"WALANG BANSANG pinagmumulan ang katalinuhan," as said by Jose Rizal during the Civilization VII leader spotlight, and with his announcement into the game, the Philippine National Hero will now make his debut in the series.
Given his background for peaceful reforms against the oppressive regime of the Spanish Empire, as well as his obsession for knowledge, Rizal's gameplay revolves around cultural and diplomatic measures to win the game.
As a leader, Rizal heavily focuses on establishing relationships courtesy of the 'Kapwa' Leader Agenda.
In the game's official text, Kapwa allows Rizal to, "Increase Relationship by a Medium Amount for the player with the most active Endeavors started. Decrease Relationship by a Medium Amount for the player with the most active Sanctions started. If there is a tie between the players with the most active Endeavors or Sanctions, then Increase or Decrease Relationship by a Small Amount accordingly."
National Hero of the Philippines
Due to his prominent works as an author, Rizal has the Unique Ability called, 'Pambansang Bayani,' where players benefit a lot from Narrative Events.
The official text for the game states: "Pambansang Bayani: When gaining rewards from a Narrative Event, gain additional Culture and Gold per Age. Increased Celebration duration and Happiness towards Celebrations. Has additional Narrative Events."
Rizal's arrival will definitely open up doors for creativity inside the game, especially when exploring an alternate universe where the National Hero becomes the leader of the Roman Empire or the United States of America. Fans can try out his gameplay mechanics on the game's official release on February 11, 2025.
And while his arrival will bring a lot of excitement to Filipino gamers, this isn't the first time that he has been involved in a video game.
Back in 1999, a World War II shooter game, Medal of Honor, featured Rizal as a secret character in multiplayer mode alongside William Shakespeare and Winston Churchill.
Then in the Tekken series, a female fighter named Josie Rizal was introduced, a nod to the Philippine National Hero.
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