Summary
- During the game’s early access period, Civilization 7 has been met with ‘mixed’ reviews on Steam.
- Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick believes that the more time players spend in the game, the more they’ll come to enjoy it.
- New features, including the Ages system, may take some time to get used to.
Civilization 7 is out now, launching with a “mixed” user review rating on Steam, though the boss of Take-Two, the game’s parent company, says things will eventually turn around. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has acknowledged the mixed reception Civilization 7 received during its early access release, claiming fans, especially longtime ones, will soon come to love the game, commending the title’s early performance despite some lukewarm reviews.
Civilization 7 introduces a lot of changes that may throw both longtime players and newcomers alike for a loop, though the game still features the classic strategy tactics the series is known for. Acting as the seventh mainline entry in Sid Meier’s legendary Civilization turn-based strategy franchise and the direct sequel to the nearly-decade-old Civilization 6, Civilization 7 seeks to improve upon previous releases, though some of the changes have been divisive. Fans have been eagerly anticipating Civilization 7‘s release since it was first announced, but now that the game is out, at least in an early-access period, it’s been met with mixed reviews.
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Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick was recently interviewed by IGN, in which the executive acknowledged that Civilization 7 had received some negative reviews, namely from Eurogamer, which gave the game a 2/5. “We have more than 20 press reviews with a score over 90,” said Zelnick. “We have some negative outliers as well, including a 40 from Eurogamer.” Civilization 7 also launched to “mixed” reviews on Steam. However, Zelnick isn’t that worried about these initial reactions, insisting that the “legacy” Civilization audience will come around to Civilization 7 the more they play. “The Metacritic reviews are at 81, which is really solid,” Zelnick said, with the executive also commenting on Civilization 7‘s overall launch, calling it “very encouraging.” Currently, the game has an average score of 82 on OpenCritic.
Take-Two CEO Confident Civ 7 Reviews Will Improve
“We think that as people play the game longer, the sentiment improves,” continued Zelnick. “With every launch of a new Civ, the team pushes the envelope a little bit, and our legacy Civ audience is a little bit nervous about what they initially see, and then they realize, wow, this is actually really incredible, and they dive in.” Steam reviews for Civilization 7 cite issues with the game’s user interface, along with claims about it lacking map variety. Some users also feel Civilization 7 launched without several features fans have come to expect from the franchise. The game also seeks to address Civilization 6‘s divisive visual style changes, though some reviews claim Civilization 7 lacks personality.
Civilization 7 has made several changes to gameplay, specifically with its new Ages system. A complete Civilization 7 campaign will now span through three distinct Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Players will need to adapt to each Age, choosing a different civilization to play as each one passes. While adding an entirely new issue for players to think about is certainly welcome, it may prove challenging to understand. Firaxis creative director Ed Beach urged players to try out Civilization 7‘s tutorial, stating he and the rest of the team want fans to have as easy and smooth of a time transitioning to the new system as possible. Civilization 7 is currently in early access for those who purchased the Deluxe or Founder’s editions, with an official release coming February 11.
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