Civilization 7's Steam launch has garnered mixed reviews, but Take-Two's CEO remains optimistic. While hardcore fans, many of whom have early access, have voiced concerns about the UI, limited map variety, and missing features, the CEO, Strauss Zelnick, believes their opinions will shift with continued gameplay.
The game's current Metacritic score of 81 and numerous reviews exceeding 90 demonstrate positive reception. Zelnick acknowledges negative reviews, including a harsh Eurogamer critique, but attributes initial negativity to the significant changes implemented by Firaxis. He points to the game's innovative three-age campaign structure with simultaneous Age Transitions, a feature unprecedented in the Civilization series, as a potential source of initial apprehension. This system involves selecting a new civilization, choosing retained legacies, and witnessing world evolution at each transition.
Firaxis is actively addressing player feedback, promising UI improvements, the addition of multiplayer teams for cooperative play, and increased map diversity. Zelnick emphasizes that the team is aware of the concerns and committed to resolving them. However, the Steam user review rating remains a crucial factor, impacting both public perception and the game's visibility on the platform. Firaxis faces the challenge of improving player sentiment in the short term to ensure Civilization 7's success on Steam.
