Fans of Firaxis were eagerly awaiting another masterpiece following the release of Sid Meier's Civilization VII. However, the initial reviews on Steam paint a starkly different picture. Players have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the game's interface, outdated graphics, and a general feeling of incompleteness.
At the time of this post, the game has accumulated over 1,000 reviews, achieving a disappointing score of just 37%. User Cool CGI Dog, who spent approximately 1.5 hours playing the game, shared their frustration:
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, after spending about 2.5 hours in the game, 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 reviewers is the belief that the game was released prematurely and is in dire need of substantial improvements. The $70 price tag has come under particular scrutiny, with many players feeling that it does not reflect the game's current quality.
Fans of the series are hopeful that Firaxis will heed this feedback and release updates to address the issues, restoring Civilization VII to the high standards expected of the franchise. The Civilization series has long been celebrated for its meticulous attention to detail and quality, and while the current state of Civilization VII falls short, fans remain optimistic about its potential for future improvements.