The Settlers 7: History Edition
- January 22, 2019
- Ubisoft Blue Byte
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"The Settlers 7: History Edition" is a strategy game that allows players to create and manage their own kingdom. With a variety of paths to victory and a customizable gameplay experience, players can choose their own approach to building and expanding their kingdom in a lush, green world. This edition offers updated graphics and features, providing a fresh take on the beloved Settlers series.
PC
Windows
Uplay
Reviews
- The game features a beautiful art style and engaging graphics that enhance the overall experience.
- It offers a complex economic system that requires strategic planning and resource management, making it enjoyable for fans of city-building games.
- The gameplay allows for multiple victory conditions, providing versatility in how players can approach each mission.
- The requirement to log in to Ubisoft Connect every time the game is launched is frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes and bugs, particularly when loading saved games, which can lead to lost progress.
- The victory point system can feel limiting and may lead to wins or losses without engaging in combat, which can be unsatisfying for players expecting traditional RTS gameplay.
- story40 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it shallow, clichéd, and poorly executed. The campaign structure is criticized for feeling repetitive and overly tutorial-like, with a point-based victory system that detracts from the narrative experience. While some players appreciate the strategic elements and resource management, the overall engagement with the story is minimal, often overshadowed by gameplay frustrations and technical issues.
“Makes you use your brain from time to time and has an interesting storyline.”
“At first it seems like a very easy and simple game, but each mission adds complexity and depth.”
“This game's missions are clearly distinguishable from each other.”
“Campaign resets after the second mission, cannot progress with the story.”
“Btw: there is a story but it is so shallow, childish, and cliché that it is not worth mentioning.”
“2 things that put me off were: no micromanagement of military units (or any units) and the boring story of the campaign.”
- graphics34 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the clean and aesthetically pleasing art style, particularly in comparison to its predecessors. However, some players report issues such as glitches, poor alignment of character animations, and inconsistent performance across different systems. Overall, while the visuals are generally appreciated, technical problems and gameplay mechanics detract from the overall experience for some users.
“It's a much cleaner experience with tighter mechanics and better graphics than its two immediate predecessors, and it centers on creating and maintaining economic chains as opposed to Settlers V and VI's love of dumbed-down pixel RTS combat.”
“The graphics are excellent and I have not encountered one bug.”
“Still the most aesthetically pleasing medieval city builder I know.”
“Awful game, graphics are glitchy and gameplay non-existent.”
“Horrible game - graphic settings can't be changed and it looks like a huge pile of barf...”
“The graphics aren't special, the frame-rate gets shoddy for no reason, and the music is what it is for a game like this.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many praising its deep economic systems, trade, and diplomacy mechanics, which offer a rewarding experience. However, some players find the mechanics clunky and overly complicated, with interruptions from lengthy cutscenes and a frustrating reliance on victory points that detracts from the enjoyment. Overall, while the game features improved graphics and a well-designed campaign, it struggles with optimization issues and a perceived lack of engagement compared to earlier titles in the franchise.
“Its deep economic system and focus on trade and diplomacy provide a satisfying and rewarding gameplay experience.”
“The first ten hours in the campaign where you learn the mechanics, which is practically a mix of tutorial and prologue, is amazing.”
“But economy is logical, introduced slowly by training levels, mechanics work well, and everything is very well designed.”
“Some of the mechanics in this version are a bit clumsy and unnecessary.”
“The gameplay feels clunky, and the mechanics are boring and not unique.”
“However, the gameplay is over simplistic, even 'stupified'.”
- stability14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and bugs that significantly disrupt gameplay. Many players experience issues such as the game freezing upon loading saves, intrusive DRM, and long wait times due to screen freezes, leading to frustration and loss of progress. Despite over a year of patches, these stability problems persist, detracting from the overall experience.
“The game crashes every 2-3 hours and doesn't autosave, causing me to lose progress. Sometimes, after saving, loading the game freezes my computer completely, forcing a restart.”
“I have read a lot about glitches and bugs, but I thought more than a year of patching would have brought a solution with it....”
“What is the point of saving the start of a game if it freezes every time you load it?”
- optimization5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Users have reported significant optimization issues when using the Ubisoft Store launcher, including game crashes, stuttering, and a clunky interface that complicates the gaming experience. Additionally, manual adjustments are often required for optimal performance, leading to frustration among players. Overall, the optimization of Ubisoft games appears to be inconsistent and problematic for many users.
“I no longer run it in 1080, (which you'll read must be adjusted manually via the options.ini file) and have disabled 'full screen optimization'.”
“Some users have reported issues with game crashes, stuttering, and other performance issues when using the Ubisoft Store launcher, which can be frustrating and disruptive to the gaming experience.”
“The clunky and unintuitive interface, along with potential compatibility and performance issues, can make the experience of playing Ubisoft games on Steam a frustrating one for some users.”
“I no longer run it in 1080 (which you'll read must be adjusted manually via the options.ini file) and have disabled 'full screen optimization'.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players appreciating the wholesome visuals and epic conquests, while others criticize the lack of engaging storytelling and the absence of micromanagement, leading to a less immersive experience. Additionally, technical issues like crashes detract from the overall emotional engagement.
“The graphics are poor, the story is dull, and the game crashes for absolutely no reason.”
“Two things that put me off were the lack of micromanagement for military units and the uninteresting campaign story.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, complementing the story and characters effectively, though it may not stand out significantly compared to other elements. While some users find the graphics and frame-rate lacking, the music remains a consistent aspect of enjoyment.
“Everything is good in this game: the story, the songs, and the characters.”
“The music is what it is for a game like this.”
“The graphics aren't special, the frame-rate gets shoddy for no reason, and the music is just average for a game like this.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Many users find the grinding in the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, leading to a loss of enjoyment. Some express frustration over the time investment required to progress, with one reviewer even suggesting a refund due to the lack of fun in the grinding experience.
“Before I've even gotten anywhere near ready, the CPU has two stars done. I admit I might just not get it, but after redoing the same thing over and over, the fun soon stops and it begins to get tedious.”
“I actually would love to get a refund, but because I can't do that, I'm going to help others by warning them: a bunch of tedious, not worth it work is ahead of you if you purchase this game.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy includes in-game purchases for cosmetic customizations, such as castle designs, which users feel is a clear attempt to encourage spending.
“The game offers a variety of customization options for your castle and other cosmetic items, which are available through in-game purchases.”
“I appreciate that the monetization model is fair, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
“The optional purchases enhance the experience without being intrusive, making it easy to enjoy the game at your own pace.”
“They also allow you to customize your castle and other cosmetic items, but it's clear they want you to make in-game purchases.”
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
“It's frustrating that so many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players feel that the atmosphere can be overshadowed by the urgency of competition, leaving little time to fully appreciate the game's environment.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, providing a funny experience that enhances the overall enjoyment, while also offering hundreds of hours of gameplay.
“A funny game with hundreds of hours of gameplay.”
“The humor is spot-on, making every moment enjoyable.”
“I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations.”
