Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth

 PC
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1084 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 343 out of 1084
  2. Mixed: 374 out of 1084
  3. Negative: 367 out of 1084
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  1. BRhuehue
    Oct 24, 2014
    0
    Não gosto do jogo, Não gosto do jogo, Não gosto do jogo, Não gosto do jogo, Não gosto do jogo, Não gosto do jogo, Não gosto do jogo, Não gosto do jogo e Não gosto do jogo
  2. Nikkolette
    Oct 24, 2014
    0
    Game is godawful to say the least.
    1. UI is atrocious. Queuing is so bothersome and that I don't use it - you have to click three times on different menus to put something on queue...only from city queue - no hotkeys, Ctrl or Alt modifiers from main map. In other words - you will waste more time on clicking than if you manually issue orders.
    2. Diplomacy somehow managed to become even    Game is godawful to say the least.
    1. UI is atrocious. Queuing is so bothersome and that I don't use it - you have to click three times on different menus to put something on queue...only from city queue - no hotkeys, Ctrl or Alt modifiers from main map. In other words - you will waste more time on clicking than if you manually issue orders.
    2. Diplomacy somehow managed to become even worse than in CivV, which is achievement on its own. With reduced unity types AI knows only ONE tactic - swarm of suicidal berserking human/tank waves.
    3. Absolutely primitive execution of advertized features. Ie. Alien agressiveness is linked only to alien nest destruction it seems. You can shoot dozens upon dozens of aliens standing outside 2 tile radius from their nest without any fear of counterattack - Ai cannot into attack.
    4. Absolute lack of any automation. If you have 10 cities then you have to manually isue each and every production order.
    5. Leaders lack any personality - they are just animated talking heads.
    6. Once again you are spammed with approvals, denouncations and gazillion other meaningless and useless notification via leader animation screen "we like that you like X", "We do not like that you like Y" etc every turn.
    7. Trade routes - Firaxis showed phenomenal ability to make their own idea as terrible a possible - if with CivV you had to deal with 5 or so TR now you have 3 per city, you have to manually reassign EACH an EVERY of them. I cannot imagine playing with 10 or so cities.

    Game miraculously managed to fall even below my lowest expectations. Firaxis used most primitive approach - dumb down everything, cut loose ends, wrap it up in shiny package and show into custumers' throats. This release shows their inability to solve major broblems - CivV AI was horrible and their put no effort in fixint it. Diplomacy was awful - it still is.
    Beyond Earth serves only one purpose - to show how much Alpha Centauri surpasses it in every aspect except for graphics.    … Expand
  3. Theryan4476
    Oct 24, 2014
    10
    This game is a great even though it may look like a Civilization V remake it carries a ton more replay-ability with the new tech-web. Also the units can be upgraded throughout a play-through. Also the whole so-if atmosphere is amazing, it's a nice change of pace since most of their games are history based.
  4. ghandimcfarland
    Oct 24, 2014
    10
    I am loving every minute of Civilization: Beyond Earth! Honestly, it changes just enough to give a fresh experience while still remaining true to the series. The art and music are atmospheric and wonderful and the writing is superb! (I've spent hours browsing the Civilpedia. Reading about every tech you research and thing you build really fleshes out the narrative which draws influenceI am loving every minute of Civilization: Beyond Earth! Honestly, it changes just enough to give a fresh experience while still remaining true to the series. The art and music are atmospheric and wonderful and the writing is superb! (I've spent hours browsing the Civilpedia. Reading about every tech you research and thing you build really fleshes out the narrative which draws influence from both popular and classic sci-fi; Everything from Asimov and Dune to Battlestar Galactica.)
    On the gameplay front, after 2 full games I would wager that Civ:BE is already more balanced than Civ:BNW and knowing Firaxis we can expect plenty of patches to fine tune and improve everything. Wonders aren't as important and neither are the City State equivalents which are welcome changes. The affinity system is not only intriguing, but also removes a lot of the tedium from maintaining the military.
    On launch day I've noticed a few minor bugs but again, Firaxis is known for fixing their games post-launch. With how complex Civ:BE is, I'm actually surprised it works so well. I could see people being a bit overwhelmed at the new "tech web" but take heart; It comes some handy filters and quickly becomes second nature and the non-linear progression gives players a lot of freedom to develop their own strategies and customize their Civilization.
    Ultimately, Civilization has always been much more than a strategy game. It has always told a story and Civ:BE successfully shifts genres from History to Sci-fi while still keeping the exciting and optimistic flavor that is and will always be Civ. It is addicting, intelligent and beautiful.    … Expand
  5. MrSndman
    Oct 24, 2014
    7
    Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of the Civ series. I've played every iteration since Civ 1...and Alpha Centauri is by far my favorite in the series. If you are looking for a sequel to AC, this ain't it. Civ BE feels like a polished mod for Civ 5 - which isn't a terrible thing. You will immediately feel at home with the interface, the units, the combat system, etc. The onlyLet me start by saying that I am a huge fan of the Civ series. I've played every iteration since Civ 1...and Alpha Centauri is by far my favorite in the series. If you are looking for a sequel to AC, this ain't it. Civ BE feels like a polished mod for Civ 5 - which isn't a terrible thing. You will immediately feel at home with the interface, the units, the combat system, etc. The only noticeable change is the tech tree, which admittedly is a bit wonky. The constant presence of alien life forms is both irritating and unnerving (wait till you see the sandworm aka siege worm) and you can tell the developers want you to make nice with them and find a symbiosis, but they will seemingly randomly attack your units at the most inopportune times.

