The initial reception to Civilization 7 has been pretty mixed. While some outlets (Game Rant included) gave Civilization 7 the high scores of 9 and above that the series is used to, praising the game’s innovative new features and refined systems, other outlets were less impressed, criticizing the game’s overly streamlined UI among other issues.
Regardless of the critical response, fans who have purchased the more expensive editions of Civilization 7 are now getting their hands on the game, and it’s clear that there are some key features from earlier entries that are sorely missing here at launch. But before some fans have even had the chance to play the game, developer Firaxis has already issued a statement addressing some common complaints, and it’s a promising piece of transparency right out of the gate.
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How Civilization 7’s Review Scores Compare to Other Civ Games
Civilization 7 is mere days away from releasing, and its critical reception paves the way for some interesting comparisons to past series entries.
Civilization 7’s Launch Roadmap Is Already Promising Some Great Things
Firaxis Is Prioritizing Civilization 7’s UI Issues
After thanking fans for their feedback, Firaxis’ early access launch statement is quick to address one of fans and critics’ biggest complaints: Civilization 7‘s UI. Firaxis states that improving Civ 7‘s UI is its “top priority,” and though it’s going to take some time to “digest all of [the] feedback,” it has plans to make UI interactions more intuitive, to improve Civ 7‘s map readability, and improve the general formatting of the game’s interface, just to start with. Civilization 7‘s UI has been a common complaint across the board for both fans and reviewers alike, so it’s great to see Firaxis prioritize fixing this key issue.
Firaxis Is Already Working to Add Fan-Requested Features
But fixing Civilization 7‘s UI is just one part of Firaxis’ launch day statement. Firaxis also confirmed that a handful of key features that fans have been requesting will be added to the game as free updates. These features include:
- Hotseat multiplayer mode
- A wider variety of map types
- The ability to customize city and religion names
- The ability to choose starting and ending Ages (allowing for shorter games)
- Adding teams to multiplayer
- Refinements to the Distant Lands system that will allow full player counts in multiplayer throughout all three Ages
Most of these features have been staples of the Civilization franchise for decades, so it’s great to see Firaxis promise to bring them back in future updates, and for no additional cost. Though Firaxis hasn’t confirmed when fans can expect to see these features come to Civilization 7, it has stated that the above features are all being prioritized behind the scenes.
Civilization 7‘s launch probably hasn’t gone quite as well as Firaxis would have hoped, but it’s impressive to see the developer stand tall and get in front of some of the game’s biggest critiques. This one brief statement has proven that Firaxis is listening to fans, that it’s trying its hardest to make the best Civilization game possible, and that it’s willing to support this next entry “for years to come,” which should go a long way in convincing long-time fans to stick with the game.
Grand Strategy
Turn-Based Strategy
4X
- Released
-
February 11, 2025
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