Civilization VII reviews have gone live, and the new entry in the series is proving to be quite divisive with critics. A 4X turn-based strategy game, Civilization VII offers a familiar foundation for returning players, as you’ll pick an influential leader from human history, expand an empire through various eras, and aim to reach multiple societal milestones along the way.
The difference here is that developer Firaxis shakes up that formula with big changes, with these tweaks ranging from impactful to possibly controversial for veterans of the series. It’s also worth noting that all of these reviews were done on PC, the platform that’s generally considered to be the best for traditional 4X strategy games like this. The game is also coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Switch, so it remains to be seen how well the experience translates to consoles.
“For Civilization VII, Firaxis has made some sweeping changes, most notably with how you progress through each historical period,” Jason Rodriguez noted in GameSpot’s Civilization VII review. “Several of these new features are welcome, given that they address concerns from previous titles while also making campaigns more dynamic. However, a few design decisions are bound to be contentious, especially for longtime fans, since these mechanics tend to impact the player’s control over certain outcomes.”
Critical reception from other outlets has been mixed, and on GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic, Civilization VII currently has a metascore of 79 from 32 reviews. Some of these reviews have praised Firaxis for the sweeping changes made to the game’s formula, while other critics have commented on how the game can be frustrating and frequently dull. For a closer look, you can read below to see what the critics have to say so far.
- Game: Civilization VII
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch
- Release date: February 11
- Metascore: 79
GameSpot — 80
“Sid Meier’s Civilization VII’s “one more turn” aspect is still as engaging as ever, and I enjoyed huge portions of my playthroughs. Several facets, such as those related to diplomacy, espionage, crises, and combat address long-standing concerns. Legacy Paths and narrative events, meanwhile, offer rich and rewarding avenues for advancement through the ages. Unfortunately, as someone who’s seen the heights that previous series entries have reached, the vanilla Civilization VII experience still needs a few tweaks, as it’s held back by the aforementioned issues that occur during brief but crucial era transitions. Granted, the changes this series has undergone over the years–whether it’s the square tiles or hexes debate, the “one unit per tile” drama, or city-planning with districts–have been for the better, eventually.” — Jason Rodriguez [Full review]
VGC — 5/5
“Civilization VII is bold enough to add big changes to its formula, without getting rid of everything that has made the series iconic. Say goodbye to your free time, as from PC to handheld, every waking moment will be consumed by One More Turn.” — Jordan Middler [Full review]
Windows Central — 4.5/5
“Civilization VII’s biggest changes fix mid- and end-game pacing, clean up clutter on the map, and open up more strategic avenues than ever before. Victory and unit balancing will no doubt be tweaked as developers receive feedback and data, but otherwise, the game is in a great state–something that’s becoming increasingly rare in AAA games. Pricing and DLC gripes aside, Civilization VII should prove to be the best playground for world domination for years to come.” — Cale Hunt [Full review]
VG247 — 4/5
“The subtle whiff of compromise in order to launch the game far and wide is there–but compromise is just fine if the end result works. It does. I’m happy. As someone who has somewhere in the region of a thousand hours logged across Civ 4, 5, and 6, I’m ready to add hundreds more to that tally in the seventh entry. Some of that will come in years as the game grows and expands, as is Civilization tradition. But the point is, the foundations here are firm. The legend of one desperate extra turn, over and over again, forever, is secure.” — Alex Donaldson [Full review]
GamesRadar — 4/5
“Civilization VII is a revolutionary strategy game for newcomers and long-time fans alike. Though some tweaks around diplomacy and Ages fall short, a host of small reinventions–along with Firaxis’ biggest gamble in tackling the tedium of long-running campaigns–pays off superbly.” — Andrew Brown [Full review]
IGN — 70
“With Civilization VII, the desire to streamline and simplify this legendary 4X series feels like it has gone a bit too far, particularly when it comes to the interface. It’s frustratingly inadequate at providing me with the information I need to play well, or even understand what’s going on sometimes. Even so, it does have improved warfare and diplomacy, a bit of added narrative flair, as well as mostly gorgeous graphics and sound, so it can still give me reasons to keep clicking one more turn late into the night. There’s good reason to believe that with Firaxis’s usual pace of patches and expansions it can refine its new ideas and become everything it ought to be, and while what’s here right now is at least still a fun time, it’s also a bigger step backward for the series than we’re accustomed to when a new age dawns.” — Leana Hafer [Full review]
Eurogamer — 40
“Civilization VII is pretty and detailed and sounds fine (I caught that one tune from Colonization!). AI turns are perhaps the fastest I’ve ever seen, and its UI has enough potential to make some of my complaints feel patchable. Its design broadly works, and a certain kind of city-optimizing fan may even love it. But its lack of character is endemic, the extent of its annoying habits and oversights shocking for a series of such pedigree. It’s a dull, contradictory game, and instead of showing everyone how it’s done, it’s felt since hour one like a game that leaves the 4X throne empty.” — Sin Vega [Full review]