Is Civ 7 Worth It?

I've had a month to play Civilization 7, and I have a lot to say about it. In this video, I want to get down to whether or not the hefty 70 dollar price tag is worth it, key concerns I have about the game, as well as what the game does really well. I'll be talking about my time with past games in the franchise like Civ 6, and seeing whether Civ 7 holds up, or suffers the same issues.

[@4Xtraordinaire]

I'm kind of glad I waited to post this review, because I've seen a lot of volatile reactions to the game's debut, and I wanted to give my own take. I hope you found this review more measured and helpful, as I think Civ 7 has some problems, but if they're ironed out, the game shows serious promise. I tried to avoid drawing too many comparisons to games like Humankind, because 1) I've covered this in the past, and 2) A lot of the people who have played Civ 7 have not played Humankind, or only played it briefly. There are certainly a lot of similarities, but I don't want that to drown out my other criticisms and praises for the game. Thanks for watching!

[@Deathrydar]

I dont care about the graphics or the civ swapping or what civs or leaders are currently in the game. I care about the fact that the sandbox feel of the civ franchise is gone. The age system puts the game on rails and the game ends abruptly during the modern age in a very unclimatuc manner.

[@davidBubencikova]

The x25 $29.99 DLC's will fix that :D

[@civilian4live]

@davidBubencikova 🤣

[@benabaxter]

It was already on rails. The game just didn't have the courtesy to tell you before. Meanwhile, the way you get to those objectives this time around is extremely thematic, age appropriate, interesting, with a variety of approaches.

[@OnSpotTV]

very disjointed gameplay .... I agree

[@paradoxine6287]

I care about the civ switching and the fact that Jose Rizal does not lead his own civ is just a let down lol. All of this for 50 usd? nah.

[@Ultrajamz]

1) Fix the multiplayer bugs 2) UI - give us all the tool tips in the world, I shouldn’t have to guess a resource’s type for example 3) improve the AI and give them fewer cheats instead.

[@christopherr.561]

Appreciate the video. I am enjoying it despite the flaws and shortcomings right now. Then again I am in my 50s so the price isn’t a huge concern. I mean I can afford the price but certainly doesn’t mean I enjoy paying it or that it didn’t give me pause. But with my love of Civilization (not my main type of game). For me it was worth it.

[@4Xtraordinaire]

Thanks for watching!

[@RubenThe1987]

For me ist not a question if I can afford the game but rather if I want to support the praxis of realeasing an unfinished game for way too much money while also announcing upcoming DLCs instead of focussing on making the basegame work properly. In capitalism its the only power we have and the only way to change this greedy industry. Not buying anything!

[@christopherr.561]

@@RubenThe1987 Sure, everyone has choices to make for their own reasons. Got no problem with someone not buying a game for any reason, cost, DEI, greed or not their cup of tea. In my opinion, you are correct, not buying it, in this case, is the best way to make your point. Not to mention if you buy it later you will probably get a better version cheaper than those of use that bought it already. :) I am really enjoying the game right now for what it is but I certainly hope they make some updates and give everyone a better experience and give others reason enough to buy their product.

[@sethkaye7897]

Lucky, i'm in my 50's and 'price' is always a factor.

[@christopherr.561]

@ it was a factor for me in that I considered not getting it due to the cost even though it was something I could do. Kinda like the person above, it doesn’t look good when a game has obvious shortcomings and you already have announced and taking money for dlc. Doesn’t mean they did it didn’t do anything under handed but it leaves it open for concern.

[@victorhughgo2376]

there are so many tiny buildings in any given hex now that units actually disappear in a cluttered built up hex.

[@ChristianBerthiaume]

I saw the thumbnail and for a split second I thought the dude was flashing his middle finger lol

[@stevencass8849]

I’ve had two play sessions with the game. Each session I could really on do an hour, because it was late and I needed to get up early and go to work. I ended up playing for about 3.5 hours both times, and not going to bed until almost two in the morning. I like the game. I don’t think the UI is that terrible, it really suffers from a lack of information for the player. I don’t want this to get too long, but one other thing I noticed- I’m very much a casual player, so play Civ on standard or maybe just above standard difficulty. Usually when new games come out I have to bump that down while I’m learning the game. This one I need to bump the difficulty up a level because it was too easy on standard. So AI definitely needs work. All told, there’s a good game there, but it needs to be fleshed out.

[@Seer_Of_The_Woodlands]

I hope they would give the opportunity to play with the same civilization for all three eras. at some point, if not otherwise, hopefully someone will make a mod that allows you to do that.

[@Seer_Of_The_Woodlands]

what's the point in a crisis that can't be avoided no matter how well you play? why punish a player if he plays well, I think there should be some way to avoid the crisis, it doesn't matter if it's difficult to achieve or not. but there should be some way. crises can be nice, but only if you can somehow prepare for them or overcome them.

[@paradoxine6287]

Civ switching and not making it optional? THATS NOT WORTH 50 USD.

