Avid strategy game fanatics and the gaming community rejoice as Firaxis Games have finally announced the release date of the long-awaited sequel to its long-standing franchise– Civilization 7. The game is set to release on February 12, 2024 (PH Time) for PHP 2,920.

The Civilization series, which began in 1991, has set a standard for turn-based strategy games. It has a distinct and focused detail on elaborate gameplay and historical immersion that its players are known to love. Each installment has built upon the foundation laid by the original– yet, has introduced evolved gameplay and refined mechanics in each iteration– has captured the appeal of both casual games and hardcore strategists. Now on its 7th entry to the franchise, fans hope to see a new and fresh introduction of mechanics to set it apart from its predecessors. And with today’s announcement and release of gameplay footage, a lot are excited to try out these new mechanics.

Here’s a few things you need to know:

GAME MAP AND GRAPHICS

With every iteration of Civilization, the first comment goes right off the choice of style and graphics. It’s been known for each new version that the style and appearance of the game will change. A notable case was Civ 6‘s design choice– with what was described as cartoonish and far off from the older versions. For Civ 7, the key visual scaled back and toned down to appear with a balance of realistic, yet, modern attack. The Leaders have also been given more visual actions, especially during transactions during diplomatic scenarios.

A NEW ERA AGE OF POSSIBILITIES

Right off the bat, one main change for Civ 7 is the introduction of Ages, a deviation from its older mechanic Era. There are now three distinct phases– Antiquities, Exploration, and Modern– and in which the player gets to pick a new Civilization for each Age with its bonuses, units, and style of play.

One thing that remains permanent is the player’s choice of Leader and their own set of bonuses. However, the developers made sure to create a new set of leaders to choose from, thus varying from the old set that the fans have seen from the previous versions of the game.

However, with each transition to the new Age, the player is also introduced to a Crisis, a new set of Policy Cards that forces a change of strategy and development before hitting the new Age.

CITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

One of the most intricate details about the Civilization® franchise is its city planning. Specialty Districts have been trimmed down to two types: Urban and Rural developments. Urban Districts are essentially Specialty districts but are where you develop Buildings that specialize in what your preference is, such as Science, Culture, etc. Rural districts are tile improvements, and there’s no more need to make builders for them as they have been removed. Another thing removed is Citizen Management. For each time a city grows in population, the game prompts you to place a district. For Urban districts, however, players still need to create Specialists for them, granted the required Civics have been unlocked.

Settling now starts as a Town that only produces gold, which can be turned into full-fledged Cities later on. This is a fresh concept, and many players might appreciate this, especially for those who despise managing a lot of Cities and giving them each a production queue.

DIPLOMACY AND INFLUENCE

The game has introduced a new currency: Influence, generated by certain Buildings and improvements, and how Diplomacy works for this game. This new concept will reframe how interactions are made between Civilizations as each action has its benefits and consequences. It has a noticeably low cap, which forces players to keep doing diplomatic transactions, or else lose the growth of the cap.

COMPLEXITY SUMMARIZED

With a game as complex and intricate as Civilization, so much more has been introduced, changed, and reworked. A few examples are Barbarians/City-States, Army management, map traversing, Tech and Civics tree, Governors, and so on. What remains the same in all these changes, fans can expect a brand new game that will surely take up their Sunday afternoons (to evenings).

Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 releases on February 12, 2025 (PH Time), and is now available on Steam, Epic Games Store, and many other online e-tailers. The cost for the Standard edition is at PHP 2,920. A Deluxe Edition is also available for PHP 3,950, and comes with two new leaders, four new wonders and civilizations, as well as some customization skins.

System requirements for the game are still to be announced.