Civilization 7 is currently at “mostly negative” on Steam, with feedback from players who tested the game's advanced access version. Read on to learn more about what all the criticism is about!
Civ 7 Received “Mostly Negative” Rating on Steam Upon Early Launch
Steam Players Complained About User Interface, Maps, and Resource Mechanics
Civilization 7 (affectionately known as Civ 7) has released its Advanced Access 5 days ahead of itsFebruary 11 release date, but several of the Steam players are not happy with the current build they paid extra for, causing the game to receive "mostly negative" review scores on Steam.
Anticipation for Civ 7 was high, being the first game in the series since Civ 6 released back in 2016. But this anticipation is now dampened by the "Mostly Negative" rating on Steam, with many users pointing to the same few reasons.
One of the primary complaints is about the game’s User Interface (UI). Several have noted the UI looks "janky" and "ugly" when compared to Civ 6. One Steam player even compared the game’s current UI to a "free mobile knockoff Civ." Some players have even accused Civ 7 devs Firaxis Games of developing the game mainly for consoles, making it "barren," and limiting its UI options.
Others also had several complaints about the game’s map, citing issues with selecting it, choosing map types, limited size options, and little to no customization options. According to one player, scrolling through each map type also does not provide more information about them.
Civ 7 has only three map sizes: Small, Medium, and Large compared to the five different sizes on Civ 6, fit for several different kinds of gameplay.
Civ 7's new resource mechanics were another point of contention, where resources are assigned to cities or the empire through strategic management rather than directly gathered from map tiles. This contrasts with Civ 6’s map-based resource placement, where resources are randomly generated on the map for players to control. The main issue here is that players believed the previous mechanics offered more replay value than the current one.
In response to one of the reviews, Firaxis Games replied, "We are aware of and looking into feedback on the game's UI. We're continuing to make improvements to Civilization VII, and appreciate you taking the time to drop your feedback. For the maps, Civilization VII is going to keep growing and changing with future updates and expansions, so please let us know what you'd like to see!"
Looking Past Civ 7’s Negative Reviews
Though most players are furious about the current state of Civ 7 on Steam, some still expressed satisfaction with the game.
Some of the more positive reviews mentioned that the new mechanics tied to army commanders are great, and the new diplomacy options are more immersive than the previous game. In addition, they also praised the feeling of building the settlement from towns to cities, adding another layer of gameplay.
However, even some positive reviews also acknowledged the problem with the game’s UI and the game’s current price point of $69.99, with the Deluxe and Founders Edition priced much higher. In one of the reviews, a player recommended waiting for some time until all DLCs were released to get the complete Civ 7 experience.
To their credit, Firaxis Games is responding to the feedback of some of the players, assuring them that they are working on future updates to fix the major player complaints of the game, especially its UI. Given the culture of patching games in the modern era, it may just be a matter of time before these issues are all addressed, but it doesn’t look like the game will be fully released to a positive reception.
The UI was much more tolerable on the PS5, which you can read about in our very own Civilization 7 PS5 review!
Sources:
Civilization VII: Steam Store Page