[@alexander3025]

Didn't like the same approach to Ai as an entertainment machine that makes noises, didn't like broken multiplayer with same old desyncs, didn't like how everything is slow in a game that you supposed to play again, didn't like how most things are meaningless as if it is some clicker. See you in 8 years, I guess.

[@Joasoze]

A toggle for crisis is needed

[@4Xtraordinaire]

You can toggle them. But you can’t choose your crisis, or the severity of them

[@joedwyer3297]

The crisis must choose you🫵🏻

[@neoconker2k8]

I quit, i couldn't get past the horrendous age transition .

[@joedwyer3297]

You preordered it then? Hope you managed to get a refund

[@neoconker2k8]

@joedwyer3297 Yeah, I pre ordered. No, I'm not going to refund it . I always just chock up situations like this to just a bad choice on my part , they can haz my money 🤷‍♀️

[@joedwyer3297]

@@neoconker2k8 ah well bro they're going to be actively working on the game so you never know, they may arrive at a version you like💪🏻 I'm hoping the same as I think it has potential

[@neoconker2k8]

@joedwyer3297 Yeah I see the game has potential outside of the age transition stuff alot has actually improved, like combat and city building

[@bigworm3886]

For both Civ VI and Humankind on a normal setting, I felt I was never at a threat of losing one of my settled cities and could easily become the best or second best player halfway through the game. On the other hand in Civ V, an average player easily lost wars against the AI and it felt like the AI was more aggressive overall. I feel that Civ 7 will gets its act together in terms of user experience but as a single player strategy game I am just wondering if the other AI players feel as they are actively trying to win any of the victory conditions or if they are just a minor nuisance to interact with while you play the game. Does Civ 7 fall under more in the Humankind/Civ VI end of the spectrum or more towards the Civ V ?

[@4Xtraordinaire]

Aggression seems to depend more on the leader in my experience. Oftentimes. I’ll have a leader that singles me out and tries to take my land when necessary. The AI is very good at striking diplomacy when it needs to, but how it handles war is worse in my opinion compared to past games. The actual chances it takes are fine, but it needs better parameters for unit management.

[@Alopen-xb1rb]

Civ 5 AI just gets massive bonuses on higher difficulty level. The AI felt the same from 5, 6, and 7 to me. Its still found cities behind me and massing units on my border for a obvious surprise attack

[@Ozurson]

It's simply not ready for a launch, so many basic ui elements and game setup options are missing. I dislike the new leader system, although some like it. Era end hard resetting many things in the game, like all diplomacy, wars etc is so annoying, borderline game breaking for me

[@Morgotth1916]

Civkind is not worth buying - Civ switching is 100% a bad idea

[@Mhantrax]

Extreme linear views with zero information other than one's opinions are 100% bad. (Here is the part you didn't add) This is because your opinion is literally a singular opinion, one of billions in the world. It is meaningless, in a mathematical and practical way. Yours shows how your cognitive patterns are inflexible and how you cling to the old like a boy whose mom dropped him off at the playground and sat 8 feet away.

[@Morgotth1916]

@@Mhantrax Sure Enjoy your night

[@Alopen-xb1rb]

@@Morgotth1916 i disagree as I find civ switching is fun. Just realise the leaders are your opponents and not the civ they are on charge of. It’s like playing steel division 2 and using a deck or playing an RPG with a different build. You pick a civ to give you bonuses for the specific age. But the leaders are your real opponents.

[@MrTheTaterMeister]

Nah it's fun

[@Vincrand]

Being able to switch civ depending on where your previous was in the real life world and how you play the game sounds good to me. That being said I think you also should be able to not switch.

[@Bakarost]

To me combat in civ 7 is what makes it fun Everything else is meh to me

[@VampguyN85]

You are lucky with the plague it sounds like. It slread to all my towns and cities, damaged a lot of buildings and districts, and killed off most of my military.

[@4Xtraordinaire]

There really needs to be a level adjuster like there was for disasters in 6. I’ve had 4+ games where the plague did nothing

[@JD-dm1uj]

