TheCivilizationseries is an icon in the turn-based strategy genre, and fans were excited when it was recently announced thatCivilization 7was in the works.Civilization 6was well received by players, with praise aimed at its added nuances and the layers of strategic consideration that it brought to the franchise’s usual setup, but the next installment is a chance to really step this up a level. The previous entry was the fastest-selling game in theCivilizationseries so far, so the stage is set forCivilization 7to go above and beyond what its predecessors achieved.
Expectations may be high, but that doesn’t meanCivilization 7can’t deliver. The developer has already announced its intention totake theCivilizationfranchise to “exciting new heights,” which bodes well for the upcoming title. Not much is known about the next game, however, and this leaves the door open for fans to speculate about what it might entail. When it comes to shapingCivilization 7, there’s plenty that developer Firaxis Games can learn from other hardcore strategy games that have pushed the boundaries and established the precedents for the genre.
RELATED:Why Civilization 7 Should Skip Some of the Franchise’s Most Popular Leaders
Civilization 7’s Development
Civilization 7’s announcement may have been a little underwhelming, with players learning about the game’s development through a tweet on the officialCivilizationTwitter account with very little accompanying details. It was also confirmed thatCivilization 6director Ed Beach will be the creative director forCivilization 7,which was good news for fans that enjoyed what the last installment brought to the series. However, that doesn’t mean thatCivilization 7can’t alsomake some big, bold innovations.
AlthoughCivilization 7needs to bring something new and continue to polish the franchise’s formula, there are a few things that gamers might like to see make a return from previous games.Civilization 6allowed players a lot of creative freedomto adjust the game modes and making them optional, andCivilization 7could really push this and make this much more playful and flexible. Some players might want to seeCivilization 7push its predecessor’s other aspects like the ways victory can be achieved and how diverse and engaging they are, but the developer should also look to other franchises as well.
What Civilization 7 Can Learn From Other Strategy Games
Hardcore strategy games can be hard to get right, and striking the balance between making them complex but not too complicated is vital. Sometimes players can be put off, thinking a strategy game will take too long to get into or too difficult to master, but once they get sucked in these types of titles can be the most engrossing and most satisfying. Hardcore strategy games usually have incredibly ambitious scopes and a multitude of systems for players to get to grips with, but whileCivilization 7should bare this in mind, it shouldn’t forget the attention to detail and depth that superb strategy games encompass.
Good hardcore strategy games havesophisticated AI opponents for players to come up against, and this adds to the challenge of not only growing their own empire but competing against others as well. Games that really handled this well and helped to establish strategy genre foundations are titles likeRise of NationsandThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2,which made their AIs hard to defeat but also surgical with how they took down gamers.Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2also provided players with lots of different strategies to pursue to achieve victory, and this is integral to a good strategy game that lets gamers make the experience their own.
A more recent example isCrusader Kings 3which nearly overwhelmed players with optionsbut still made sure that these were cohesive and adaptive. Strategy was embedded in every single part of the game, from how and when to declare wars to what religions were promoted or marriages undertaken. This adds a lot of things to a player’s plate, but making this juggling process seamless and make sense within the world of the game makes the challenge all that more fun and sophisticated.
Civilization 7is currently in development.
MORE:Civilization 7 Could Give Firaxis the Opportunity to Revisit an Out-of-This-World Concept
