Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth Reviews

Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Unscored
Oct 23, 2014
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Oct 23, 2014

While 'Civilization: Beyond Earth' retains the familiar formula of its predecessor, Firaxis makes enough changes to keep it fresh.

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90 / 100
Oct 23, 2014

Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth is a great and easily approachable game. The intuitive interface and flexibility of the numerous options make it an easy "yes" for any strategy gamer or Civ fan looking for something more than Earth's history may have to offer. While the visual and stylistic choices may not prove to be to everyone's tastes, there is plenty of both new and familiar to satisfy anyone willing to hop on aboard and see where Beyond Earth is able to take you.

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Nov 2, 2014

The final result is a brilliant alteration of an old friend, shining a new light on a proven structure.

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6 / 10
Nov 1, 2014
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79 / 100
Oct 23, 2014

Civilization: Beyond Earth does essentially nothing new, but you know what? That's probably fine with most people who have experienced the franchise before. It still does what it does incredibly well, and every new campaign in a Civilization game brings originality and variety on its own. I thought the extra-terrestrial setting was badly wasted, but even without any real innovation it's still a very solid game, just not one that's much different from Civilization: V.

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Oct 22, 2014

An overall solid turn-based strategy game that suffers from information overload resulting in analysis paralysis for the player, Beyond Earth has a few really interesting systems but ultimately doesn't transcend those mechanics into something unique or awe-inspiring.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 22, 2014

Another success in the line of Civ games.  It does a good job of setting the scene and taking the player along on a story of hope, struggle and triumph.  The ability to customize your side both before and during the game will lend itself to long debates over the "best " strategies.  Replayability and the inevitable mods and expansions will keep this on your hard drive for a long time.

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Buy
Oct 23, 2014

I'm addicted. In the middle of a holiday season that's seen and will see a lot of strong games, I don't want to put Civilization: Beyond Earth down.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2014

While the core game is excellent, it might be extremely difficult for new players. There are plenty of options for replay, but the game might not have the same replay value as previous entries in the franchise. A solid title that will make fans of the Civilization franchise extremely happy, and might even attract some new players - if they can survive the initial challenge.

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Oct 23, 2014

Get ready to lose hours of your life to Civilization: Beyond Earth

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8 / 10.0
Oct 24, 2014

Boasting some clever innovations and generally smooth execution, Civilization: Beyond Earth is a sure bet for fans of the long-running series.

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Oct 23, 2014

If science fiction Civilization is an appealing prospect to you, Civilization: Beyond Earth will satisfy that promise on nearly every count.

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8.8 / 10.0
Oct 22, 2014

If anyone needs me, I'll be playing Beyond Earth for a very, very long time.

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 3, 2014

Civilization: Beyond Earth sets itself apart from the previous games in the series in ways big and small, and you would be mistaken to dismiss this entry in the strategy franchise as "Civ V in space." Beyond Earth is an excellent standalone experience that can be enjoyed regardless of your history with the series—though having some understanding of how the turn-based strategy gameplay works is certainly an asset. After 300 hours of Civ V, the time has come to move on; I've left Earth and headed into space, and I think I will be there for thousands more turns to come.

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Oct 28, 2014

[W]e're left feeling like there's greatness to come. Beyond Earth is a wonderful experience but we can't shake the feeling that the past holds much more than the future, at least for now.

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Oct 23, 2014

So far, Civilization: Beyond Earth is a stellar – no pun intended – new addition to the franchise, and what it lacks in the familiarity of historical cultures and settings it gains with some clever new tweaks and an even grander vision of humanity's potential. See you in a million days. Give or take.

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7 / 10
Oct 23, 2014

That's the thing about Beyond Earth: I feel like for every considered, clever addition to Civ's formula, there's always a near miss. War is fun, but the AI is not. Aliens are novel, but humans are dreary. I enjoyed playing it, I'm still playing, but it just hasn't gripped me like previous games. I want it to be better, more interesting, than it is.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2014

All-in-all, you can't go wrong with Civilization: Beyond Earth if you love the franchise. Affinities and new units give it enough spice to distract you for awhile, but I did find myself desiring to simply load up Civilization V the more I played for its greater depth.

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EGM
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Oct 30, 2014

Taking the playstyle from Civilization V and launching it into space, Civilization: Beyond Earth introduces a number of interesting concepts into the series' tried-and-true strategy formula. While the gameplay remains addictive, the learning curve here is steep, with lots of small details that demand your attention. What you make of it depends on your patience and ability to adapt to the cruelties of space.

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