I absolutely love this game, it’s exceptional in nearly every aspect. I’ve had zero issues, playing it on max settings between two monitors, 4K and UW, both looked and played great, UI scaled accordingly, with no issues. BLUF - I bought the Founders Edition and I couldn’t be happier with my decision, this is an exceptional Civilization experience that’s only going to get better over the coming months and years. Pros: - Civilization 7 is absolutely beautiful; this is without question the best-looking game of the franchise. - The variety in how units look, each respective civilization is vastly different, a pikeman from multiple civilizations, all will look completely different, unlike previous games, this is a huge difference, immediately stands out. Seeing the Mayans, Egyptians, etc., in their ancient pageantry is a sight to behold. - Commanders look incredibly awesome, the variations, even for your army, multiple commanders will all look slightly different, super nice touch. - Commanders significantly change the way combat is from previous games, this aspect is very similar to Humankind, which I believe was a severely underrated. This is a huge improvement from the previous games, you can unpack an army from one tile, long overdue. - I have not experienced a single bug yet, everything has performed as expected, no crashes, UI glitching that some have reported, nothing. - Navigable rivers make a huge difference, now you can have especially in the ancient age, ship fire support along coastlines and river-ways, makes a huge difference. - Wonders look incredible from beginning to end, the animation and close-up of them while being constructed. - No more need to lay roads and have construction workers etc., now the game prioritizes zones and placement of tiles to get bonuses, I prefer this aspect, IMO, this game plays much more fluid and dynamic compared to V and VI. - Full HDR Support, can also play using a gamepad or mouse, nice for those who want to play on a big screen TV. - I actually like that we can change civilizations per age, though wished we had both options to a degree, though realize why that decision had to be made. - Much more content than it ever gets credit for, unequivocally more at launch than any Civilization game prior, this is a huge increase from older games, every Civilization is completely unique and looks and plays the part, not just one unique unit approach. Given the there are 30 Civilizations in total all with their own artwork etc., this game is absolutely immense! Cons: - Pricing - Early play for non-base game purchases - Locked civilizations beyond the Ancient Age - Maps could definitely have more variety and they’re too small, this is easily my biggest issue so far. You don’t have a lot of terrain when you have more than four Civilizations, it gets congested quickly, this is also hampered with the inability to cross ocean waters in the ancient ages, cutting off large areas of land. We also need more variety in the types of maps. - No modern age, this is a huge let down, for sure, though given the complete depth for each respective Civilization, their overall look and feel, I can completely understand why they went this direction, I’m happy they did. - The UI for me hasn’t been an issue at all, none, though could see why some are so taken back from it compared to previous games. - Civilopedia is a step down from previous games, IMO, can’t even see what each unit looks like for example, the information is there, though it’s very basic for what it is. Not horrible, though just not as good and thorough as it could have been. - The inability to set the refresh rate specifically in the game, I’m using a 240hz monitor and I don’t believe Civilization 7 recognizes this internally, I can only see the set resolution and not the refresh rate. - The undiscovered portions of the map with the Civ logo tiles, not the best solution, doesn’t bother me, though realize it’s an issue for many. - Wished we could pick the colors for our civilizations. - Not the best selection of leaders, I don’t have an issue perse with any of them, though just better options throughout the years they could have used, I don’t see this game pushing an agenda, as many would say, not anything egregious. - We should have more depth to our AI Civilizations, the abilities to declare war, have an AI army assist in your conflict etc., there are elements of these aspects, though they should be flushed out more. I wished we had more direct control of these aspects, example to your Ally, let's attack said Civilization, together, now. - IMO, the later two ages, can’t compete with the ancient, I hope we get the ability to play the game from beginning to end, staying just with each age of our interest, throughout our entire play-through. - Need more options for game settings, ability to select colors for ourselves and the AI partners, seeing the Romans purple for example, hurts a bit, where’s my red…also more settings for game speed, research speeds etc., they’re there, would be nice to have even more control of these variables.

[@gumbycat5226]

Just about everything you have said turns me off this game. I am not going to buy it.

[@rpgs6218]

No

[@jsievers]

I love civ 7 😁

[@boycottactivision]

Game is Big Trash. Grey, Metallic, Slow, Uninspired Trash

[@stay_frosty324]

I hope your not hating just to hate because I don’t see how it could be trash

[@boycottactivision]

@stay_frosty324 I have no reason to hate, I'm new to 4X games. Civ 6 was crack, I praised Firaxis because they deserved it, now I jeer when they don't. It may be Hyperbole, but it represents how massive a step down they've made

[@HistoryTeacherSteve]

wow, such a mature, thoughtful review. you have such an incredible vocabulary

[@Mhantrax]

​@HistoryTeacherSteve He can't help it. Underdeveloped brains can't function at higher levels. His knuckles drag, he drools out the front of his mouth as his jaw remains slack and his forehead is sloped leaving no room for frontal cortex development.

[@stay_frosty324]

@@boycottactivision well as someone who’s been into civ for 10 years and every 4x game I think it’s a very big step up especially with the district system but we’ll have to agree to disagree

[@igorsteinberg3533]

I will skip this game entirely. Hope Civ VIII will be the real Civ VII, and bring the game back to its roots. If I want to play Humankind, I will go play Humankind. And I don't want to play Humankind. I'll stick to Civ VI for now, maybe go back to V or even IV.

[@icemage21k]

Hmmm, was thinking the same, i have 2k hours in civ 5, perhaps ill go back to 4 since 6 and 7 are meh.

[@igorsteinberg3533]

@@icemage21k The only thing that keeps me going back to Civ V and especially Civ IV is that I have a good modded version of Civ VI ready to play. Going back to the older titles would require a lot of work modding them to my liking.

[@mrsaeedali]

Just ask them about whats wrong with the picture and they will point out thousands of mistakes. Ask them to also suggest porper way to correct them... they are blank.

[@4Xtraordinaire]

I’ve already listed my ideas and possible fixes for some of the problems in the video. There are far more talented people than I on places like the r/civ subreddit that have pushed out mods already trying to address this issue. The point of this video is to inform the viewer of what they’re getting into - to know the pros, the cons, and whether or not the game is worth it at full price

[@petemagyar1445]

You talking about the players or the devs?