Civilization VII: Top PC Game of 2025 and New Campaign Mechanics
Civilization VII has been crowned the Most Wanted PC Game of 2025 by PC Gamer, a title revealed during their "PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted" event on December 6th. This accolade highlights the anticipation surrounding the game's release. The event showcased the top 25 most anticipated games of the coming year, ranked by a panel of over 70 developers, content creators, and editors.
The ranking featured a diverse range of titles, with Doom: The Dark Ages and Monster Hunter Wilds securing second and third place respectively. Other notable entries included Slay the Spire 2, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, The Thing: Remastered, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.
Launching February 11th, 2025, Civilization VII will be available on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.
Addressing Campaign Completion Rates
In a PC Gamer interview, Creative Director Ed Beach discussed a key new mechanic designed to improve campaign completion rates. Firaxis Games' data from Civilization VI revealed a significant number of players didn't finish campaigns, prompting the development of the "Ages" system.
This system divides a single playthrough into three distinct Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Players can transition between historically and geographically linked civilizations at the end of each Age, mirroring the rise and fall of real-world empires. The leader remains consistent across Ages, maintaining player connection and rivalry. An "overbuild" feature allows for the construction of new buildings atop existing ones, while Wonders and certain structures remain permanent.
This innovative mechanic offers players a fresh approach to managing cultural, military, diplomatic, and economic aspects across multiple civilizations within a single playthrough.