Civilization 7 Introduces Major Enhancements for Console Gamers

For years, the gaming community considered large-scale grand strategy games almost too complex to transition seamlessly onto home consoles. This belief stemmed from the idea that console players weren’t an eager audience for such intricate games, leaving developers with little motivation to attempt a console adaptation. This mindset kept core titles like the Civilization series off consoles for two decades.

Civilization 6 broke this trend, becoming the first main installment to make it to consoles since 1999’s Civilization 2. Although not as intuitive as the traditional mouse and keyboard setup, its console controls were serviceable. Now, Civilization 7 has boldly pushed boundaries by launching concurrently across all platforms. This move seems to have paid off, as the console version feels robust right out of the gate, thanks to significant enhancements in controller support.

Civilization 7 may well be the franchise’s most polished console experience to date.

The game introduces an action-cycling mechanic that contributes to a seamless turn-based experience. For those new to playing expansive strategy games on consoles, the control scheme in Civilization 7 is about as user-friendly as it can be, thanks to some well-thought-out tweaks and new features compared to Civ 6. The action-cycling mechanic stands out by allowing players to effortlessly navigate through every available action within a turn. By using a prompt in the bottom right corner, players can manage units, select Civics, tackle crises, and develop cities, ensuring they maximize each turn’s potential.

What’s more, most of the game can be navigated using just a few buttons. With “Y”/triangle for cycling through actions, the left stick for selection, and “A”/cross to confirm, the process becomes intuitive and quick, making Civilization 7 feel more dynamic than former editions.

While a mouse and keyboard might offer a bit more precision, console players aren’t missing out significantly.

Among the most notable improvements is the addition of a radial menu, activated by pressing LB. This menu offers quick access to the game’s various screens, such as policy, tech trees, and diplomacy pages, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. This simple yet effective feature aids in streamlining interactions, making it particularly helpful for players new to the series and the 4X strategy genre.

However, not all features from Civ 6 have made the jump. A noteworthy exclusion is Civ 6’s ability to instantly move the cursor to a highlighted tile by clicking the right stick. In Civ 7, this action instead re-centers the camera on the cursor’s location, which isn’t as handy.

Despite these few omissions, Civilization 7 marks a milestone for console strategy gaming.