As much as both developers and gamers alike want every game to be excellent and successful, this isn't the case all the time. Unfortunately, this seems to be the story with "Sid Meier's Civilization VII."
While the "Civilization" franchise itself has won many accolades and praise in the past, its newest release is suffering from less than stellar feedback.
Here's what you have to know about "Sid Meier's Civilization VII."
'Sid Meier's Civilization VII'
Released on February 11, 2025, "Sid Meier's Civilization VII" is a 4X turn-based strategy game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K.
Like previous "Civilization" games, the goal here is to grow a civilization. The player can make use of a variety of means to grow the civilization and must also deal with anything that can threaten its growth.
Players can also enjoy a multiplayer mode and cross-play as well. However, it should be noted that multiplayer mode requires an internet connection.
'Mixed' Reviews on Steam
As of press time, "Civilization VII" has more than 31,000 user reviews on Steam. These reviews have been categorized as "Mixed."
"My first few hours were 'Urgh, I don't like it, it's too different'. Then my next few hours were 'I'm enjoying it now BECAUSE it's different,'" user Wren Foe said in a review. "7/10 in it's current state. I'll be interested to see what gets added (and if there are mods)."
"There's something fundamentally wrong with this game. I've had fun playing so far, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what feels wrong overall until just now," said NMEsoldier in a separate review. "Because it's not like it isn't fully developed piece, I has plenty of thought out mechanics."
"I think what real kills the enjoyment is that the sense of permanence barely exists in playthroughs, which is supposed to be the calling card of 'building an empire that will withstand the test of time,'" NMEsoldier added.
1.7 Stars on Google Reviews
"Civilization VII" is not doing very well on Google Reviews, scoring just 1.7 stars out of five as of writing.
"Pretty... awful... which is to say that it is 'pretty' to look at, but otherwise 'awful' to play," RDS Sutherland said a review.
"Some of the problems can be fixed over time, such as the horrible UI and countless missing features, but the core game mechanics are just not enjoyable, certainly not worth spending much time or money on," RDS Sutherland explained. "It seems as if the people developing this version haven't spent much time actually playing previous 'Civ' games."
"I don't know what I played, but that was not a ;Civilization' game," LostinNY said in a separate review. "Sure, it looks like one, but that is where it ends."
LostinNY added, "They ripped out the game's guts and stomped on it, then shoved it back into its rotting husk, then sold it to us for $100 plus!"
Official Cinematic Trailer
You can watch the official cinematic trailer for "Civilization VII" below.
