Civilization 7 Review Information and FAQ
Hey friends! Civilization 7 review day is tomorrow and I want to make sure you have all the information you need to participate! Especially for you folks that will be using reviews to make purchasing decisions. Over the past few weeks I've seen a few common questions here on Reddit and on YouTube that I thought I could provide some answers for 🎉
When can reviews of Civilization 7 be published?
The earliest a review can be posted is February 3rd at 6:00am Pacific Time UTC-8 (Los Angeles/Vancouver). Folks may post there reviews after that time but expect a fair few to release at 6:00am.
What can reviews of Civilization 7 include?
The reviews can cover anything in Civilization 7. All leaders, civs, ages, and mechanics are on the table. Gameplay footage shown can also include anything from the game, including the Modern Age.
What is the difference between a Review and a Preview?
While everybody will approach their review differently there are two consistent factors that separate a review from a preview.
- An overall opinion on the game (scored or otherwise stated). Basically do we think the game is good, bad, or somewhere in between.
- A recommendation for a purchase decision. Do we think the game is worth purchasing?
Those are the two main differences between the review and the preview. The other difference is obviously any thoughts or gameplay footage from the Modern Age or of certain leaders and civs will no longer be embargoed.
How should I know which reviews to take into consideration?
Fundamentally a review is just a collection of opinions based on one persons experience. Everybody who posts a review will have played in a different way, for a different amount of time, with different setups, combinations, and strategies. It'll likely be best for you to look at multiple reviews from multiple sources before forming an overall judgement for yourself. Even just chatting about the game with other folks who have played I know we're all experience aspects of the game in different ways and at different paces.
Are the reviews biased?
This is a question I've been getting a lot on YouTube. Wondering how I'll navigate a review when it clearly benefits me to have one opinion over another. Fundamentally, every opinion anybody ever has is either consciously or unconsciously biased by a whole variety of factors. It's important for folks to acknowledge their biases when they create a review and you will have to factor them in when using a review to make a decision.
The best way to account for this is simply to check out multiple reviews from multiple sources. Is one group of folks way off the mark compared to others? What are the things folks are consistently saying about x aspect of the game? Ultimately nothing will replace you actually playing the game for yourself with regard to a final opinion on it but you should be able to get a reasonable idea after looking at a few different reviews.
Once reviews are posted will Civilization 7 be streamed?
There is still a streaming embargo in place until February 5th so you won't see any content creators streaming footage from the game until that point. As far as I'm aware though general gameplay content is fine for the period between the 3rd and the 5th so don't be surprised if you catch some videos here or there of Modern Age content. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't, but just want to keep you on the lookout in case you're waiting for gameplay content before making any decisions.
Apologies for the long post! That'll be it from me. I hope this has been helpful. If you have any additional questions feel free to pop them below and I'll see you tomorrow for REVIEW DAY ⚔️
edit: Added UTC-8 to time zone information!