Civilization 7 Slammed by Fans on Steam: Heavy Criticism

Fans of Firaxis were eagerly awaiting the release of Sid Meier's Civilization VII, hoping for another masterpiece in the storied franchise. However, the launch has been met with disappointment as initial Steam reviews paint a less than favorable picture. Players have voiced their frustrations over the game's clunky interface, outdated graphics, and an overall feeling of incompleteness.

At the time of this post, the game has garnered over 1,000 reviews, achieving a mere 37% positive rating. User Cool CGI Dog, who spent approximately 1.5 hours with the game, expressed their dissatisfaction:

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 user, WillNever, who logged about 2.5 hours of gameplay, 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 the reviews is the consensus that Civilization VII was released prematurely and desperately needs substantial improvements. The $70 price point has come under particularly harsh scrutiny, as many feel it does not reflect the game's current quality.

Series enthusiasts are hopeful that Firaxis will heed the feedback and roll out updates to address the myriad issues, restoring the game to the high standards expected from the Civilization franchise. The series has long been celebrated for its meticulous attention to detail and quality, and fans are optimistic that Civilization VII will eventually live up to its predecessors, though it falls short in its present form.