Table of Contents
amazon Sid Meier’s Civilization Beyond Earth reviews
Story and Setting
“Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth” is set in a distant future where Earth is no longer habitable due to a combination of ecological collapse and geopolitical strife. In response, humanity launches space missions to colonize new planets in the hope of securing a future for civilization. The game begins with players selecting one of several spacefaring factions, each with its own unique characteristics and backstory.
The narrative in “Beyond Earth” is less about a single cohesive storyline and more about the emergent stories that arise from the player’s actions. The game’s setting on an alien planet allows for a range of different scenarios and challenges, which are influenced by the player’s choices and the interactions with alien species. The dynamic nature of the game world ensures that no two playthroughs are the same, with each session offering a new set of challenges and opportunities.
Gameplay Mechanics
“Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth” retains the core mechanics of the Civilization series while introducing new elements tailored to its sci-fi setting. The game’s strategic depth and complexity are key to its appeal, offering a rich and engaging experience for fans of the genre.
- Colonization and Exploration
One of the central aspects of “Beyond Earth” is the process of colonizing and exploring an alien planet. Players start by landing their spaceship on a new world, setting up their initial colony, and then expanding their influence. The game features a variety of alien biomes, each with its own resources, terrain, and environmental challenges. Exploration is a crucial part of the game, as players discover new resources, ancient artifacts, and potential threats.
The colonization process involves building and managing cities, establishing trade routes, and developing infrastructure. Players must carefully balance their colony’s growth with the need to secure resources and protect against alien threats. The game introduces new mechanics such as “Affinity,” which represents the player’s alignment with one of three major factions: Purity, Supremacy, or Harmony. Each Affinity provides unique benefits and shapes the player’s approach to colonization and diplomacy.
- Technology and Research
The technology tree in “Beyond Earth” is one of the game’s standout features. Unlike previous titles, the tech tree in “Beyond Earth” is more modular and flexible, allowing players to pursue different branches of research based on their strategic goals. The game introduces “Tech Web,” a system that enables players to choose from various research paths and unlock new technologies, units, and buildings.
The Tech Web is designed to offer multiple paths to victory, with different technologies supporting various strategies. For example, players focusing on military conquest might prioritize technologies that enhance their combat capabilities, while those pursuing a more scientific approach might invest in technologies that boost research and development. This flexibility ensures that players can tailor their strategies to their preferred playstyle.
- Diplomacy and Alien Interactions
Diplomacy in “Beyond Earth” is a crucial aspect of the gameplay, with players engaging in negotiations and alliances with other factions and alien species. The game introduces a range of diplomatic options, including trade agreements, research collaborations, and military alliances. The interactions with alien species add an extra layer of complexity, as players must navigate the challenges of coexistence with native inhabitants.
The game features several alien species, each with its own behavior and characteristics. Players must manage their relationships with these species, balancing diplomacy with the need to secure resources and expand their territory. Alien species can be both allies and adversaries, with their behavior influenced by the player’s actions and decisions.
- Combat and Warfare
Combat in “Beyond Earth” builds on the mechanics introduced in Civilization V, with a focus on tactical decision-making and unit management. The game features a range of futuristic units and technologies, including robots, mechs, and advanced weaponry. Players must develop and deploy their military forces strategically, taking into account the terrain, enemy units, and the overall strategic situation.
The combat system emphasizes the importance of positioning and unit abilities. Players must carefully plan their attacks and defenses, leveraging the strengths of their units and the terrain to gain an advantage. The game also introduces new combat mechanics, such as “Affinities,” which provide bonuses to units based on the player’s chosen alignment.
Visuals and Art Design
“Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth” features a visually stunning and immersive world, with detailed environments and futuristic designs. The game’s art direction emphasizes the alien nature of the new planet, with diverse biomes, exotic landscapes, and unique architectural styles.
The visual design of the game is characterized by its use of vibrant colors and intricate details. The alien landscapes are rich with flora and fauna, creating a sense of wonder and exploration. The futuristic technology and cityscapes reflect the advanced nature of the game’s setting, with sleek designs and high-tech aesthetics.
