Firaxis fans eagerly awaited the release of Sid Meier's Civilization VII, hoping for another masterpiece in the iconic series. However, the initial reviews on Steam paint a starkly different picture, with gamers expressing significant dissatisfaction. The game currently holds a disappointing 37% rating from over 1,000 reviews, highlighting issues such as a clunky interface, outdated graphics, and an overall sense of incompleteness.
User Cool CGI Dog, who spent approximately 1.5 hours playing, shared their frustration:
The game feels... so blatantly incomplete after a few minutes, especially by Civ standards. The resource icons appear to be from 1998, the interface is terrible, and everything is extremely sloppy.
There isn't any discernible care, which is something I didn't anticipate from Firaxis. The release of Civ VI is a far cry from this incomplete mess. At the very least, Civ VII's interface needs a total visual makeover to at least partially justify its outrageous $70 price tag. With this game, Sid Meyer himself slapped me around and spat in my mouth. I also didn't agree to it.
Another player, WillNever, who played for about 2.5 hours, echoed these sentiments:
The interface appears and feels as though it was designed during the alpha phase of development and hasn't been altered or enhanced since. Although the new mechanics are intriguing, it is not worth the effort to navigate this awful interface. To make the game fun, months of tweaking are required.
A common thread among reviewers is the belief that the game was released prematurely and is in dire need of significant updates. The $70 price point has come under particularly sharp criticism, with many feeling it is unjustified given the game's current state.
Fans of the Civilization series are hopeful that Firaxis will heed the feedback and release patches to address the issues, restoring the game to the high standards the series is known for. The Civilization series has always been celebrated for its quality and meticulous attention to detail, and fans are optimistic that Civilization VII will eventually live up to these expectations. However, in its current form, it falls short.
