Summary
Civilization 7has surprisingly found itself in a similar situation toThe Sims 5despite neither game having a set release date yet. With fans of bothCivilizationandThe Simshaving plenty of time to speculate about what the future has to bring, there are a few areas where they can find common ground. Each of them comes from a franchise that receives plenty of respect in their respective genres, so there will naturally be plenty of pressure for them to succeed based on that fact alone. Hopefully, each can prove their worth upon their eventual release.
The question of whetherCivilization 7will break new groundor ifThe Sims 5can deepen the series' life simulation are both valid inquiries. Both previous entries in their respective franchises ended up being significant successes. While this is no surprise considering how notable they are, it does mean that the stakes will continue to rise for each new game in turn. The fact that each series has seen at least seven years without a new game released is also something that could potentially be on the minds of fans. This wait is only going to raise expectations for the games in question.
Civilization 6 and Project Rene Both Have Impressive Previous Entries To Live Up To
Civilization 6’s List of Leaders Set a Standard
There are a lot of useful things thatCivilization 7can take fromCiv 6, but also one big obstacle to overcome. After all DLCs are accounted for,Civilization 6has 67 leaders, with 8 having alternate personas, making a total of 75 leader options among 50 civilizations. WithCivilization 6being the biggest game to date,Civilization 7may have to deliver in more ways than simply improving game mechanics. It will most likely need a similarly impressive list of potential leaders and civs for players to choose from. This is especially true considering how featuring many playable civs is one of the series' selling points.
Civilization 6’s scale was impressive, featuring 32 more leaders thanCivilization 5with all DLCs included.
The Sims 4’s Content Expansions Will Be Hard To Follow
In a similar vein, there is a lot thatThe Sims 5, also known asProject Renehas to live up to its predecessor.The Sims 4came out in 2014, and it is still receiving content updates, with the latest expansion being released in December 2023. That makes close to ten years of updates, a stunning milestone for any game. As a result,The Sims 4is filled with more cosmetics, jobs, and other extras than any other game in the series to date.Project Renefeatures a new direction for the series, but it has to contend with its predecessor’s mass of content.
Civilization 7 and Project Rene Could Change Everything
Another similarity is the potential to shake up their specific franchises.Civilization 7could reboot the series, andProject Reneis already said to offer a different kind of experience from past titles. If this opportunity is pursued, then bothCivilization 7andProject Renecould arguably be the most consequential entries forCivilizationandThe Sims, respectively. It would be a big risk for both to pursue, especially if well-known formulas are jettisoned in favor of something new. It takes something special to stand out in the current gaming climate though, and that could include reimaginings of well-loved series traditions.
Civilization 7andProject Reneare both positioned at a vital point in time. When it comes towhat players can expect fromCivilization 7or howProject Renewill stand out from pastSimstitles, one clear thing is that both games have a massive legacy to live up to.Civilization 6andThe Sims 4both went to the limit in terms of how much content they could add.Civilization 7andProject Renewill be under a lot of pressure to surpass their previous entries.
Sid Meier’s Civilization
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The original Civilization release that started the long-running franchise. This 90s strategy game set the groundwork for many of the concepts and designs that the newest Civilization games are known for today.
