to be more accessible, especially true for those new to the franchise. But I can also understand how that simplicity could well anger some of the more hardcore Civ fans. There’s no doubt that the exploration side of the game is still great, as you send out scouts, control full armies and slowly but surely uncover the world, tile by tile. Of course, you’ll discover the opportunity to stumble upon other settlements, take in some mining, and agriculture opportunities as well as build possible communities to trade with or war against. You can also find world wonders and sights to see as you travel.
I found the combat okay, but it is not something I could get excited about. I’ve never really been much of a war person, instead focusing on diplomacy and culture. However you play though, each ending has a legacy path for you to follow. You can go down the economic, military, and science of culture routes for each era, targeting select goals and achievements as you go.
Disasters and Dilemmas
Of course, you will find a playthrough to be affected by disasters, like flooding for example, but towards the end of the age, you are hit with a crisis too. This could be a plague that will wipe out much of the population or a revolt from the subjects. You have to successfully deal with these problems and get to the next age in one piece. All these additions are excellent and very enjoyable to deal with.
Civilization visuals have always felt good, but Civ VII comes with some nicely illustrated upgrades. The leaders all have a cartoony version of themselves that is nicely animated throughout. and then when you head out into the tiled world you play on, it seamlessly allows you to zoom out to see the overall map and zoom in to focus on the detail up close in a tile and what is going on there. I loved the menus and how simple they were to navigate around, working easy to understand controls.
It’s probably worth mentioning the epic soundtrack that plays throughout too, trundling along in the background rather than dominating proceedings. For me though, the audio highlight is that of some narration and voice work by Gwendoline Christie; it is a genius choice because she gives the role gravitas and panache.
A Familiar Yet Fresh Entry in the Civilization Series
Even after investing many multiples of hours into Civilization VII, you’ll continue to be dragged back in. Much like most of the franchise, it’s a real time-eater, and once you start it’s hard to stop. There may be a bit of a dumbing down in systems, but as someone who has come back to the series after time away, I appreciate the change, even though it continues to feel familiar.
One thing is for sure, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is a game that will continue to grow over time, with new DLC and patches building out a very solid base game.
Strategic Links
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII will revolutionise the strategy genre – https://www.thexboxhub.com/sid-meiers-civilization-vii-will-revolutionise-the-strategy-genre/
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII: A New Era Dawns for the Legendary Strategy Franchise – https://www.thexboxhub.com/sid-meiers-civilization-vii-a-new-era-dawns-for-the-legendary-strategy-franchise/
Buy Civ VII on the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/sid-meiers-civilization-vii/9NG6VZHN5GQL/0010
Go Deluxe if you like – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/sid-meiers-civilization-vii-deluxe-edition/9N9M9G9M3QHX/0010
