I don’t know why Ars Technica has so many civ 7 reviews. Previous one was 2 weeks ago.
TLDR Verdict
The good
- The ages system helps to solve many longstanding problems with the overall arc of a Civilization game
- Influence yield makes diplomacy better than it’s ever been
- Tweaks and additions turn building city districts into the full realization of what VI was hinting at but never achieved
- The visual presentation is excellent, with sprawling, intricate cities and detailed leaders
- Several additions streamline annoying busywork the franchise is known for without curtailing depth
The bad
- Content is light even though systems are robust; there are no scenarios at all
- The final few turns of an age end up feeling wonky
- You can’t rename your cities for some reason
The ugly
- Some launch-window bugs and other issues might make it worth waiting a few weeks before digging in
Tbh I’m a bit torn with Civ7, as while I really like the mechanics and all, the game seems pretty empty content-wise with such a small number of civs (and the 4th Era that will be in the 1st expansion)… But on the other hand civilization has constantly been a game I’ve enjoyed hundreds of hours, and it seems I’ll enjoy this one at least just as much!
I want to reward Firaxis from making good games and give them money, but I don’t want to reward 2K games with their business tactics (especially with Denuvo…).
Everything will be a DLC…
I remember 5 became a good game after the first expansion pack “Gods and Kings”. I guess it will be the same here, we will have to wait a bit more. (I didn’t play much with 6, I didn’t like the cartoon style, so I don’t how it was there)
VI is also very barebones without the expansions. Seems to be par for the course for Firaxis. It’s a shame because I want to play but I will definitely be waiting for the bundles rather than buying the game and expansions as they come out.