"Civ 7": Major "Test of Time" Update Overhauls the Game
After months of fine-tuning, the "Test of Time" update for "Civilization 7" is now available for all players. It's a kind of new beginning.
(Image: Firaxis)
“Civ 7” gets a second chance: After a weak start and disappointing reviews, developer Firaxis wants to revive the 4X game with a major update. “Test of Time” has been tested for months and is now available to all players for free. It not only fundamentally changes game progression but also comes with additional models, fresh music, and fundamentally new game mechanics.
Perhaps the most important innovation for many fans concerns one of the main criticisms: the era changes. Previously, you had to select a new civilization when switching between eras. In the future, this will be optional. With the civilization changes, Firaxis wanted to fundamentally revolutionize the progression system: for example, Egypt became the Mongols, and the Mongols in the modern era became France.
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175 new music tracks
This was actually a design pillar for Firaxis in “Civ 7,” but it was not well received by fans. It was often criticized that the civilization changes made game runs feel interchangeable and arbitrary. Many players lacked a consistent identity throughout the entire game. Now, with the era change, you have the option to stick with the civilization chosen at the start of the game. The AI factions will also remain the same.
The update includes 175 new music tracks with over nine hours of playtime, which are primarily intended to depict the new eras of the familiar factions. Since, for example, Egypt could only be played in antiquity until now, “Civ 7” did not contain suitable music for the other eras. The added music tracks symbolically show how elaborately Firaxis has rebuilt “Civ 7” to be able to return to the familiar progression system. New models for buildings also had to be created.
Alexander the Great
In addition, Firaxis has revised the victory conditions in “Test of Time,” which should lead to more varied games. The four classic victory types – military, culture, economy, and science – remain, but now function via a point system that builds up over all eras. Military victories, for example, are based on control of settlements and dominant expansion, while cultural victories are based on tourism through wonders and unique buildings. The key now is to maintain a significant lead over the competition for extended periods to secure victory.
In addition, there is a new map type called “Fractal Continents.” Furthermore, a new free leader, “Alexander the Great,” has been added, combining military and cultural advantages. His ability rewards cities with world wonders and strengthens his armies the more culturally significant cities he controls.
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“Civilization 7” was released in February 2025 and is considered by fans to be an unloved part of the cult strategy series. Player numbers from Steam show that “Civ 7” is falling behind its predecessors: According to SteamDB, both “Civ 6” and “Civ 5” are played by significantly more people than “Civ 7.” So far, the player statistics on the unofficial Steam database SteamDB show at least a small increase since the update was released.
(dahe)
