‘Sid Meier’s Civilization VII’ marks anniversary with two big announcements

Although “Sid Meier’s Civilization VII” didn’t quite hit the mark when it launched, the strategy game has improved over the past months, and Firaxis is marking its first anniversary with two big announcements. The first is that the title will receive a massive new upgrade that changes how the game plays.

Creative director Ed Beach said the Test of Time update, coming this spring, will address several issues that fans had with the sequel. The biggest one is that the team has reworked how victories are achieved so that campaigns feel less formulaic, adhering to the goals of the age. It now sounds as though victories will be more free-form and focus on players establishing dominance in one of four categories: military, economy, culture or science. The team said players can win as early as the Exploration Age.

Another aspect of the Test of Time update is that players can pick one civilization and stick with it across all ages. It’s a throwback design element to how “Civ” used to be. Now, at the end of an Age, players can choose a new civilization or stick with the old one.

Sticking with a single civilization will have benefits, such as excelling in its Apex Age, the historical era where it was at the height of its power. Playing outside of that age, players also gain distinct perks tied to the Age-specific Civic Tree that includes unique nodes tied to the civilization and era.

The last improved element is that Firaxis has removed Legacy Paths and replaced them with a new system called Triumphs. It’s supposed to make the gameplay feel less rigid by giving players a wide range of optional objectives tied to the six game attributes for an empire.

As an anniversary bonus, Firaxis is adding another leader to the fold. Gilgamesh will be a free addition that players can download.

Taking Civ VII on the go
The second major piece of news is that “Sid Meier’s Civilization VII” is launching on Apple Arcade on Feb. 5. Developed by Behaviour Interactive, the title adapts the experience of the PC title and puts it on the smaller screens of an iPhone and iPad, allowing players to take their campaign of world dominance wherever they go.

Although a different developer adapted it for iOS devices, 2K Games said it is the authentic “Civ VII” experience on mobile and features intuitive touch controls. It’s also available on the Mac for those still desiring desktop gameplay.

The series has worked on iOS devices before. “Civilization Revolution” was a game that captured the essence of previous entries in a convenient mobile form. It was still addictive. It still had the depth that allowed players to explore different strategies. It’s a game that kept players glued to the screens until the battery died.

Those previous entries showed that “Civ VII” has the potential to translate well to mobile. The big question is whether this edition will carry over the expected improvements of the latest updates from its PC and console counterparts. If it does, the game is a must-download when it comes out later this week.