Photo credit: arstechnica.com
My experience with 4X games is somewhat limited. I did get absorbed in Endless Legend for a few weeks, though it didn’t hold my interest over time. I have fond memories of playing Master of Orion II extensively during my younger years, and while I’ve dabbled in Stellaris for a few dozen hours, my real passion lies with Alpha Centauri. Additionally, I enjoy The Battle of Polytopia as a more casual game.
For those who are die-hard fans of the Civilization series—especially if you found VI to be your top choice or regularly tackle the game on Deity difficulty—you should note that my perspective might differ from yours. However, I aim to provide useful insights that can still inform your understanding of the game.
This review stems from two complete playthroughs covering all three ages of Civilization VII, plus some additional exploration, totaling around 35 hours. While my primary play was on a Windows PC, I did experiment with the game on a Steam Deck for a short time. Unfortunately, I did not have access to versions for Mac, Linux, or consoles.
Now, let’s delve into the details.
Transforming the Ages of Civilization
Civilization VII introduces a significant reconfiguration of how the game organizes its temporal structure. Previous titles featured a series of “eras,” such as Ancient, Classical, and Modern, serving as a loose framework for game progression. In contrast, VII condenses this into three distinct “ages”—Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern.
It’s important to differentiate these ages from the boom/bust cycle represented by dark and golden ages found in VI;
Exploration remains a crucial element in the initial age, and players will find scouting to be particularly vital.
The approach taken in VII allows these ages to feel like distinct gameplay segments rather than mere markers of time. Each transition from one age to another comes with substantial shifts in the game’s landscape and objectives, complete with a summarization screen that highlights the changes.
Each age boasts unique technology and culture trees, distinct buildings and units, and introduces specific victory conditions and mechanics. For instance, the ability to disseminate religions globally via missionaries and monitor the religious composition of cities is a feature exclusive to the Exploration age, despite some fundamental elements of religion being present in Antiquity.
Source
arstechnica.com