One year ago, Firaxis dug up the foundations of Civilization. The sandbox strategy genre has long suffered from late-game busywork and chore bloat, often because the player is so far ahead that the later hours of a campaign are spent merely formalizing their victory. Developers ranging from Paradox (Europa Universalis, Stellaris) to Total War's Creative Assembly have long experimented with solutions, but none have gone as far as Civilization 7.
But how far is too far? Civilization 7's hallmark additions – switching Civilizations at multiple points in the campaign, soft resets during the turning of an Age, and more competitive routes to victory – tightened up campaigns at a holistic level, but received a mixed reception from players who felt these changes were heavy-handed and impeded the freedom that sandbox strategy is known for.
