Civilization VII Test of Time Update: A Review Redux

There was much criticism to be had when Civilization VII launched about its Civ Evolution system. For one, the optics of calling one real world culture "more evolved" than the other. Building on that, the optics of having almost every Asian culture have to evolve into Japan. 

Interestingly, Firaxis has let that system go the way of the Wild Assault with the new Civilization VII Test of Time update, just saying bye girl. And you know what? it's made the game worth another check-out. 

Name: Sid Meier's Civilization VII

Developer: Firaxis Games

Publisher: 2K

Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbos Series X|S, Xbox One

We Can Be Immortals, Just Not For Long

It's very easy to lose sight of your goal in Civilization VII. Jump in, get so obsessed with your balance sheet and next thing you know the age is ending and your military army hasn't even started a real war yet. Considering how integral the progression system was to the launch version of the game, it makes sense that some other systems had to be reworked along with it, having a good knock-on effect for new players. 

This comes in the form of the new Triumphs system, replacing the Legacy of prior patches. If you're not sure what an Economic, Cultural or Military victory is supposed to look like, the Triumphs do a good job of highlighting that for you. While they give rewards, they also act as per-game achievements. If you're going for a Military victory and your "capture settlements" Triumph remains incomplete, for example, that's probably the best sign it's time to fall on your sword. 

Personally I really dig it. Civilization is one of those games that a lot of people only talk about the big masterstrokes for, so it's really nice to have goals explained in smaller steps like these to guide you along. 

It also helps dispel the myth that you need to go all-in to one path early. My giant war machine wasn't free, kiddo. That needed an elaborate financing operation, that meant dedicating entire settlements to Gold-generating decisions. I'd become a major commercial force, that just so happened to be stockpiling troops and weapons to take out weaker entities. I even fell into classic pitfalls, like getting sucked into conflicts across the map for little to no benefit. 

Even if you're not a massively optimized player, the end result of Civilization VII unlocking all the civs for every era also means you're much more free to start playing it more like a pseudo-narrative. The previous evolution system always felt all gameplay no fantasy- you were mostly picking civilizations that carried on from the last one well. Now, it feels much more experimental: How far can I carry Antiquity-era Majapahit? 

It does help that it's not just a switch being turned off either. They've added a system that carries forward the intent of the original one: civilizations have optimal Ages, meaning you can choose to have a civilization that excels at Antiquity for a stronger start, or target a stronger boom during any of the later ages, too. 

Civilization VII Test of Time Verdict

I'm a big fan of when a game can recognize something's not working out and do away with it without saving it for the next sequel. While my original run through of Civilization VII felt overly burdened by mechanical decisions, the combination of streamlined systems and the more sandbox approach to the game's goals makes Civilization VII feel like a much more beginner friendly experience as of the Test of Time update. 

Admittedly it doesnt' feel like all the kinks have been ironed out just yet. Notifications from your advisors are almost entirely useless, since the sum total of the advice they give usually boils down to "Listen to me" followed by no actual helpful specifics. It also still feels like Military is excessively strong- it feels like even if your main goal isn't a military victory, you still need to sub into it as if it was, just to deter pesky Independents. 

Still, gripes aside, Civilization VII feels like an excellent way to lose yourself for an afternoon, a night, and maybe a morning. It hooks you in just enough that you think you really can rein it all back in- though blind optimism isn't a game-affecting stat.