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At the time of writing, I have two full playthroughs of Civilization VII under my belt, albeit on the relatively easy “Governor” difficulty.  I’ve finished one age at the “Viceroy” difficulty, which feels like it might be the standard difficulty.

That’s all to say that, while I am still no pro at the game, I have learned some things since writing my first “Initial Reactions” post two weeks ago.  One thing I will note is that the game has only gotten better and become more enjoyable as I have played it.  Even the notoriously clunky-yet-minimalist UI, while not improved (although that is coming in March) has gotten easier to read as I know what to look for on the map.

Part of that, I am sure, is that I am getting used to the game.  Every Civ games undergoes some visual changes, as well as changes to core systems, that can be daunting for veteran players at first, but repeated sessions breed familiarity.  In this case, that familiarity has not bred contempt, but a certain fondness.  Indeed, part of my concern with the upcoming UI patch is that it will change too much—but then I’ll get used to those changes, and so on.

It is a perennial rule of the Civ series that the games are not truly complete until a couple of expansions are released.  Then, with all the core gameplay elements finally in place two or three years after release, players have a complete game.  What makes Civ VII remarkable is that, in spite of its troubled release, it actually feels like a full game.  Yes, the game is incomplete in one sense—it needed much more polish before it hit the world—but the actual gameplay feels very satisfying.

I sometimes pine for Civ VI, but I also have zero desire to open it up now that Civ VII is out.  That’s not a knock against Civ VI, which is an incredible game, but a testament to Civ VII‘s appeal.