Civilization made its debut in 1991, and while it was far from the first strategy game on the market, it was a pioneer of the 4X genre. Each Civilization entry since the franchise’s debut has continued to cement the series as the undisputed leader of the 4X genre, delivering new content, refining core mechanics, and adding some innovative new features to the formula each time. Civilization 7 seems to be no exception.
Set to release on February 11 (or February 6 if players have gained early access by purchasing the game’s more expensive editions), Civilization 7 is the first mainline entry in the series since 2016, and it’s bringing about some significant gameplay changes. While fans will need to wait a little longer to experience those changes for themselves, critics have already given their thoughts on the newest entry in the long-running 4X series, and there are some intriguing comparisons that can be made between Civ 7 and its predecessors’ review scores.
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Comparing Civilization 7’s Critical Reception to Past Civ Entries
How Civilization 7’s Review Scores Compare to Past Games
|
IGN |
Eurogamer |
PC Gamer |
GameSpot |
GamesRadar |
Game Rant |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Civilization 7 |
7 |
4 |
7.6 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
|
Civilization 6 |
9.4 |
8 |
9.3 |
9 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Civilization 5 |
9 |
8 |
9.3 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
|
Civilization 4 |
9.4 |
9 |
9.4 |
9.4 |
10 |
N/A |
|
Civilization 3 |
9.3 |
N/A |
9.2 |
9.2 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Civilization 2 |
8.8 |
N/A |
9.7 |
9.2 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Civilization Revolution |
8.8 |
8 |
N/A |
9 |
8 |
N/A |
Generally speaking, Civilization 7 has scored lower than any of its predecessors (aside from on the Game Rant side of things). IGN, PC Gamer, GameSpot, and GamesRadar all gave the last 4–5 Civilization entries a 9/10 or higher. Civilization 7, however, was given a 7 and 7.6 from IGN and PC Gamer, respectively, and an 8 from both GameSpot and GamesRadar.
Eurogamer’s scores for the last few Civilization entries have been notably lower than other outlets’, and that’s especially true with Civilization 7. In rather dramatic fashion, Eurogamer has given Civilization 7 a 4/10 (2/5 stars), stating that the long-awaited sequel has a “striking lack of personality”.
Interestingly, the 2008 console-only spinoff, Civilization Revolution, scored a little better than Civilization 7 across the board. Of course, no single writer is creating all of the reviews for an outlet. These scores have all come from the opinions of different reviewers over the last three decades.
How Civilization 7’s Metacritic Score Compares to Past Games
|
Metascore (Based on Critics Reviews) |
Metascore (Based on User Reviews) |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Civilization 7 |
80 |
N/A |
|
Civilization 6 |
88 |
7.2 |
|
Civilization 5 |
90 |
8.1 |
|
Civilization 4 |
94 |
8.4 |
|
Civilization 3 |
90 |
8.4 |
|
Civilization 2 |
94 |
8.6 |
|
Civilization Revolution |
84 |
7.7 |
But a similar tale is true when looking at Civilization 7‘s wider Metacritic score. Civilization 7 currently has the lowest critical score of the entire franchise (excluding expansions or any spinoffs not listed here). That being said, a Metascore of 80 is still considered “Generally Favorable” by Metacritic’s standards, which means that despite its lower scores, Civ 7 is still far from a bad game.
Given that Civilization 7 isn’t out just yet, there are no user reviews currently available for the sequel. Though the user score has gradually decreased with each Civilization entry.
Grand Strategy
Turn-Based Strategy
4X
- Released
-
February 11, 2025