Civilization 7 to Win Over 'Legacy' Fans Despite 'Mixed' Steam Reviews, Says Take-Two CEO

Civilization 7 has hit the market, eliciting a 'mixed' response from users on Steam. Despite this initial reception, Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, remains optimistic. He believes that the dedicated fans of the series will eventually embrace the latest installment in the 4X strategy franchise developed by Firaxis.

Currently, Civilization 7 is accessible to those who opt for advanced access, a feature typically utilized by the game's more ardent supporters. These fans have been vocal in their Steam reviews, pointing out concerns such as issues with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and the absence of certain expected features at launch.

In response, Firaxis has committed to addressing these concerns. They've promised enhancements to the UI, the introduction of team-based multiplayer modes to facilitate cooperative play, and an expansion of map types, among other improvements.

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In a pre-release interview with IGN, Zelnick acknowledged the mixed reviews from both the press and players, specifically referencing Eurogamer's critical 2/5 score. However, he remains confident that the game's "legacy Civ audience" will grow to appreciate Civilization 7 as they spend more time with it. He described the game's initial performance as "very encouraging."

"The Metacritic reviews are at 81, which is really solid," Zelnick stated. "We have more than 20 press reviews with a score over 90. We have some negative outliers as well, including a 40 from Eurogamer.

"We think that as people play the game longer, the sentiment improves because with every launch of a new Civ, the team pushes the envelope a little bit and our legacy Civ audience is a little bit nervous about what they initially see and then they realize, wow, this is actually really incredible, and they dive in.

"So we feel really, really good about it. We know we have a couple of issues. We have a bit of an issue with the UI, for example. We'll address that. So I wouldn't say the early access release is perfect in every way. I think it's very, very encouraging and I think the areas that are concerning are areas that we can and will address, and as you can tell, we're quite mindful of them."

Zelnick believes Civ fans will come to love Civ 7. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Zelnick's comments about the nervousness of hardcore Civ players likely refer to the significant changes introduced by Firaxis in Civilization 7. One of the most notable innovations is the game's structure, where a full campaign progresses through three distinct Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. At the end of each Age, players and AI opponents undergo an Age Transition, selecting a new civilization, choosing which Legacies to carry forward, and experiencing an evolution of the game world. This mechanic is a departure from previous Civilization games, but Zelnick is confident that fans will come to appreciate it over time.

In the immediate future, Firaxis faces the task of improving the game's reception, especially on Steam. A game's Steam user review rating is critical for its success on the platform, as it not only reflects the community's sentiment but also impacts the game's visibility and discoverability on Valve's service.