Summary
TheCivilizationfranchise began in 1991 withSid Meier’s Civilization, and has become a key fixture for players who enjoy strategy games, taking over a civilization from pre-history and bringing it to the modern age of technology and beyond. The franchise has continued to grow and expand across three decades, adding new options for players, different civilizations to control, and adapting thegameplay to keep players invested in the franchise.
Civilization 7launched on the 11th of February, 2025, and the new entry to the storied franchise has received mixed reviews across the board due to issues with the UI. After the success ofCivilization 6,the development team at Firaxis Games have made changes to the pre-existing formula to ensure that the game has enough variety to keep fans of the series engaged while also being accessible to new fans.
7Updated Graphics
The New Visual Style Improves On Civilization 6
The newest entry into theCivilizationfranchise brings a change in art stylethat sets a new bar for strategy games across the board. WithCivilization 7,the team at Firaxis Games has made changes to the visual style, making it more vibrant without straying too far into a cartoon style.
With the ability to fully zoom into your cities and view the wonders of the world up close, it makesCivilization 7the prettiest the franchise has ever looked. This is definitely an improvement onCivilization 6, but in its current state,it negatively impacts performance, which should be improvedwith future planned patches.
6Natural Disasters
Previously Introduced In Civilzation 6’s DLC And Now In The Base Game
Having previously introduced natural disasters inCivilization 6’sgathering storm DLC, the team at Firaxis Games have included them in the base game forCivilization 7. With this now included in the base game, players are forced to adapt to ensure the survival of their civilization.
With the added impact of natural disastersin the base game, players are forced to adapt if they are impacted near their cities, but can also use them for a tactical advantage if looking to take over another civilization’s city. With natural disasters being in place from launch, this represents an improvementCivilization 7has made fromCivilization 6.
5The Addition Of Crisis Events
When Advancing Through The Ages, Crisis Events Have A Huge Impact
Crisis events are a new feature added toCivilization 7that impact civilizations massively when they occur. Activated at the end of the antiquity and exploration ages and themed around the age of your civilization, these crisis events present a new challenge to seasoned players of the franchise.
Ranging from revolutions among the people to plagues impacting your towns and cities, these events require players to implement Crisis Policies to mitigate their impact with certain leaders having more success than others.This addition adds a new dimension to gameplay inCivilization 7,improving onCivilization 6.
4Independent Powers
Merging City States And Barbarians Makes A More Varied Experience
Independent powers bring together the previously existing barbarians and city states, spawning at the start of each new age. Similar to how barbarians used to operate, if they are aggressive toward the player, they can be taken out by an attack unit — while also being able to be won over with diplomacy, similar to a city state.
This combination of the two pre-existing NPC factions provides an update that, if handled correctly,can yield great rewards for the player. This adds an extra layer of depth to any game inCivilization 7compared toCivilization 6.
3Changing Civilizations Through The Ages
The Ability To Change Civilizations Adds Extra Depth
InCivilization 6,when players make their choice of which civilization and leader to control, the decision is made with the endgame in mind, with players knowing this decision is final. InCivilization 7,in a move that reflects history,in which different civilizations rise and fall, players choose a new civilization at the beginning of each new age to control with their leader.
Players are able to mix and match the abilities of different civilizationswith the leader they choose at the beginning of the game, meaning a player can begin a save with Confucius in control of the Chinese empire before taking control of the French civilization. This combination of skills provides variety to the game and represents a massive improvement inCivilization 7.
2Commanders
A Massive Upgrade To Civilization 7’s Combat
A new unit type inCivilization 7, Commandersare a cornerstone of the combat system in the game. With the ability to hold four units, expanding to six with upgrades, Commanders allow players to prepare and execute their tactical plans when warring with other civilizations.
Providing additional benefits in their area of influence, commanders are extremely useful for transporting troops around the battlefield. Despite not being able to participate in battles themselves, this new unit type gives players the edge in battles by giving their combat units additional buffs. This new unit type provides an improvement to combat inCivilization 7.
1Three Ages
Streamlining And Improving The Civilization Experience
The biggest improvement forCivilization 7comes with itsstreamlined approach to advancing civilizations through the ages. Each game is now split into three ages with a definitive beginning, middle, and end. Players begin in the Antiquity Age, in which they first begin to shape their civilization, followed by the Exploration Age, in which they begin to expand and explore, concluding with the Modern Age, with the most technological advancements.
The Ages System helps to reduce micromanagementin the latter parts of the game, while also meaning that no individual civilization can ensure victory from the outset as seen in previous entries. Additionally, this feature means a save remains fresh from its opening to its conclusion. This represents the biggest change and improvement sinceCivilization 6.
