Off to a great start.

Everyone kept begging the developers not to take the Humankind approach. A lot of the best features from the previous games have been stripped. Ancient era is pretty much non existent, as you start in the Classical Era now. You get about 8 or 9 civs to choose from (not leaders, civs. Now you choose one and the other for some reason). Legions and Hoplites are starting units for Rome and Greece. There are only three map sizes, tiny, small, and standard. So far, it just feels like a step in the wrong direction. I was really hoping for more.