Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth Reviews
It must be an interesting challenge for developers of a series so focused on history to tackle questions of humanity's future. Obviously both subjects tap into many of the same sources, but where most Civilization games explore who we are, Beyond Earth systemizes who we could be.
The space-themed Beyond Earth is polished, deep, and addictive—what more could you want from a Civilization game?
Put aside your expectations of an Alpha Centauri successor, play it like a sci-fi Civilization V and enjoy experimenting with the combinations of sponsors, affinities and techs.
Overall, I would say that Civilization: Beyond Earth was fun, at least as fun as Civ 5. It just wasn't mind-blowing, which is a shame because all the Alpha Centauri fans out there were kind of hoping for that. The game almost feels like a Civilization 5 sci-fi mod, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. If anything, the game sells itself on promise. I can see expansions including new factions, new tech, and possibly even new affinities making this game a wonderfully fun and addictive experience that lasts for years. For now, however, the game is simply fun, and that is probably enough to warrant a purchase for most. Just don't expect this game to give you the stars.
Civilization: Beyond Earth shakes up the turn-based strategy formula, taking the series to new heights and new locations. The past experiences of the team at Firaxis with Alpha Centuri shine through, blending both styles of games into one of the best strategy games of the year.
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.
Get ready to lose hours of your life to Civilization: Beyond Earth
Boasting some clever innovations and generally smooth execution, Civilization: Beyond Earth is a sure bet for fans of the long-running series.
If science fiction Civilization is an appealing prospect to you, Civilization: Beyond Earth will satisfy that promise on nearly every count.
If anyone needs me, I'll be playing Beyond Earth for a very, very long time.
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.
[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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Civilization: Beyond Earth takes empire building to the stars with a number of compelling—but familiar—results.
Civilization: Beyond Earth is decidedly deserving of carrying the weight of the franchise in a new direction, but it's simply lacking enough variety for it to become the new standard bearer.
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.
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.