Civilization VII preview: The most complete package since IV
Making the seventh Civilization game is a tall order. With six prior entries, each with a different flavor, it's challenging to create a unique identity to get people to buy it while ensuring it's familiar enough that it doesn't drive longtime fans away.
This week, I spent 15 hours playing Civilization VII-which is slated for release next month-through two of its three ages: Antiquity and Exploration. That's enough time to know that this is the most radical overhaul yet in a single new release without any expansions.
Regardless, my initial impressions are that this is also a return to form for the series. Like many others, I had gripes about Civilization VI. To be clear, VII isn't a reset to pre-VI times; some concepts introduced in VI (like the hex-based city district system) are revisited and refined here.