It’s been a while since I’ve played Civ, and there are a lot of Civs to remember, so I’m not confident in picking out What’s New here, but I think the unit animations are more elaborate this time, with battalions of tanks and herds of spear-wielders that could almost have been lifted from Total War. There’s also a lot of nasty weather about, with some continent sized whirlwinds and lightning storms.
All that said, this looks like business as usual up to a point. You’ll found cities, harvest resources, colonise the land around them, send forth armies, build wonders, and celebrate finishing a playthrough with either a cathartic exchange of nukes or a trip to another planet. Maybe both.
Oh hang on! There’s a heck of a lot more on theSteam page, including details of the new leader selection (“one of Civilization’s most diverse rosters yet”). In a series first, “you can choose your leader separately from your civilization, giving you the freedom to create all-new strategies by mixing and matching gameplay bonuses”. We can also expect “a vast, diverse range of cultural styles, represented across building architecture and unit design”. The civs in the trailer certainly seem quite varied.
“With more than 30 years of franchise legacy to draw from, Civilization VII features a vast wealth of gameplay improvements that will thrill series veterans and newcomers alike,” the Steam page summarises. “The overhauled tutorial experience and refined gameplay systems make jumping into Civilization easier than ever, while returning players will appreciate a massive suite of gameplay improvements. Move your army as one under the leadership of a commander, unlock progression bonuses for your leaders across multiple gameplay sessions, traverse navigable rivers, and much, much more!”
Again, out in February. I wonder if Gandhi is still a comicbook supervillain in this one.
