With Civilization 7 only a few months away from its release, it now offers gamers a glimpse at the core function of Sid Meier’s newest strategy beast. That is, first looks at Civilization 7’s leaders are steadily being rolled out.
One such leader is Queen Isabella of Spain, known as a “bastion of Catholicism,” who will lead players to victory through economic growth via expansion. While Civ 7 is introducing vastly new ways to play, there appears to be little difference from her Civ 5 counterpart, which could prove beneficial.
Civ 7: How Leaders and Ages Work
Leaders and Ages work a little differently this time around with Civilization 7, with a focus on modeling 'emerging cultures' throughout time.
Isabella Sets Her Sights on Natural Wonders in Civ 7
Isabella of Civ 5 Laid a Strong Foundation
Aside from the obvious graphic improvements, Isabella in Civ 7 is basically the same as in Civ 5. While perhaps less exciting for those eager for fresh features, this is a good sign, given how popular she was in the previous game.
Isabella’s biggest feature is her focus on Civilization's Natural Wonders. To start, she gains 300 gold every time she discovers a new Natural Wonder—and better yet, that shiny reward is doubled for those on Distant Lands, encouraging exploration off the bat. Further, Isabella gets a massive +100% bonus to tile yields from Natural Wonders.
Isabella is strong for a religious victory with the huge faith yields provided by Natural Wonders, which could increase under certain pantheons too. If players expand Spain and settle as many cities as possible by Natural Wonders, the economic and religious profit is undeniable.
Civ 7’s Isabella Has Naval Strength and Wealth Building Potential
Despite the sheer might of Isabella’s geographic focus, the developers wanted to make her less dependent on the Natural Wonder lottery, so they gave her greater naval abilities. Isabella gets +50% gold toward purchasing naval units and -1 for their maintenance.
When it comes to expansion, Isabella also gets gold from turning her Towns into Cities in The Exploration Age, which is a brand new Civ 7 feature under an equally new era system. It’s unclear whether she will gain the unique Conquistador unit in the new game, which allowed Spain to settle cities in Civ 5, so this gold bonus may be a replacement for that.
Altogether, Isabella gets major gold input, from finding Natural Wonders to increased savings on her gilded Spanish fleets. Even if a player isn’t opting for a religious victory, military domination is also made easy by these changes (especially with holy warriors), and culture and science wouldn’t look so bad with the doubled tile yields from Natural Wonders alone.
In other words, in the right hands, Isabella has always been a powerful leader. With such major buffs from Natural Wonders, settling near one in the first few turns of the game could boost the Spanish empire to any victory, so players are sure to enjoy her Civ 7 comeback.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 77%
- Released
- February 11, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ // Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Firaxis Games
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
WHERE TO PLAY
The award-winning strategy game franchise returns with a revolutionary new chapter. Sid Meier's Civilization® VII empowers you to build the greatest empire the world has ever known!
In Civilization VII, your strategic decisions shape the unique cultural lineage of your evolving empire. Rule as one of many legendary leaders from throughout history and steer the course of your story by choosing a new civilization to represent your empire in each Age of human advancement.
Construct cities and architectural wonders to expand your territory, improve your civilization with technological breakthroughs, and conquer or cooperate with rival civilizations as you explore the far reaches of the unknown world. Pursue prosperity in an immersive solo experience or play with others in online multiplayer.
Whether you choose to follow a path rooted in history or reimagine possibilities to chart your own way forward, build something you believe in and create a legacy that echoes through the Ages in Civilization VII.
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Sid Meier's Civilization
- Genre(s)
- Grand Strategy, Turn-Based Strategy, 4X
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
