Humankind is going after Sid Meier’s Civilization, and it’s not messing around. I watched a demo of the game last week, and I’m excited about this 4X strategy epic, due out next year on PC. My main takeaway is that Sega-owned developer Amplitude Studios is bringing fresh ideas to a format that’s long been dominated by Firaxis’ sure and steady sense of evolution. Grand historical strategy is getting the shake-up that it deserves.

The basic template is familiar enough, but the difference is in the details. I begin with a settler unit on a hexagonal map that’s dotted with hills, forests, rivers, and special resources. I settle a city, research technologies, build units, explore, build districts, fight enemies, expand, build wonders, and try to become the most impressive civilization in the world.

But here’s where things get interesting. Instead of choosing to be a single civilization, such as the Aztecs or the Germans or the Zulu, I pick and choose from a variety of cultures through six ages of history. So, in the bronze age I can be Hittite or Egyptian or Olmec or seven others. Each of those civs has a different emphasis in terms of units and traits. One might be better at technology, another at military.

Instead of choosing to be a single civilization, I select from a variety of cultures throughout history

So, if I choose Egyptian, I gain advantages from rivers and I build pyramids. My armies rely heavily on chariots. As the classical era begins, I’m offered another 10 new cultures, including Roman. When I make my selection, I keep all my Egyptian stuff, but I tack on the works of the Romans, such as legions, early industry, and efficient roadworks. Each of the game’s six eras offers 10 cultures, right up to the modern age.

Strategically, I’m picking the cultures that fit my needs through history. If I’ve reached the early modern era and I’m running behind on scientific innovation, I need to make a selection that improves my position. I’m also making personal and aesthetic choices. Maybe my culture is crying out for a Mesoamerican influence, or a taste of France.

As the game progresses, my cities, my culture, and my military become a melting pot of different influences. My early charioteers survive through to later ages, but are upgraded and modernized along the way, always keeping that Egyptian feel. Ancient marvels of north Africa sit alongside the beauty of medieval European cathedrals.

By the time I’ve made my six picks, from 10 options in each era, the nature of my culture is one of many possible alternatives. Of course, my enemies, whether human or AI, are also building their own unique cultures.

“History is about the merging of cultures and civilizations,” said Amplitude’s chief creative officer, Romain de Waubert. “They are constantly blending together.” He offers, as an example, the influence of the Greeks on the Romans, and of the Romans on the Renaissance, and of all three on the Enlightenment.

The play map is pretty in a watercolor, quasi-realistic way. Cities have a clean, pleasing look about them. Decorative creatures bound among meadows where military units shift from hex to hex. And this leads us to Humankind’s combat.

Each of my armies is a combination of different units that I’ve organized throughout history according to tactical benefit. So I might have medieval cannons alongside ancient horse warriors, supported by classical phalanx and maybe a unit of Renaissance pikemen.

Armies unspool to reveal a battlefield and individual units

In the main map, each army moves about as a single icon, but when enemy armies engage, the icon unspools upon a secondary battlefield map. This reveals the unitary make-up of each army. Terrain is also modeled in a more detailed, nuanced way than on the main map.

This takes us to a turn-based battle that looks to be influenced by X-Com. Amplitude’s Gamescom demo ended as the battle commences, so I don’t know exactly how this plays out, but I’m told that each player is given up to nine turns to try to crush the enemy. It’s certainly a change from Civ’s single-map, hexagon-based combat.

Paris-based Amplitude is best known for the Endless Space series of galactic 4X games, but according to de Waubert, Humankind is the company’s dream project. “Everything else we’ve worked on is a stepping stone to get us here,” he said.

We’ll have more on Humankind in the months ahead, including details on systems like art, trade, culture and religion.