Sid Meier’s Civilization 7, the latest entry in the hallmark 4X strategy franchise, is coming soon to PC and console platforms. For players feverishly anticipating its release, while turning to the older entries in the franchise for a refresher may be enticing, the strategy game genre is flush with a variety of subcategories and unique offerings that may equally suit fans of the series.
One such game isSolium Infernum,a 4x strategy offering in which players take control of an Archfiend and try to gain the upper hand in a leaderless hell. While it differs fromCivilization,Solium Infernumis an overlooked but fantastic strategy game that offers the same core feeling of accomplishment for each meticulous strategy that comes to fruition. While players awaitCivilization 7,especially withpreviews looking good, now is a fantastic time totry out the well-reviewedSolium Infernum on Steam.
Solium Infernum Has Devilishly Excellent Visuals and Thematic Design
Forget History, Solium Infernum Takes Place In A Beautifully Depicted Hellscape
While not the most important factor of a strategy game,Solium Infernumis certainly supported by stellar visuals and thematic design.The art has a melodramatic flair, with detailed and imaginative renditions of events, magical artifacts, and legions of hell that look straight out of a Dante’s Inferno picture book. The map is another example, taking a cue from the creative ways in whichCivilizationhandles the fog of war; it repeats as the player scrolls along the edges, creating a feeling of confusion as it paints hell as a sort of infinite prison for the playable Archfiends.
While perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, the visuals are but one factor supportingthe stellar theme of Archfiends vying for control of hell. Where thieving, plotting, and backstabbing are understated features ofCivilization, often occurring throughout games but always coming with some degree of shame if discovered, this component of strategy games takes center stage inSolium Infernum. In fact, these more devious principles seep into every system present. Here, players are free, if not encouraged, to win the game by a mixture of these tactics, wherein no player and no strategy can be trusted.
This Civ 7 Feature Will Improve Replay Value & Make Each Campaign Unique
Civilization 7’s new Emergent Narratives system introduces thousands of Narrative Events that will make each game more unique, adding replay value.
Take diplomacy, where the two primary options are insulting and demanding, or war, which has its own fitting twists. Hell, of course,binds its occupants to a certain degree of rules. Players cannot attack each other or invade borders at their whim. Instead, they must create vendettas from rejected insults or demands, which function as a contract in which a player decides the length and objective of combat.
These twists extend to every aspect ofSolium Infernum, where the art and systems work in tangenttocapture the scheming nature of its eight playable archfiends truly.
Tight Action Economy Makes Every Decision Matter
Leaning Into Its Restrictive Nature Reveals A Truly Elegant Game
One of the primary differences betweenCivilizationandSolium Infernumis the importance of actions. This is present inCivilization, of course, as players decide what to build, when to expand, or when to fight. However,Civilizationmore readily captures the feeling of a sandbox, and thoughCiv 7is trying to reduce micromanagement,every turn ofCivilizationstill comes with a bombardment of decisions and actions.
Solium Infernumputs a tight grip over this sandbox with a much more restricted action economy. Players begin the game with only two order slots, allowing two actions per turn. At first, players may feel restricted by the limited number of actions they can take. Pushing through that immediate reactionreveals a truly elegant systemthat extracts deep decision-making at every turn.
The Distant Lands In Civilization 7’s Exploration Age, Explained
In Civilization 7’s Exploration Age, the Distant Lands play a central role in shaping the trajectory and turning the tides of each campaign.
Part of this elegance is in the understanding thatrival archfiends are met with those same restrictions. If a player purchases a powerful legion from the bazaar, a shared auction house, it is important to recognize not just the purchase itself, but what exactly the player has given up to make it.
Why Civilization Fans Will Love Solium Infernum
Civ Distilled Into Precious Few Hours
There’s no question thatCivilizationandSoliumare quite different games. However,Solium Infernumdoes an expert job at distilling some of the pivotal and memorable moments of aCivilizationmatch into a three-hour experience. It’s important to note that Solium Infernum’s AI is not the finest, so its two-faced diplomacy is at its best with rival players on the other side of it. YetSolium Infernum, particularly if played with friends, is one of thebest 4X gameson the market.
Civ 7 Abandoning One Classic Map Type Could Have A Huge Impact
Civilization 7 has removed a fan-favorite map type due to its huge changes to the core gameplay, which may disappoint some players.
Solium Infernumcan be likened to a decisive version ofCivilization. One bad turn can shape a game; one action in the incorrect order, one underestimation of a players' strength, or one well-timed purchase can completely swing matches. WhileSolium Infernumlikely can’t compete with the sheer breadth of content withinSid Meier’s Civilization 7,each system is maximized to its full, exhilarating effect, making a game truly worth experiencing beforeCivilization 7’s release.