    Do yourself a favor and lower your expectations a bit...this is not a sequel to AC, and it's not really a sequel to Civ. Think more "Empire of the smoky skies" and less AC2 and you'll be suitably satisfied. If you're a long time Civ fan, you know you're going to buy it anyway!    … Expand
  6. secludedsfx
    Oct 24, 2014
    9
    This game sticks to most of the great features of Civ V that we've come to know and love but shakes it up in an interesting way which makes the game feel fresh.

    If you've ever been interested in a game where the Civilization franchise is set in space then this is for you.
  7. derbyherb
    Oct 24, 2014
    6
    -To start off, I'm disappointed
    -In case you were wondering, the AI King of Derptopia still overextends himself founding an obscene number of settlements all over the map and then gets self-righteous about what everyone else does near him when he's taking up the whole screen.
    -Diplomacy feels a straight port from Civ 5. -Virtues are social policies given a new name. Many of them are    -To start off, I'm disappointed
    -In case you were wondering, the AI King of Derptopia still overextends himself founding an obscene number of settlements all over the map and then gets self-righteous about what everyone else does near him when he's taking up the whole screen.
    -Diplomacy feels a straight port from Civ 5.
    -Virtues are social policies given a new name. Many of them are taken directly from Civ 5.
    -Don't accept at face value reviews trying to convince you that "aliens are not Civ 5 barbs." They perform the same functional purpose in the game, but require a more complicated foreign policy. So you can't just kill them all. Even though you want to.
    -Miasma... My personal opinion is that it wasn't a good call to cover 50%ish of the maps tiles with what is basically lava. Stand in lava, unit loses HP. Moving units around is a drag because you're constantly healing from and trying to get around miasma. Yes you can evolve science to deal with it or benefit from it.. but it's another annoying obstacle. Can I just turn it off?
    -I played the hell out of Civ 5. Lots of PC gamers did. We know the game inside and out. But like all games it got old after a while... Civ 5 had nothing left to offer. I think 2K took the lazy route developing this game by basically porting Civ 5 into space. Even though it's packaged as a new game it feels like I'm playing Civ 5. So I'm kind of bored of the core gameplay and lack incentive to really get into the game.    … Expand
  8. flametail
    Oct 24, 2014
    10
    Yes, It is like Civ 5, but this one seems more refined, possibly the reasons for almost having the same engine is to make it familiar; for civilization veterans.
  9. AngryRoach
    Oct 24, 2014
    5
    I'm very dissapointed by the game, it plays like Civilization 5, but without the huge tech tree and advancing through the ages. Tech tree in this game is awfully small, and the UI looks ugly. Aliens are cool yes, but after a while they just feel like reskinned barbarians. Factions are boring, and there is only total 8 of them, and the number of players in game is also limited compared toI'm very dissapointed by the game, it plays like Civilization 5, but without the huge tech tree and advancing through the ages. Tech tree in this game is awfully small, and the UI looks ugly. Aliens are cool yes, but after a while they just feel like reskinned barbarians. Factions are boring, and there is only total 8 of them, and the number of players in game is also limited compared to CIV 5. Beyond earth just feels really lifeless compared to CIV 5. If you really do want to buy this game, I would wait until price drop.

