The long-awaited Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 has finally launched, but instead of the triumphant return fans were hoping for, it has been met with mostly negative reviews. Frustrated players have taken to Steam, Metacritic, and social media to voice their disappointment, with many calling it an “unfinished mess” due to technical issues, lackluster content, and a poorly designed UI.
For a franchise that has dominated the 4X strategy genre for over three decades, this is an unexpected and troubling launch.
What Went Wrong with Civilization 7?
1. Clunky and Unintuitive UI
One of the biggest complaints from players is the redesigned user interface (UI), which many claim is overly complex, sluggish, and unintuitive.
- Menus feel cluttered, making it difficult to access important information.
- Tooltips are inconsistent, leaving both new and veteran players struggling to find key details.
- The UI is less responsive, especially in larger games with more civilizations.
One frustrated player on Reddit summed it up:
“It feels like they redesigned the UI for mobile but forgot to optimize it for PC. It’s a complete mess.”
2. Lack of Content & Depth
Many longtime Civilization fans are also complaining that Civ 7 feels barebones compared to previous entries.
- The game launches with fewer civilizations than Civ 6 did at release.
- Some core mechanics from past games are missing or feel watered down.
- AI behavior is frustratingly inconsistent, leading to random diplomacy decisions and unbalanced warfare.
Players are already speculating that Firaxis may have intentionally left out features to sell them as DLC later, a trend that many have criticized in recent years.
“This game feels like a beta. It’s like they’re planning to sell us the actual game in expansions later.” – Steam user review
3. Performance Issues & Bugs
Despite Firaxis Games promoting Civ 7 as the most polished entry in the series, many players report serious performance problems:
- Slow turn times – Especially in late-game scenarios with multiple civilizations.
- Crashes and freezes – Some players have experienced game-breaking crashes, especially on higher difficulty settings.
- Graphical glitches – Certain units and terrain features appear unfinished or poorly rendered.
Even on high-end PCs, many players are struggling to maintain stable performance, leading some to call it the worst-optimized Civilization game to date.
