Civilization 7 Brings Significant Enhancements for Console Gamers

For a long time, the consensus was that bringing extensive grand strategy games to home consoles was a tricky venture, often deemed too complicated to execute smoothly. Many industry insiders speculated there wasn’t enough demand on these platforms, which likely explains why consoles didn’t see a mainline Civilization game for two decades.

That changed with Civilization 6, the first to make the leap from PC to consoles since 1999’s Civilization 2. Though its controls didn’t quite match the ease of a mouse and keyboard, they were functional. Now, Civilization 7 has boldly launched on all platforms simultaneously, a historic first for the series, and it’s paying off. From day one, the console version stands strong, thanks to significant enhancements in controller support.

Initially, it may take some adjustment for those new to grand strategy games on consoles. Yet, Civilization 7 has made strides, refining and building upon the console-friendly controls introduced in Civ 6. A standout enhancement is its action-cycling mechanic, which introduces a command prompt at the screen’s bottom right. It allows players to seamlessly navigate through all actions available in a turn, from commanding troops to civic decisions and city development. This ensures players maximize each turn’s potential.

This new feature translates to most gameplay being managed with a few buttons. Simply pressing “Y”/triangle cycles actions, the left stick selects, and “A”/cross confirms choices. This intuitive loop adds a fluidity to the game, speeding up the pace compared to previous installments.

While playing with a mouse and keyboard may feel more natural, console players aren’t missing out on much and enjoy a robust experience. An improvement that truly shines is the introduction of a radial menu. Accessed by pressing LB, this menu offers a streamlined way to navigate the game’s features, like policy screens and tech trees, and to engage in diplomacy with other leaders. It’s an elegant addition that simplifies gameplay, particularly beneficial for newcomers to the genre.

However, not everything is an outright upgrade. Civilization 7 lacks some console-specific features from Civ 6, like the handy option to move the cursor directly to a tile simply by clicking the right stick. Currently, this action re-centers the camera, a less practical choice. Nonetheless, the overall console experience is significantly improved, offering a smooth entry point for veterans and newcomers alike.