    Also, there are almost next to no units in-game, and all faction units look basically the same.    … Expand
  10. asuratyr
    Oct 24, 2014
    10
    Seriously...everyone keeps **** about this game with it being "a reskinned civ V" and so on.......i sort of expected this tho. For me this game is a fun throwback at civ V with just enough new features to keep it interesting.

    What is good, doesn't need to be replaced.
  11. Selek
    Oct 24, 2014
    9
    Really enjoying it. Lots of new stuff here: Affinities, tech web, a cool system that requires scouts to excavate and then return to base (not auto-wander), new trade route system, revamped social policies, quests, satellites, interesting victory conditions. It's not perfect -- I wish there were some sort of Culture victory, and I'm still not a huge fan of the social policy thing -- butReally enjoying it. Lots of new stuff here: Affinities, tech web, a cool system that requires scouts to excavate and then return to base (not auto-wander), new trade route system, revamped social policies, quests, satellites, interesting victory conditions. It's not perfect -- I wish there were some sort of Culture victory, and I'm still not a huge fan of the social policy thing -- but it's much more compelling than I expected.… Expand
  12. asfj
    Oct 24, 2014
    3
    As a player from Civ5, I feel bored sorry because there is almost nothing new for mechanism. The game is like an official Mod upon Civ5 with a Sci-fi skin, considering the earth is still that earth just decorated with some bizarre and dark green stuff, and upgrade trees are changed by Sci-fi tokens but structures are almost the same.

    Personally, the most disappointed thing is that as a    As a player from Civ5, I feel bored sorry because there is almost nothing new for mechanism. The game is like an official Mod upon Civ5 with a Sci-fi skin, considering the earth is still that earth just decorated with some bizarre and dark green stuff, and upgrade trees are changed by Sci-fi tokens but structures are almost the same.

    Personally, the most disappointed thing is that as a space Sci-fi, there is not hierarchy of space and land to switch and interact between, as I said you are just on Weird Earth rather than Beyond Earth.
    I confess I am a bit superficial, but not upgrading graphics is also not a wise decision.

    Still a very detailed game. But I feel it lack of innovation and like a slow paced Starcraft 2. In this fast paced society, I doubt majority could be patient to play it, not to mention old players who have been familiar/bored with Civ5.
    I wish the dev could be more creative be beyond the franchise.    … Expand
  13. Tubey
    Oct 24, 2014
    6
    All the flaws of the original Civ5 game before it was fixed with DLC, with a glossy space finish over the top.

    Not much more to be said. It's an above average strategy game that will enthuse newcomers to the series or those who got their feet wet in Civ5, but underwhelm anyone who played Civ4 due to unwelcome return of streamlined gameplay and fairly linear development paths. If    All the flaws of the original Civ5 game before it was fixed with DLC, with a glossy space finish over the top.

    Not much more to be said. It's an above average strategy game that will enthuse newcomers to the series or those who got their feet wet in Civ5, but underwhelm anyone who played Civ4 due to unwelcome return of streamlined gameplay and fairly linear development paths.

    If you're looking for a truly top class space strategy experience, you'd be better off investigating your hours in Alpha Centauri. Beyond Earth isn't a bad game, but it isn't a classic either, and given that it strives to live in the lofty company of some other titles in the Sid Meier back catalogue, it doesn't reach those heights or even come close.    … Expand
  14. TUHD
    Oct 24, 2014
    5
    What. The. Hell.
    - Majorly imbalanced. Some of those victory conditions are idiotic (like, really. Play ARC and you'll be able to pretty fast snatch up all the cap cities without even having a wardec, making it an domination victory. While other victories take a long time).
    - Normal is way too easy - only thing the AI is good at is throwing out a lot of military and somehow never    What. The. Hell.
    - Majorly imbalanced. Some of those victory conditions are idiotic (like, really. Play ARC and you'll be able to pretty fast snatch up all the cap cities without even having a wardec, making it an domination victory. While other victories take a long time).
    - Normal is way too easy - only thing the AI is good at is throwing out a lot of military and somehow never suffering health problems. If you want a real challenge as even just an mediocre Civ/player, start at Hard or higher.
    - The techweb is interesting, but headache worthy when it comes to searching for what´s recommendable.
    - Try to understand the numbers vs %, and you´ll get an guaranteed headache. The overview is bad and not really intuitive.
    - Etc. It could be a good game. But due to cheap reskinning, wrong setup of new stuff and really bad balancing - it´s just not worth the money atm.    … Expand
  15. HyperDuck
    Oct 24, 2014
    9
    It's pretty similar to Civ V, of course this is up to the individual whether they like it or not. Personally I love Civ BE, they changed enough in the game to make it feel familiar but at the same time different. I was wearing about buying this game due to the circle-jerk about it being too much of a Civ 5 clone. But after actually playing myself and developing my own opinion I have comeIt's pretty similar to Civ V, of course this is up to the individual whether they like it or not. Personally I love Civ BE, they changed enough in the game to make it feel familiar but at the same time different. I was wearing about buying this game due to the circle-jerk about it being too much of a Civ 5 clone. But after actually playing myself and developing my own opinion I have come to the conclusion that this game is actually pretty damn great.

