Sid Meier's Civilization 7 will continue a long-running series of turned-based strategy games. From the first Civilization in 1991 to the sixth mainline entry in 2016, the 4X franchise has always maintained a recognizable formula. While the games make for slow and sometimes comfortable sessions with friends, their reliability tends to come at the cost of major changes to that formula. The series, bound to some semblance of realism or historical accuracy, can only do so much within its own constraints to mix things up.
Civilization 6 in particular was an interesting change of direction for the franchise. Aside from its stylized art, which left many fans of the more realistically styled Civilization 5 disappointed, the game introduced changes to the inner workings of a nation's cities. The added depth of specialized districts increased the difficulty of managing said cities, which introduced a neat learning curve to the series. This, and the improvements made to research, also made for a lot more variety between matches. This kept even the longest sessions from losing their zest, as players were always developing unique districts and expediting scientific research via the new Eureka mechanic.
Despite these changes, Civilization is still in a tough spot. With the last three numbered entries having aged quite well, and players that are comfortable rotating between games for their unique leaders and experiences, Civilization 7 could comfortably break the mold without diminishing the franchise's community. Firaxis even proved this with Beyond Earth and the Civilization 6 Zombie Defense mode.
Civilization 7 Needs to Change the Formula
Firaxis could glean a great deal from player reception to the variety of changes introduced by Civilization 6 and its DLC. The game features the largest roster of world leaders yet, its somewhat stylized graphics will help the game in its old age, and its improved systems make for the most interesting and complex gameplay in a mainline Civilization yet. It might offer the definitive Civ experience, but players who prefer the previous entries can easily access and even mod those titles to their liking, which has allowed players to enjoy custom leaders in Civilization, something that the seventh game could make great use of.
Civilization 6 perpetuated the studios' trend of changing quite little between later entries, and players weren't keen on the art direction at first, but its now massive roster and stylized art have grown on many players. Ultimately, Civilization 6 has proven that the tried and true template of the mainline games remains reliably fun to this day. So long as the foundation of the seventh game is solid and capable of inciting thoughtful gameplay, Civilization 7 can include unique leadership variety, change the style, or introduce challenging new concepts for players to take advantage of.
From Stellaris to Age of Wonders, a variety of titles in the genre maintain the foundation of a solid 4X game with unique style and a few twists. Old World, reminiscent of Civilization or Crusader Kings, sees players confronting the consequences of their actions throughout the match via events which are directly influenced by player choice. A player that chooses to rule over Rome as Romulus might be surprised in the late game when their ruler is slain by Romulus' mythical twin brother Remus, leading to a change in leadership and a twist on Roman mythology. It might even be fun if Civilization 7 could attempt a rogulike game mode at launch or something similar.
In the end, whether Civilization 7 chooses to maintain the series' traditional style with minor quality of life improvements or try something big and new, the game will likely perform well. There is competition now, as the 4X Dune: Spice Wars will likely glean from Civilization's innovations. A Civ game that dares to step outside its comfort zone or massively expand upon the formula will make waves in a way that another safe entry simply wouldn't.
Sid Meier's Civilization 7 is currently in development.