Civilization VII Review – An Early Draft of a Great Strategy Game

Few franchises carry the weight of expectations quite like Civilization. With each new entry, Firaxis attempts to refine the formula, adding new mechanics while keeping the core experience intact. Civilization VII is no exception. This latest installment introduces ambitious changes, including a segmented age system, enhanced diplomacy, and an overhauled leader selection process. However, while it takes meaningful strides forward, Civilization VII feels, in some ways, like an unfinished experiment, one that will likely need multiple patches and DLC expansions to truly reach its potential.

1. Sid Meier’s Civilization VII introduces significant changes to the historical strategy game, with each campaign offering engaging exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination across dynamically-generated maps.
2. One major update is the independent selection of leaders and nations, allowing for new strategic combinations, and the implementation of an account-based progression using Mementos offers beneficial perks for specific leaders.
3. However, contentious changes include the strict unlock requirements for civ-switching and notable gaps in available countries, and historically disruptive era transitions, make Civilization VII feel incomplete.

One of the biggest innovations in Civilization VII is the introduction of three distinct ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Rather than progressing in a linear fashion, players now guide their civilizations through different playstyles and challenges unique to each era. This change helps alleviate the traditional mid-game slowdown that has long plagued the series.

The way civilizations develop through different historical periods adds a fresh strategic layer, forcing players to think beyond just beelining to the next tech upgrade. However, while the concept is strong, execution feels somewhat undercooked. The transitions between ages can sometimes feel abrupt, with certain civilizations seemingly gaining (or losing) power in ways that feel arbitrary. Balancing issues will likely be addressed in future updates, but for now, this new mechanic feels like it needs refinement.

One of the most exciting changes in Civilization VII is the decoupling of leaders from civilizations. Players can now mix and match, allowing for unique combinations like Machiavelli leading Persia or Cleopatra ruling over the Aztecs. This feature offers immense variety and replayability, as different leader traits can radically alter a civilization’s strengths and strategies.

That being said, some of the leaders lack distinctiveness, with certain abilities feeling generic or uninspired. A few leaders feel almost interchangeable, leading to a sense that some factions are missing the unique flair that made them stand out in past titles. This is another area where future DLCs will likely flesh things out, but at launch, the roster feels uneven.

Another area of improvement is diplomacy. Previous Civ games have often struggled with AI diplomacy, with leaders flip-flopping between war and peace seemingly at random. Civilization VII takes steps to address this with a more sophisticated diplomatic engine that takes into account historical rivalries, strategic goals, and even personal leader traits.

Narrative-driven events also play a larger role, injecting a bit more personality into interactions with rival civilizations. These moments add flavor to the game, making diplomatic relations feel more organic. However, while the groundwork is promising, the AI still falls into old habits of making baffling decisions, like declaring war with no real path to victory. Future patches could make AI diplomacy more dynamic, but as it stands, it remains one of Civ VII’s weaker aspects.

One of the biggest disappointments of Civilization VII is how unpolished it feels at launch. While the core systems are in place, the game is riddled with small but persistent issues. UI elements feel clunky in some menus, certain tooltips fail to display crucial information, and pathfinding remains frustratingly inconsistent for military units.

On the technical side, performance is inconsistent. The game runs well on high-end PCs and Xbox Series X, but older hardware struggles with noticeable slowdowns, particularly in the late game. Turn times are another concern—while not as egregious as previous titles at launch, waiting for AI moves can still become tedious as empires expand.

Despite these shortcomings, there’s still a lot to love about Civilization VII. The moment-to-moment gameplay remains compelling, with plenty of opportunities for strategic planning, empire-building, and military conquest. Multiplayer is also a strong point, with improvements to stability and connectivity that make online games more reliable than in previous iterations.

However, Civilization VII feels like a game that will improve significantly over time. Firaxis has a history of releasing expansions that elevate Civilization games from good to great, and there’s little doubt that future content packs will address many of the missing elements. For now, though, the game feels incomplete—entertaining, but not yet reaching the heights of its predecessors.

Civilization VII is an ambitious evolution of the franchise, introducing fresh mechanics and shaking up traditional gameplay structures. The segmented age system, customizable leaders, and improved diplomacy all show promise, but the game’s lack of polish and certain underdeveloped aspects hold it back. As it stands, it’s a solid, if somewhat flawed, entry in the series—one that fans will likely enjoy, but that will truly shine once it receives the inevitable updates and expansions.

For now, Civilization VII is worth playing, but it may be best enjoyed after a few patches and DLCs round out its missing edges. If you’re eager for a fresh take on Civ, you’ll find plenty to appreciate, but if you prefer a more complete experience, waiting might be the better move.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Civilization VII will be released on February 11th, 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

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