Previews of Firaxis Games' latest entry, "Civilization VII," showcase how it seems to be aiming to become the best game in the series by learning from the mistakes of previous games.
The game is set to officially release in February 2025 and some players were able to play two of its three ages: Antiquity and Exploration.
Many of them said that these offered enough content to suggest that "Civilization VII" is the most radical overhaul yet in a base game in the franchise.
Civilization VII Previews
On top of that, it seems like Firaxis Games is using the latest entry in the franchise as a way to go back to its roots. However, "Civilization VII" is not a reset and it revisits and refines many concepts that were originally introduced in "Civilization VI."
The latest entry in the game also offers a lot of features that can be beneficial for both new and old players, especially those who keep an open mind.
There have already been a few early reviews coming out based on hands-on previews of the game, according to Ars Technica.
Firaxis Games, as always, tried to design "Civilization VII" as a good starting point for new players to the franchise or people who have not played for a long time. The studio has made various improvements to the tutorials compared to previous games in the series.
They are now much more clearly worded and closely assist and guide players at the very start of the game.
If you are entirely new to the franchise, there would be a lot of pop-up text boxes that you will most likely want to read to learn more about the mechanics of "Civilization VII."
Building on Past Games
Some of the players who had a chance to play "Civilization VII" also noted that it still stands tall over the competition.
This is as there have been many strategy games that have tried to take the series' throne, such as "Manor Lords," "Frostpunk 2," and "Millenia," PCGamesN said.
Many of the main tenets in the "Civilization" franchise have either been expanded or upended in the latest entry.
One example is Diplomacy, which is fueled by a new resource called "Influence." This allows players to build treaties, forge covenants, and place embargoes on rival leaders.
There are also new "Crisis" scenarios built into the game that will automatically start near the end of an era, such as a continental plague.
This and many other factors combine to make the age transitions in "Civilization VII" the most radical and disruptive mechanic yet, according to PCGamer.
