On February 11, 2025, Civilization 7 is finally set to launch, and the early access phase for pre-orders is already underway. The new installment of the popular global strategy series by Firaxis does many things differently … and falls flat on its face. At least on Steam.
Update from February 7, 2025: Civilization is slowly but surely climbing to a more positive rating on Steam. So far, more than 4,780 reviews have come in, with 47 percent being positive. That’s enough for “Mixed”.
Additionally, a new peak was reached within the last 24 hours, with 62,931 concurrent players.
In his current playthrough of Civ 7, YouTuber and global strategy expert Writing Bull commented on the Steam reviews. He estimates that many of the negative reviews come from players who have only played for a few hours.
Those who play the new installment longer tend to have a much more positive assessment, according to his thesis. In his opinion, Civ 7 does many things right, but that can only be recognized once the new systems have been thoroughly tested. However, the UI or the English translation, as well as the missing information in many areas, also frustrate Writing Bull.
How has Civilization 7 launched? Many of the pre-order players are punishing the new installment of the beloved global strategy series by Firaxis. On Steam, “Civ 7” has a disastrous 37 percent positive reviews from over 1,050 submissions.
This is a stark contrast to the average rating of the reviews on Metacritic – as of now, the 73 reviews submitted there average a score of 81 for the PC version of the game.
Here is a gameplay trailer for Civilization 7:
Are the gray aliens working at Firaxis?
What is the community saying about Civ 7? Even before its release, much discussion arose about the numerous innovations in the game. For instance, there are now three eras where players keep their initially chosen leader but must change their civilization each time. Some critics argue that Firaxis is taking too many risks, and the innovations have not been well received by some long-time fans.
Even more frequently, players criticize the combination of high purchase price, the again questionable DLC policy, and the many unfinished areas that affect the experience in Civilization 7.
- Cool CGI Dog writes in his review on Steam: ‘A few minutes in and it is just … so obviously unfinished, especially by Civ standards. The user interface is total junk, everything looks like junk, the resource icons look like archive images from 1998. There is no discernible aspect of care that has gone into the game, and this is something I never expected from Firaxis.’
- WillNever complains on Steam: ‘The user interface looks and feels like it was created in the alpha phase of development and was never refined/improved. The new gameplay mechanics are quite interesting, but if you have to struggle through this terrible interface, it is not worth the effort.’
- Con criticizes on Steam as well: ‘The bare bones should not have been released in their current form, as it obviously needs more time to add basic functions, especially at this outrageous price.’
MACHINE001 cites a handful of problems in his review on Steam:
- Leaders and civilizations feel very disconnected. If you enjoy immersion, this game is NOT for you.
- You can simply tell that the game was developed for consoles.
- The maps are SMALL. The largest size is STANDARD.
- You only get 3 or 4 options to customize the game.
- You cannot toggle victory conditions on or off.
Is anything being praised by players as well? Even in the positive reviews, issues such as the need for UI improvements, missing features and options, and the game feeling unfinished are frequently pointed out. However, for a part of the community, the positive aspects are good enough to still enjoy Civ 7.
- sol explains on Steam: ‘It’s good. The advantages of this game outweigh the disadvantages. The user interface is miserable and seems to have been designed by gray aliens or some other soulless being. […] Aside from that, the game itself is a lot of fun, and the new features are comparatively better for the fun factor.’
- WarayGudClaro praises on Steam among other things the officers: ‘New commander advantages and uses are interesting, the promotions for your commanders are decent and allow for a variety of commander types.’
- UnderwaterFrank summarizes on Steam: ‘There are many changes that you may like or not, but those who give the game a chance will, in my opinion, have a lot of fun with it. From me, there is a clear recommendation to buy. A lot will also come with the next patches and DLCs. I am definitely excited and looking forward to a relaxing multiplayer round with friends.’
Have you already tried Civilization 7? Are you still waiting for the official launch on February 11, 2025? Let us know in the comments! GameStar editor and Twitch streamer Maurice Weber was able to extensively test Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 in advance: German strategy expert on Twitch summarizes after 20 hours of Civilization 7