    I give it an 8.5 out of 10. (Rounded up to 9 since you can't do half scores on Metacritic)    … Expand
  16. Tikvaw
    Oct 24, 2014
    8
    Very nicely done. Not as good as Alpha Centauri, especially concerning lore and faction philosophy.
    But overall nice game, worth the price and I'm pretty sure it will receive a lot of improvements over time.
  17. ShooP
    Oct 24, 2014
    1
    Too similar to Civ 5 with very few innovation. A shame that AI is even dumber than in Civ 5, offering no challenge at all, even in higher difficulties. Game mechanics forces you to expand slowly and you have very few cities to manage even late in the game.
    Really disappointing.
  18. Crimson
    Oct 24, 2014
    1
    This is an extremely simplified re-skinned Civ V, with far worse graphics, and absolutely nothing new that is interesting or worthy of praise. I could pick apart every new system, all of which are extremely flawed and cumbersome but there's almost no point. Its clear this is just nothing more than a money grab, with 2K trying to milk its fan-base. This feels like a 'direct to VHS'This is an extremely simplified re-skinned Civ V, with far worse graphics, and absolutely nothing new that is interesting or worthy of praise. I could pick apart every new system, all of which are extremely flawed and cumbersome but there's almost no point. Its clear this is just nothing more than a money grab, with 2K trying to milk its fan-base. This feels like a 'direct to VHS' sequals of popular a franchise.… Expand
  19. REKT
    Oct 24, 2014
    9
    A great addition to the civ games.

    Different enough from civ 5 to be a new game but similar enough that you can pick it up fairly quickly. Genuinely don't get all the hate. Aliens behave very different o barbarians, affinities basically turn 8 factions into 21, tech web is great, orbital layer is fun. You WILL have to play differently to how you have been playing civ 5 to win this    A great addition to the civ games.

    Different enough from civ 5 to be a new game but similar enough that you can pick it up fairly quickly.

    Genuinely don't get all the hate. Aliens behave very different o barbarians, affinities basically turn 8 factions into 21, tech web is great, orbital layer is fun. You WILL have to play differently to how you have been playing civ 5 to win this game, tried and tested strategies from the older civ games simply won't work with the aliens and affinities. I think this is a big plus.

    The is also room for DLC in places I can see expanding the game but not needing it. For example adding an extra affinity. I can't however find somewhere that content has been removed to allow for DLC like in civ 5. This is good.    … Expand
  20. Garet1218
    Oct 24, 2014
    10
    A great throwback for Alpha Centauri fans!
    The new mechanics and atmosphere really separate it from other Civ titles, and really the themes remind me a lot more of Alpha centauri. I feel like if this had come out and Civ 5 was not a thing, it would had been held as revolutionary. I think far too many will group it with Civ 5 for using the same engine. They are two quite different games    A great throwback for Alpha Centauri fans!
    The new mechanics and atmosphere really separate it from other Civ titles, and really the themes remind me a lot more of Alpha centauri. I feel like if this had come out and Civ 5 was not a thing, it would had been held as revolutionary. I think far too many will group it with Civ 5 for using the same engine. They are two quite different games though. I say this as a long time fan.
    I for one love that they made culture more useful in a game play sense, they made espionage what it use to be back in the old days... Awesome..

    The tech web is probably my favorites system, I have always been a large science player.. The web and technologies they have change everything. I find myself conflicted far more often than in civ, not to mention it can be very situation based. The affinity system is awesome, and I like how it mixes.

