Firaxis Games has been working on updates for Civilization VII, a title that aims to innovate with its new Age system. Although the inclusion of historical phases has been an interesting attempt to provide a more realistic approach, the results seem to have not fully satisfied fans. Despite the developer’s good intentions, player interest has been reflected in the prominence of previous versions, Civilization V and VI, which continue to outperform Civ VII on the Steam platform. Realistic, but not satisfying One of the most frequent criticisms has been […]
Firaxis Games has been working on updates for Civilization VII, a title that aims to innovate with its new Ages system. Although the inclusion of historical phases has been an interesting attempt to provide a more realistic approach, the results seem to have not fully satisfied fans. Despite the developer’s good intentions, player interest has been reflected in the prominence of previous versions, Civilization V and VI, which continue to surpass Civ VII on the Steam platform.
Realistic, but not satisfying
One of the most frequent criticisms has been the lack of continuity in the civilization that players can select. Firaxis has now announced that it is testing “one of the most requested features” internally: the option to play with a single civilization from start to finish. This new approach moves away from the current Age mechanics, which force players to switch civilizations as they progress through the game’s history. The developer is evaluating how to implement this feature, and while specific details have not yet been released, it is expected to allow players to choose a civilization from any era and guide them throughout history.
To address the lack of continuity between Age transitions, Firaxis recently introduced the “Continuity Mode,” which keeps ongoing wars, thus aiming to maintain player interest. This improvement, along with the new features being tested through the Firaxis Feature Workshop program, demonstrates the studio’s willingness to adapt to the demands of its community. Over the next few months, a select group of players will have the opportunity to test these developing features, which will be coordinated through the official game Discord.
Additionally, a forthcoming patch will add new naval constructions such as the Port building, a private unit, and more marine resources, offering a renewed experience to the series’ followers. The coming months will be crucial for Civ VII, as Firaxis seeks to solidify its place in a competitive turn-based strategy market.
Julian Gollop, the creator of the iconic X-COM series, has expressed his interest in returning to the franchise if given the opportunity. Gollop, who is considered a pioneer in the strategy game genre, noted in a recent interview with Eurogamer that X-COM was a fundamental game in his career and in the evolution of strategic gameplay. “I am perfectly happy to be known as the X-COM guy,” Gollop stated, recalling the influence the game had on his professional journey. While returning to X-COM, he is also presenting his new game Gollop did […]
Julian Gollop, the creator of the iconic X-COM series, has expressed his interest in returning to the franchise if given the opportunity. Gollop, who is considered a pioneer in the strategy game genre, noted in a recent interview with Eurogamer that X-COM was a fundamental game in his career and in the evolution of strategic gameplay. “I am perfectly happy to be known as the X-COM guy,” Gollop said, recalling the influence the game had on his professional journey.
While returning to X-COM, it does not prevent him from presenting his new game
Gollop made a humorous reference to the fact that he is still “waiting” for a call from Sid Meier, head of Firaxis, to work on a new X-COM title. Despite this, the British developer is currently focused on his new project titled Chip ‘n Clawz vs. the Brainiods, a game scheduled to be released later this year. This title combines elements of real-time strategy with the possibility of more direct combat, allowing players to gather resources and mobilize armies, as well as participate in battles on the front lines.
X-COM has had a rich history since its debut in 1994 with UFO: Enemy Unknown, known in other parts of the world as X-COM: UFO Defense. The series has seen several successful releases in the last decade, including X-COM: Enemy Unknown and X-COM 2, which were critically acclaimed. More recently, the franchise expanded its universe with X-COM: Chimera Squad in 2020 and the free game X-COM Legends in 2021.
As rumors continue to circulate about the future of the series, Gollop’s interest could indicate that if Firaxis decides to revive X-COM, there will be a clear path back to the talented original creator. For its part, Firaxis is also keeping its developers busy with other projects, including Marvel’s Midnight Suns released in 2022 and the recent Sid Meier’s Civilization VII.
The long-awaited release of Civilization VII will take place on February 11, 2025, an event that has captured the attention of the gaming community, becoming the most anticipated game according to PC Gamer. Firaxis Games, the studio behind the iconic franchise, has organized a significant event in preparation for this launch. An event where they promise surprises and fun. On February 8, at the Xperion gaming zone in Hamburg, the Civ World Summit will be held, an online tournament of Civilization VII featuring five prominent members of the community. This […]
The highly anticipated release of Civilization VII will take place on February 11, 2025, an event that has captured the attention of the gaming community, becoming the most anticipated game according to PC Gamer. Firaxis Games, the studio behind the iconic franchise, has organized a significant event in preparation for this release.
