Civilization VII: Initial Reviews Reveal a Mixed Bag

With Sid Meier's Civilization VII launching next week, the review embargo has ended, providing early insights into the game. While many aspects have garnered praise, some concerns remain.

The most lauded new feature is the Era System, a significant departure from previous iterations. This system dynamically evolves civilizations across distinct eras, each offering unique technologies and victory paths. Reviewers agree this addresses past issues like excessively long game times and runaway civilizations.

The flexibility to combine leaders and civilizations is another highlight, adding strategic depth by allowing players to exploit unique leader and civilization synergies, even if historically unconventional.

Further improvements include refined city placement, a stronger focus on resource management, enhanced district building, and a streamlined UI. However, some reviewers felt the UI simplification went too far.

Criticisms include smaller map sizes, reducing the sense of scale present in earlier Civilization games. Technical issues, such as bugs and frame rate drops when accessing menus, were also reported. Additionally, some matches reportedly ended prematurely and inexplicably.

Given Civilization's vast scope and replayability, a definitive judgment will take time. However, these initial reviews offer a comprehensive initial assessment.