The user interface is intuitive and well-designed, providing players with easy access to important information and controls. The game’s visuals are complemented by high-quality animations and effects, enhancing the overall experience.
Music and Sound Design
The music and sound design in “Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth” play a crucial role in setting the tone and enhancing the atmosphere. The game features a dynamic soundtrack composed by Geoff Knorr, which includes a mix of ambient, orchestral, and futuristic tracks.
The music is designed to complement the game’s setting and themes, with tracks that evoke a sense of exploration, discovery, and tension. The sound effects are well-crafted, with distinct sounds for different actions, units, and environments. The voice acting, while not as prominent as in some other games, adds to the immersion and helps bring the game’s factions and characters to life.
Civilization: Beyond Earth – Game 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) must be a branch of the rich strategy game genre and has a long history.
However, due to the complexity and the need to be patient and meticulous, 4X is quite “picky” for the player.
One of the hottest 4X series must be mentioned immediately the Civilization of legendary game designer: Sid Meier.
After the fifth installment of the series with a storyline that has gone down the road from previous installments, Sid Meier decided to head out into space with “super product” Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth – as a version of “spin off” of the Civilization series, following the great success of Alpha Centauri from nearly 20 years ago.
When bringing players to the cosmic environment, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth opens up a completely “fictional” space with elements “both strange and familiar” when exploring new lands.
You can encounter monsters that attack armored vehicles in the desert, similar to sandworms in Frank Herbert’s Dune, or build cyborg soldiers (half human and half machine) royal as in the game series Warhammer 40K …
Although leaving Earth to distant galaxies, the civilizations in Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth also carry their own stories and developmental markers, with more choices than designs. available.
With different options, players will possess separate advantages in each game, even if they continue to pursue a certain civilization.
This expands the replayability of Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth a lot more than in previous versions.
Coming into the cosmic context, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth has built an entirely new structure: from tech trees, upgraded forms, cosmic opponents, and even supernatural threats.
Different from the traditional game series, all the new elements of Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth are all interconnected to create indispensable links, to reach the ultimate victory.
With the limited number of upgrades, research capabilities, resources as well as the capacity to build are limited, you must ensure a balance between promoting production, researching technologies to exploit natural resources like growing the technology tree of military groups because they are interlocking if you want to create powerful units.
Besides, these units also need to fight to increase experience points, “unlock” the overall military upgrades with completely new units, to be able to confront the strength as well as The ferocity of alien monsters and other civilizations.
This makes the conflict in Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth inevitable, even if you try to “avoid” war for cultural, technological, or economic victories.
It is this balance that requires players to be absolutely cautious and highly calculating in each step of development, instead of “profiting” based on the non-war victory conditions in previous versions.
Compared to the previous two versions, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth has seen little visual improvement by simply reusing the old engine with new models.
These models are even built with very few polygons and motion, leaving them completely dry and lifeless!
The effects have not been cared for or improved, making Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth’s already poor visuals even more boring, less attractive even to veteran fans of the series.
Compared to other games at present, the lack of graphics of Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth plus the increased difficulty of the new gameplay makes the game more “difficult to chew” with new players prime.
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Conclusion
“Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth” is a bold and ambitious title that offers a unique take on the grand strategy genre. With its focus on space colonization, alien diplomacy, and futuristic technology, the game provides a fresh and engaging experience for fans of the series. The game’s innovative mechanics, expansive world, and visually stunning design make it a standout title in the genre.
While the game faced criticism for certain aspects of its design and execution, it remains a valuable addition to the Civilization series. Its impact on the genre and its contribution to the evolution of strategy games ensure that it is remembered as a significant and ambitious entry in the series.
For players who enjoy deep strategic gameplay, exploration, and the challenge of managing a space-faring civilization, “Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth” offers a rich and rewarding experience. Its blend of science fiction elements, strategic depth, and innovative mechanics make it a game worth exploring for fans of the grand strategy genre.