After giving fans of the 4X genre reasons to be happy at Summer Game Fest, Firaxis Games and 2K Games were back at Gamescom 2024 Opening Night Live, this time with even more strategy goodness to share with the masses with the first gameplay trailer for Sid Meier’s Civilization VII.
A new chapter in the storied and beloved strategy franchise, your strategic decisions shape the unique cultural lineage of your evolving empire in Sid Meier’s Civilization VII. Rule as one of many legendary leaders from throughout history and steer the course of your story by choosing a new civilization to represent your empire in each Age of human advancement.
“We’re incredibly excited to take players on a new type of journey through history in Sid Meier’s Civilization VII,” stated Ed Beach, creative director at Firaxis Games. “With the introduction of revolutionary new features such as Ages, the ability to select leaders and civilizations independently to mix and match gameplay bonuses, a beautiful new art style and more, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII promises to be true to our goal of being the ultimate historical strategy game.”
Those new features include:
- Build an Empire to Stand the Test of Time. Each Age is its own rich, nuanced journey, with unique playable civilisations, available resources, explorable land, and even entire gameplay systems, creating a deep, historically immersive strategy experience. Strive to accomplish significant scientific, cultural, militaristic, and economic milestones within each Age to unlock impactful advantages in the next.
- Evolve Your Empire as Each New Age Dawns. To build a legacy that truly stands the test of time, you must adapt. Forge your own path through history as you reshape your empire at the start of each Age, selecting from a pool of new Age-relevant civilization options determined by your prior gameplay accomplishments. Evolving your empire unlocks fresh gameplay bonuses and unique units, so your current civilisation is always at the height of its power.
- Play as Visionary Leaders of Progress. Embody an illustrious leader with one of Civilization‘s most diverse rosters yet, from traditional heads of state known for their militaristic might or political prowess, to visionary leaders who made everlasting impacts in philosophy, science, human rights, and more. Each leader possesses a unique ability and can further be improved with customizable attributes earned through gameplay, empowering you to reinforce or pivot your strategy from one Age into the next. For the first time in franchise history, you can choose your leader separately from your civilization, giving you the freedom to create all-new strategies by mixing and matching gameplay bonuses.
- Explore a World Brought to Life Like Never Before. Make your mark on a gorgeously detailed world. Your empire comes to life with a vast, diverse range of cultural styles, represented across building architecture and unit design. Face-to-face interactions with other historic leaders immerse you in every act of diplomacy and declaration of war. As your territory expands and your cities continue to develop, lavishly rendered vistas of your empire seamlessly connect to create a vibrant metropolis.
- Test Your Strategic Mettle in Multiplayer. Compete against other players online and prove your prowess as a great leader. Multiplayer matches can be epic multi-Age campaigns, or take place in a single Age so you can enjoy an entire game in a single session. Cross-play is supported between PC and consoles, so you can play together with friends wherever they are.
- An Enjoyable Strategy Experience for All. 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 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.
More importantly, we also got a firm release date for the 4X giant. Sid Meier’s Civilization VII will launch on February 11 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, with the deluxe edition providing five days of early access.
