Civilization 7 has hit the market, sparking a mix of reactions among its player base, as reflected in its 'mixed' user review rating on Steam. Despite this, Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of parent company Take-Two, remains optimistic, believing that the dedicated fans of the Civilization series will eventually embrace the game.
Currently, Civilization 7 is accessible to those who opt for advanced access, a group often comprised of the franchise's more dedicated followers. These players have been vocal in their feedback, pointing out concerns such as issues with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and the absence of certain expected features at launch.
In response, Firaxis has committed to addressing these concerns. They have promised to refine the user interface, introduce team-based multiplayer options to enhance cooperative play, and increase the diversity of map types, among other enhancements.
During an interview with IGN before the release of the third quarter financial results, Zelnick acknowledged the game's mixed reception, including a notably low 2/5 review from Eurogamer. However, he emphasized the game's solid Metacritic score of 81 and highlighted that over 20 press reviews scored the game above 90. Zelnick remains confident that as players spend more time with Civilization 7, their appreciation for the game will grow, a sentiment often seen with new entries in the series.
Zelnick commented, “The Metacritic reviews are at 81, which is really solid. We have more than 20 press reviews with a score over 90. We have some negative outliers as well, including a 40 from Eurogamer. We think that as people play the game longer, the sentiment improves because 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.”
Zelnick's confidence in the game's eventual success with hardcore fans likely stems from the significant changes introduced in Civilization 7. A key feature is the new Age system, where a full campaign spans three distinct Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Each Age Transition, which all players and AI opponents experience simultaneously, involves selecting a new civilization, choosing Legacies to carry forward, and witnessing the evolution of the game world. This innovative system marks a departure from previous entries in the series.
In the near term, Firaxis faces the challenge of improving sentiment on platforms like Steam, where user reviews play a critical role in a game's visibility and success. As Firaxis works to address the current issues, the hope is that the dedicated Civilization community will come to appreciate the bold steps taken with Civilization 7.
