Civilization VII's early access launch on Steam has been met with a wave of negative reviews, leaving the game with a "mostly negative" rating. Let's delve into the reasons behind the player backlash.

Civ 7's Rocky Steam Debut: A Sea of Negative Reviews

UI, Maps, and Resource Mechanics Under Fire

Five days before its official February 11th release, Civilization VII's advanced access period has been overshadowed by overwhelmingly negative player feedback on Steam. The anticipation surrounding the first new Civilization game since 2016's Civ VI has been significantly dampened by this less-than-stellar reception. Several key issues are consistently cited by dissatisfied players.

The user interface (UI) is a major point of contention. Many players find it clunky, visually unappealing, and a significant downgrade from Civ VI's polished design. Some even go so far as to compare it to a "free mobile knockoff." Accusations have even been leveled that Firaxis Games prioritized console development, resulting in a bare-bones and limited UI experience on PC.

Map generation and customization are also drawing considerable criticism. Players are frustrated by difficulties in map selection, limited size options (only small, medium, and large, compared to Civ VI's five), and a lack of customization. The lack of detailed information when browsing map types further exacerbates this issue.

The revamped resource mechanics have also proven controversial. Instead of directly gathering resources from map tiles as in Civ VI, Civ VII assigns resources to cities or empires through strategic management. While this is a departure from the established formula, many players feel the previous system offered superior replayability.

Firaxis Games has acknowledged the negative feedback, responding to one review with a commitment to address UI concerns and hinting at future updates and expansions to improve the map system. They encourage players to continue providing feedback to help shape the game's development.