SID Meier’s Civilization is one of the longest-running and timeless series that requires few tweaks between games in order to be successful. Anyone who has kept track of the series over the years will know that there have been significant and bold changes to the formula over the years. They’ve not all been popular, but there are passionate fans of each change that’s been added to Civilization over the years.

Civilization 7 adds some of the biggest changes to the series so far, with strict separation between the three phases. While you can mix and match leaders, civilizations and world wonders, you can only pick from the same age: the Antiquity Age, Exploration Age, or the Modern Age. Leaders are independent from civilizations and have access to a skill tree that you fill out as you complete different Ages.

At the end of the Age, a global crisis will push every civilisation to its limits, giving some narrative reasons for each major shift. The first Age Transition can feel jarring if you are still getting into the groove of the game, particularly if you haven't thought about the next Age yet. Ages end when your Age Progress reaches 100%, which happens over time, but accelerates when your civilisation reaches certain milestones.

These are part of four different Legacy Paths; Military, Culture, Science and Economy, and these provide structure to each playthrough. Each of these Legacy Paths relates to the Age you’re in, meaning that there is further variation across your playthroughs. There is also the Dark Age Legacy, which you can gain by ignoring the other Legacies. Sometimes Ages or crises end more abruptly than other entries, making it feel more gamified, and this isn’t a bad thing.

It feels better paced than previous games in the series, with higher tensions and engagement. There are still issues with the AI. It tends to sacrifice commanders on the frontline, even when there is a safer path forward. Overall, the opposing AI rarely challenges you if a body of water lies between your civilisation and theirs, and the tiny UI means it’s difficult to see how many units are left and how healthy they are.

Players could also be onboarded better by having more information available for certain mechanics, without having additional lengthy tutorials and text boxes. There are new currencies in the form of Influence and Happiness. Your Influence can be used to ensure success in diplomatic talks, while Happiness can make or break an empire. Civilization’s ‘story’ has always been told by the player, and this is still the case for Civ 7.

You can unlock new civilisations during your playthrough. Settling on islands in the Antiquity Age will see them become Hawaii in the Exploration Age further deepening the process. Civilization 7 features a contextual narrative event system that’ll throw stories and decisions at you based on what’s happening in the game. Go into the new entry of Civilization with an open mind and engage with its new features, and it will be your favourite entry yet.

Civilization 7 will launch on February 11, 2025, for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC. If you want to read more about upcoming games, check out our Citizen Sleeper 2 review. PC and Steam hardware and game reviews from our team of expert reviewers. Hardware Reviews. Game Reviews. If you want to read more reviews from Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and Steam, check out our gaming reviews hub.