An event promising surprises and fun
On February 8, at the Xperion gaming zone in Hamburg, the Civ World Summit will be held, an online Civilization VII tournament featuring five prominent community members. This event will be hosted by Firaxis community manager Sarah Engel and well-known content creator PotatoMcWhiskey, in collaboration with Rocket Beans TV. Viewers can follow the action live through multiple platforms, including Twitch and YouTube.
Additionally, to commemorate the occasion, Firaxis has implemented a special offer for Twitch followers: by watching the event, viewers will be able to receive an exclusive cosmetic banner for their in-game profiles. With tickets on sale for just five euros, those in Hamburg will have the opportunity to experience this event in person.
The first impressions of Civilization VII suggest that this game will incorporate innovative mechanics, highlighting the age transitions that many critics have labeled as the most disruptive in the series’ history. Rumors indicate that Firaxis might have a surprise announcement during the tournament broadcast, which could be related to post-launch plans for the game.
As the release date approaches, excitement grows among fans. Civilization VII promises to revolutionize the gaming experience, and all eyes will be on February 8 and beyond.
Thinking about 2025 might seem premature. 2024 hasn’t ended yet. Not all the big games of this year have been released. At least one is still missing. But there’s something we need to start talking about now. There’s an elephant in the room. And that is, when February arrives, we’re going to have a problem for our wallets and our leisure time. Perhaps also for our non-leisure time. Because February is so packed with major releases that it’s impossible for some video games not to end up at a disadvantage. What do we mean by this? That it doesn’t matter which week […]
Thinking about 2025 may seem premature; 2024 hasn’t ended yet, and not all the big games of this year have been released. The elephant in the room is that when February arrives, we’re going to have problems with both our wallets and our leisure time. February will be so packed with major releases that it’s impossible for some video games not to be negatively affected.
What do we mean by this? That it doesn’t matter which week of February we look at: in all of them, there are at least two major releases. In some cases, there are three or four overlapping. And why is this bad? Because at a certain point, you have decisions to make—what to play, and what to buy… and what not to buy.
Let’s go week by week. Let’s study what happens this February to understand why it is so dramatic.
First week of February
The big release this week is Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. This realease recently moved up a week to avoid competing with other heavyweights, so its situation has improved. But to what extent? Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is released on February 4th, making it the first game of February, but it faces competition from the last games of January, which we are going to include in this same week.
Why? Because they are Sniper Elite: Resistance and Spider-Man 2. The first might be more of a niche game, but the PC release of Spider-Man 2 is a major launch. This may weigh down part of the audience for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. To the point of affecting its sales? We don’t think so, but for the beginning of the month, we already have three major games. And things are just getting started.
Second week of February
This is where the terror begins. Two heavyweights shake hands in the form of Civilization VII and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. These are so heavy that Kingdom Come: Deliverance II decided to move its release forward by a week. With Civilization VII scheduled for release on the 11th and Assassin’s Creed Shadows on the 14th, it will be a very busy week. Because—you guessed it—they are not the only games coming out that week.
JRPG fans will have the highly anticipated The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II. Nostalgic fans of platformers will enjoy Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered. And fans of Ace Attorney-style games should not lose track of Urban Myth Dissolution Center. Closing a strong week.
Third week of February
If you are a fan of action games with a strong narrative weight, you’re in luck. Because the two big releases of the week, with three days apart, are exactly that. Avowed is released on the 18th, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii comes out on the 21st. And in between, perhaps out of respect for this battle at the top, no one has intervened, either knowing it’s better not to get in the way or out of fear of what’s at the end of the month.
Fourth week of February
Monster Hunter Wilds. February 28. No one has dared to release anything around the new Capcom title. Its last two iterations have been a hit both in the East and the West. In Japan, it has been a colossal success for two decades, and no Japanese studio would even think of competing against it. Except, apparently, Konami, which on the 27th releases its notable collection of portable Yu-Gi-Oh! games named Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection. But Konami is Konami. And Capcom is Capcom. And if anything is clear, it’s that Monster Hunter Wilds is going to sell like hotcakes.
And that’s all?
This is not all. We have not listed all the games that are released exclusively on Steam here. The games that may be launched by surprise. These are the games we do not expect, but that can make a big splash. We have stuck to what we know for sure and have come up with a list that could cause nightmares for a good marketing department (or very happy dreams, depending on which side you are on).
That’s why, get ready for February. Because if you think the January slope is tough, get ready to discover the March slope of this year.
