Civilization 7 Preview – Tales of the Empire

I've been cautiously optimistic about Civilization 7 ever since I saw it very briefly at Gamescom 2024. It's a return to a more realistic art style for beginners, and while I enjoyed Civilization 6, it's the fifth game in the series. It has always been one for me.

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Like Dragons is already a better pirate simulator than Skull and Bones.

I’m really looking forward to sailing the seven seas as Majima Goro.

I can't speak to anything beyond the Age of Exploration, but there's still a lot to cover here. Rather than providing a graded review, which will come later, this is my story of civilization from antiquity to the age of exploration.

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Civilization 7 Ming Settlement (1)

The game of Civilization 7 begins like all other Civilization games. You start as a founder who immediately settles a city. I then form a couple of scouts (this is my general strategy) to explore nearby territory. The map is really cool and I love the little details. Natural wonders are especially amazing. As you explore, you will encounter ruins, rubble, and camps that give bonuses to your civilization. It's definitely more nuanced than previous games and allows for more narrative and mechanical choices. For example, you can choose to recruit troops for an initial military advantage or decommission your troops to a village for additional food and production. Rather than simply ‘receiving one technology for free’ like in the previous game, you are the one who decides the fate of the future empire even in the beginning.

I'm playing as Confucius, who gets a growth rate bonus per expert and an additional science bonus. After completing the game on Scribe, Governor, Viceroy, and Sovereign, it's time to try out Immortal, the second hardest difficulty. Up until this point, I hadn't really struggled with the AI, and generally the only thing that caused major problems early in the game were the independent factions that were completely wiping out my starting cities and towns. This time I'll focus on science and build a nascent army to protect my lands.

The game starts

Civilization 7 armies have gathered near the independent forces

A foreign scout appears from the fog. You are a member of the Independent Forces, the game's version of a city-state. Some may be hostile, while others may be your friends and reward you with excellent initial bonuses and various race rewards. I really enjoyed the early days of Civ 7 because there were so many choices. It's as if Firaxis understood that the first 50 turns of the game are the most enjoyable and really leaned into that experience.

As expected, a short while later a hostile army swarmed my border. I sacrifice some of my important buildings to train a few Chu-Ko-Nu, Confucius' unique ranged units. I am also aiming for a civil society that relies on military civil society and technology to ultimately give me a free military commander. Army Commander is a great addition to the game. Unit management becomes much easier as multiple units can be stacked on a single tile and moved around as a whole. They are also the only unit that can receive a promotion and advance into a new era. Commanders are very important in Civilization 7, so you should get them as early as possible. Conflict is almost inevitable.

My Chu-Ko-Nu makes quick work of the invading horde. Thankfully my neighbor Pachachuti also sent some soldiers to assist. He actually has a worrying number of troops. This is a problem for later. I just need to focus on my empire. First, it expands to two nearby villages. One is close to Torres del Paine, a natural wonder that grants my units the ability to easily traverse rough terrain for the rest of the game.

Expansion, Conflict, Progress

Civilization 7 Growing Cities

My first run at Immortal doesn't go very well. My capital takes 40 turns to build the Hanging Garden, even if I use two marble resources that provide a 10% bonus to wonder production. I'm giving it up and leaning heavily on Chu-Ko-Nu. Over the next few dozen turns, I build up my army, eliminate any nearby aggressive independent states, and then turn my attention to Pachachuti, who in true civilized AI fashion has settled about 50 cities on my borders.

War in Civ 7 is fun. Army Commanders add a new layer of tactics, as they have special abilities and control areas that make unit deployment especially important. My Chu-Ko-Nu makes short work of the enemy. One of my citizens gives them +5 combat power while defending and Pachachuti rushes his troops without thinking about it. I was able to capture border cities, and slowly my empire began to grow.

As the conflict progresses, we are gathering strength toward a military victory appropriate to the times. Each Age has unique victory conditions that grant you a Golden Age or a Dark Age when you advance to the next Age. To successfully achieve a military golden age, you must control at least 12 settlements. Settlements captured from foreign powers count as 2 for this objective. There's a lot to do.

Age and existing points

civilization 7 ancient

Unfortunately, you cannot collect 12 settlement points. We're getting closer to 10, and while we still get some rewards as we move into the Exploration Age, we could have done better. As the era changes, all conflicts end, my units miraculously disappear or are upgraded to other units, and everything resets. Sort of.

I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about this. The transition of the times feels disconnected. I too must change civilization, but I must remain a Confucius. So now I am a Roman Confucius. That doesn't make sense. I didn't like this system in Humanity, and I'm not sure I like it here. No doubt I will look at this in more detail in my review.

Now it's time to start exploring. The Age of Exploration has some unique mechanics that I really like, mainly about settling cities in new lands to stock up on massive treasure fleets. Settling for 'far away lands' resources like tea and sugar will eventually create a treasure fleet that can be sent to the capital for gold. This will not only begin the naval battles for the next era, but also open the opportunity to meet civilizations on the other side of the world.

In defense of the era system, it feels like a separate, self-contained part of the game. I don't care about soft resets because they interfere with game progress. We can approach this era with a completely different strategy rather than one long effort. Exploration feels similar to when you first sent out your scouts early in the game. It's clear that Firaxis tried to capture a 'new gaming feel' with Exploration Age. Tried and succeeded.

The Age of Exploration is relatively peaceful for my empire. Although my goals are a bit confused by so many military actions in the ancient era, I am ultimately aiming for scientific victory. I focus on building a treasure fleet and building science buildings with the gold I procure. I decided to play pretty big, which means I have a lot of professionals in my city. Each specialist gives me bonus science. For now, the strategy seems to be working.

But this is civilization. In modern times, anything can happen.

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The award-winning strategy game franchise returns with a groundbreaking new chapter. Sid Meier's Civilization® VII We give you the power to build the greatest empire the world has ever known!

in Civilization VIIYour strategic decisions shape the unique cultural lineage of your evolving empire. Choose a new civilization to represent your empire in each era of human development, rule as one of many legendary leaders throughout history, and control the direction of the story.

Expand your territory by building cities and structures, improve your civilization through technological innovations, and conquer or cooperate with rival civilizations as you explore unknown worlds. Thrive in an immersive solo experience or play with others in online multiplayer.

Whether you choose to follow a path rooted in history or reimagine the possibilities of charting your own path, create what you believe in and create a timeless legacy. Civilization VII.

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