Take-Two, the parent company of Firaxis, the developer of Civilization 7, has received mixed user reviews on Steam, with many fans expressing concerns about the game’s interface, lack of map variety, and missing features. However, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick is confident that hardcore fans of the series will eventually come to love the game.
Zelnick acknowledged the negative reviews from press and players, including a 2/5 score from Eurogamer, but insisted that the “legacy Civ audience” will warm up to the game as they play more. He pointed out that Metacritic reviews are at 81, with over 20 positive reviews scoring above 90, and noted that some negative outliers can be addressed.
The dramatic changes made by Firaxis to Civilization 7 have caused concern among fans, particularly the introduction of a full campaign system that includes Age Transitions. Zelnick believes this system will eventually win over Civ fans.
To improve sentiment on Steam, Firaxis has promised improvements to the user interface, addition of teams in multiplayer games, and a wider variety of map types. The game’s success on Valve’s platform depends heavily on its user review rating, which is crucial for visibility on Steam.
As Zelnick noted, the legacy Civ audience can be nervous about new features at launch, but once they realize how incredible Civilization 7 is, they will dive in. With ongoing efforts to address concerns and improve the game, Take-Two is confident that fans will eventually come around to loving the new installment in the series.
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/take-two-boss-says-legacy-civilization-audience-will-eventually-come-around-on-civilization-7-amid-mixed-steam-user-reviews