"Civilization 7": "History is built up in layers"
With "Civilization 7", Firaxis wants to surprise even long-established fans: The new age system fundamentally changes the progression of the game.
(Image: Take-Two)
Almost 25 years after the release of the first "Civilization" part, the developers want to surprise their long-time fans again: Firaxis is fundamentally revamping the game progression in "Civilization 7". The new ages divide the game into different chapters, in which even the civilizations have to be exchanged.
"History is built up in layers", is how producer Dennis Shirk sums up the basic idea of the new "Civ" during a hands-on session at Gamescom. Just as Roman cities have changed over the course of time, a playthrough of "Civ 7" should also feel more versatile than before.
A campaign is no longer an uninterrupted flow of gameplay with one and the same faction. Instead, ages divide a "Civ 7" playthrough into three chapters: the Ancient Age, the Age of Exploration, and the Modern Age.
Alternating civilizations
Among other things, players select a new civilization when transitioning to a new age – by force. Egypt, for example, only exists in Antiquity. The choice of playable factions when changing eras depends on achievements and play style. In addition, when advancing to a new era, the game cards are expanded and new resources are cultivated. Ages are therefore not just visual changes, but also radically change the status quo of the world.
In order to best prepare for a new era, players must reach milestones that unlock bonuses for the next era and more choice when "leveling up". A change of era is therefore not a hard reset; much of what has been achieved is carried over. Nevertheless, new eras are designed to shake up the course of the game. If you want, you can select an era directly at the start of the game to skip the other scenarios.
Leaders as a common thread
Because civilizations now change through the ages, the leaders serve as a common thread through a campaign: they remain the same even when switching to a new era. This is intended to create identification and serve as an anchor point for a campaign. When selecting leaders at the start of the game, you are freer than before: you can pair any leader with any civilization. In addition to the rulers typical of the series, Firaxis has also added philosophical and scientific masterminds such as Ben Franklin to the selection.
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However, long-time "Civ" veterans need not worry that Firaxis will completely spoil the tried and tested game principle. During the play session, it quickly becomes apparent that the core gameplay is not fundamentally different from previous offshoots. That was never the aim, says Shirk: "If you mess up the fundamental gameplay loop, you mess up the whole game."
So you send scouts around, expand your city and research new technologies – "Civilization 7" feels familiar when you play it, despite the extensive changes to the progression system.
Exciting or interchangeable?
Nevertheless, there have already been some changes in detail: Instead of the deleted barbarians, for example, we encountered an "independent power" during our early exploration of the map. This is a CPU-controlled mini-faction that can either be fought against or befriended with the new "influence" currency and eventually built up into a city-state.
You no longer need controllable workers, instead you can build directly on the hexagons without any detours. And the navigable rivers not only provide bonuses for other buildings, but can now also be used for transportation.
These are all nice changes, but ultimately not revolutionary. Whether the age system is the biggest change in "Civ 7" or whether it makes civilizations feel somewhat interchangeable will only become clear after a longer period of play. The rise to a new age was not yet integrated in the Gamescom demo from Firaxis.
(dahe)