Beyond Earth is a bold step into the future for the Civilization series, and one that is well-judged and deftly executed. While hardcore genre fans might not get much of a kick out of its – in places – stripped-down take on 4X, what it provides is something quite unlike anything the series has provided before – one that fully embraces its potential for creating unique stories with every game, and provides the tools through which they might be more fleshed out than ever before.
Ultimately, Hohokum feels like it's not entirely sure what it wants to be. It gives the impression of wanting to jettison typical game tropes, but then has a very clear level structure, and is at its best when it plays up its more typical video game features. It wants to appear to be all about the joy of exploring the space the developer has created – to be a true freeform, gameplay experience – but has specific goals to achieve and a set way to achieve them, even if it does leave you to work out these things alone.
A Paws-itively Claw-some way to whittle away some time
Compelling and evocative, it's a story that simply has to be experienced