Summary
For fans of the iconic Firaxis franchise, the August 2024 gameplay reveal trailer forCivilization 7marked the end of a nearly decade-long wait to see the series’ latest sequel in action. While the gameplay on display largely looked to follow the familiar formula that long ago established the strategy series as a juggernaut of the genre, one newCivilization 7feature could help it appeal to a wider audience than ever. By breaking up gameplay into distinct ages with an opportunity to course-correct at the end of each one, the game’s innovative Age Transition mechanic may makeCivilization 7the series’ most approachable entry yet.
The introduction ofCivilization 7’s Age Transition mechanicrepresents a major shake-up to the pace of play for the series. Whereas players of previousCivilizationgames could easily find themselves trapped in a no-win situation thanks to decisions made hours earlier, this new feature should make it easier to bounce back from a strategic miscalculation. Offering the ability for players to not only reappraise their approach at the end of each era but also to see how their decisions so far have affected the world around them, Age Transitions look ready to break down one of the series’ biggest barriers to entry.
Civilization’s Biggest Strength is Also its Weakness
The strategic depth oftheCivilizationserieshas been praised by players and critics for decades, but it has also served as a double-edged sword. While the ability to micromanage nearly every aspect of a civilization’s growth has made the franchise a favorite of strategy fans and history buffs alike, this same complexity presents a significant barrier to entry for potential new players. The knowledge that one wrong decision during a match’s opening hours could leave them languishing in the game’s latter half likely served to keep many players from giving theCivilizationseries a shot.
Now, with the introduction of Age Transitions,Civilization 7has the chance to change that. Rather than leaving them unable to escape the consequences of their potentially poor choices,Civilization 7’s three ages— Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern — will present players with an opportunity to rethink their strategy as each one draws to a close. As a result, even major missteps won’t necessarily prevent players from being able to achieve victory, makingCivilization 7the series’ most accessible entry to date.
Firaxis is eliminating the pressure to play perfectly and putting the focus back on fun.
Ages May Make Civilization 7 More Accessible Than Ever
As they near the end of each ofCivilization 7’s three ages, players will encounter a Crisis that serves to shake up their civilization, with their response to these crises determining what form their society will take on the other side of the Age Transition. The most intriguing element of this feature is that, following each Age Transition, players can take control ofa new civilizationthat has been shaped by their choices thus far. This means that making a poor choice early on won’t result in an unwinnable endgame scenario, just a different set of starting circumstances for the next civilization.
For players new to the franchise, the introduction of ages withCivilization 7has the potential to be a literal game-changer. Freed from the pressure of trying to conduct a perfect playthrough, where one wrong decision could come back to haunt them hours later, players will now be able to experiment with different strategies throughout the course ofa singleCivilization 7match. This should make matches much more forgiving, allowing players to course-correct as necessary with the dawn of each new age.
Thanks to the addition of Age Transitions to thegameplay loop forCivilization 7, Firaxis is eliminating the pressure to play perfectly and putting the focus back on fun. And by offering the same strategic depth the franchise has become known for while still allowing enough flexibility to bounce back from blunders,Civilization 7looks poised to be the series’ most accessible entry ever.
