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Review Keys Out, Embargo ends on Feb 3rd

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Sep 5, 2005
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From the All current media thread:
According to the GameStar the Gaming Medias and Streamers receive their Review Keys.
(Article in German)
The Review Embaro will fall on February 3th 15:00 CET.
Civilization 7: The review keys are here! When is the test coming?

Almost four weeks before release, 2K has sent out the test version of the strategy hopeful Civilization 7. We'll tell you when you can expect our report.

Just a few days after Warhorse announced that they were already sending out review keys for Kingdom Come 2, 2K and Firaxis are now following suit: since 10 January, editorial teams and content creators have been supplied with test versions of the turn-based strategy game Civilization 7.
Naturally, we are also on the list and are already getting stuck into the first games. The relatively early delivery of review keys for Civilization 7 is even more unusual than for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
This is because it comes from a major international publisher, 2K, which normally takes a very restrictive approach and only sends out keys shortly before release. This time, however, 2K has decided differently. And this also applies to the test embargo, which falls relatively early.

Civilization 7 and Kingdom Come 2 in a test duel
We would definitely have chosen differently and would have preferred to avoid both Kingdom Come 2 and Civilization 7 in this duel for our and your attention. Because yes, the tests for both blockbusters are published on the same day. In the case of Civilization 7, we are even allowed to communicate the specific time:

The review embargo for Civilization 7 falls on February 3, 2025 at 3 pm.

This is surprising at first glance, as the turn-based strategy game will not be playable for most people until February 11, a full eight days later.
However, Civilization 7 will be released in versions with different prices. And those who put 100 euros on the table for the Deluxe Edition and 130 euros for the Founders Edition will be able to get started five days earlier, on February 6 to be precise.
As we know, we don't think much of such pre-order bonuses, but at least it's fair of 2K to allow the tests to be released three days before the early access phase and thus enable correspondingly early journalistic reporting.

First impressions as early as next week
The simultaneous publication of two such important tests presents even a large gaming editorial team like GameStar with some challenges. But that is of course complaining at the highest level, after all, there could be far worse things than being allowed to test two of the most anticipated games of the year several weeks before release.
And fortunately, our editorial team is big enough to be able to do both without compromising on quality. The team led by Civilization expert Reiner Hauser and chief sceptic Peter Bathge is therefore eager to provide you with the best possible test coverage.
We will start on January 16 with a detailed preview in which we will report on our first impressions of the game.
Of course, you can expect the full program for the review embargo on 3 February:
- a detailed test including a video by Reiner.
- a technical check that will tell you how well the game runs on your computer.
- a guide to help you with your first steps in Civilization 7.
- one or two surprises that we are not yet revealing.

GameStar Article (Free), Translatet by DeepL.
Posting here as that thread doesn't seems to be to discuss the articles but instead to post them.

I'm glad they're sending the reviews keys quite early, even with the usual risks of leaks. A game like this benefits from reviewers having more time to go through it instead of trying to rush and absorbs as much info from a rushed run as they can. I'm guessing it also means they really want people to play the full game as one reason for ages was to make the full game, and especially the late game to be just as fun.

I'm also glad the embargo is before the "early access" so people can better decide, even if for me personally I don't put that much stock on reviews, it does affect a game success.
 
It also says Gamestar will be putting out another article on Civ 7 next Thursday. I'm not sure what it will cover, since the embargo will still be up at that point, but it should be interesting.
 
This is good to hear, I’m glad the publishers of Civ 7 and Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 are still valuing proper reviews.

It also says Gamestar will be putting out another article on Civ 7 next Thursday. I'm not sure what it will cover, since the embargo will still be up at that point, but it should be interesting.

They just say it will have their first impressions, so I wouldn’t expect much in the way of specific revelations beyond what’s already out.
 
KCD2 is the only game I'm looking forward to even more than Civ7, and they're coming out at almost the exact same time... :crazyeye:
 
KCD2 is the only game I'm looking forward to even more than Civ7, and they're coming out at almost the exact same time... :crazyeye:
Foundation, which I've been playing for years leaves early access (after 5 years?) finally one week prior. I've been looking forward to this also for years. It's not as high on my list as KCD2 is though. Same for 2 Point Museum, which comes at the beginning of March. Oh, and then there is, you know, life happening as well :help:
 
Oh, and then there is, you know, life happening as well :help:
Indeed. At the same time as both games drop, I'm in the middle of a new project at work. (Which I'm glad; I can use the money. But there goes my free time. And energy.)
 
Foundation, which I've been playing for years leaves early access (after 5 years?) finally one week prior. I've been looking forward to this also for years. It's not as high on my list as KCD2 is though. Same for 2 Point Museum, which comes at the beginning of March. Oh, and then there is, you know, life happening as well :help:
Farthest Frontier, the game that I've been playing in Early Access for well over a year, pushed back their release date to April to avoid getting submerged in the Civ VII and other AAA game releases (Crate, the FF studio, is a tiny group in comparison to Firaxis). That takes a big potential distraction away for at least the first two months of Civ VII playability.
 
Isn't the 4th the day Early Access drops?
The 4th is when Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 releases after shocking everyone by moving their release date earlier (from the 11th); Civ7 early access starts the 6th.
 
This is exciting. Good to have a date on the calendar. I would assume this means that all first looks and game guides will be released by Feb. 3?
I would assume so. In theory, they could just not finish out the FLs and guides before release. It's all marketing hype-building anyway. Or they could finish up after early access. Or the week of early access.

But I suspect they will not want the press and streamers to be the ones to reveal something like that.
 
Youtubers are teasing the 16th being something.
The news source linked in the OP has an article coming out that day, so it's probably a partial embargo drop that day; they can release some limited content.
 
I suppose it works like movies? If so, people can give first impressions when they have seen the premiere (or played the press build in this case), but can't post full reviews, especially spoilers, until the embargo is lifted. If that's the case, then January 16th will be all about teases and comments like "I've played Civ VII and I can't tell you everything but it's really good" with videos promising a full review a couple of weeks later.
 
I suppose it works like movies? If so, people can give first impressions when they have seen the premiere (or played the press build in this case), but can't post full reviews, especially spoilers, until the embargo is lifted. If that's the case, then January 16th will be all about teases and comments like "I've played Civ VII and I can't tell you everything but it's really good" with videos promising a full review a couple of weeks later.
Maybe. In the past they've let streamers show certain parts of the game, usually up to a certain turn number.
 
Embargo ends tomorrow (I can’t believe it!)

Which publications/websites do you trust most when it comes to reviews?

The YouTubers that I trust not to blindly suck up to Firaxis.
 
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