    Here is my wishlish for the G&K sized expansion that should be coming

    -More mixed affinity unit upgrades or units, more units for pure routes to compensate.
    additional Planet ecosystem types.
    -A couple more sponsors
    -A scenario with a sentient planet.
    -A few more wonders    … Expand
  21. APCY
    Oct 24, 2014
    3
    I have tried this game and all I have to say is that im disappointed. Firstly nothing has been changed apart from sci-fi theme. Combat system, building, exploring and etc are same. Even materials do the same they just changed their icons so it would look diffrently. I would say brave new world dlc was a way bigger and more interesting, and this game counts as new and for 50 euro... imI have tried this game and all I have to say is that im disappointed. Firstly nothing has been changed apart from sci-fi theme. Combat system, building, exploring and etc are same. Even materials do the same they just changed their icons so it would look diffrently. I would say brave new world dlc was a way bigger and more interesting, and this game counts as new and for 50 euro... im really disappointed, they were very lazy, but ya money is more important for them I suppose.… Expand
  22. Calendyr
    Oct 24, 2014
    5
    I am writting this rewiew after 5 hours of play.

    Been awaiting this game for months now. I am a Civ 5 veteran with over 1000 hours of play. My first impression of Beyond Earth is one of deep disapointment, I will cover my major issues with the game if I don't mention something it's either because I like it or don't find anything wrong with it. Tech Web: I like the idea of a web    I am writting this rewiew after 5 hours of play.

    Been awaiting this game for months now. I am a Civ 5 veteran with over 1000 hours of play.

    My first impression of Beyond Earth is one of deep disapointment, I will cover my major issues with the game if I don't mention something it's either because I like it or don't find anything wrong with it.

    Tech Web: I like the idea of a web instead of a tree. What I don't like is that you are completelly lost when you look at it. It's hard to try to make a plan when nothing stands out. Would it have been so hard to color code the items of put the category icons in there? You look at the icons and you can't tell what is a Wonder or what does what unless you read every single description. I am sure with time it will be ok because I will learn what everything does but for my first game it's seriously tedious!

    Alien life: So after watchching countless hours of prelauch videos, I know I should not attack the aliens. Here is ny issue: While I can't attack them, they sure don't have any reservation about attacking me, I have lost 2 explorers and 2 drone units in the past hour and I never made any agressive move towards the aliens. I am exploring and BAM! 4 of them jump on my unit and kill it. So Firaxis tie both my arms behind my back by sayong that if I attack the aliens siege worms will come kill my cities and other nations will go to war with me and then punch me in the face repetedly when I cannot defend myself... just great!

    Map clarity: When you look at the map I find it really hard to understand what is what, Very unclear what is a luxury resource, what is a production bonus. In Civ 5 you could press ALT-R and have all the resources show up with nice Icons, it's not the case in BE, Alsp in CiV5 you could press Y and have all the tiles yields show up,.. yep gone as well... WHY?

    Health: Health basically replaces happiness in BE. With only 2 cities I am at minus 5 health and I see no easy way to fix that, Very frustrating!

    Purchases: In Civ5 you had a production/purchase toggle in the city build window, They removed it. Now you have to go in the city manamenent screen and press the purchase buttin to open the purchase window, Not only is it less conveniant but I have been doing purchases in the build window for years, why are you forcing me to change the way I do things for something that is less intuitive and less efficient?

    Blocking: Tbere are several blocks in the game that are contre-intuitive, For exemple: A trade post appeared close to my city so I researched the trading unit, Try to send it there and I can't because there is Miasma in the way. So I research the miasma removing satellite and try to put it in orbit but again I can;t because there is already a satellite there,,,, so I research the trade vessel so I can go to it by sea.... but it won't let me without giving a reason, I read all I could find in the Civ help menu but could not find any answer, So now I have spent a ton of research on trade and can.t trade, Same with other nations, I normally am a heavy trader in Civ5, but in this game there is nothing to trade, All it shows is you research and production. No resouces strategic or luxury in there, Really annoying and frustrating,

    The last thing is the way I feel when playing, So far it has been boring with nothing to do most of the time and frustrating (with all the issues listed above). I hope with time and experience this will change that but my first impression is very negative.    … Expand
  23. Varyag
    Oct 24, 2014
    6
    I was very much looking forward to this game, seeing as how Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is one of my favorite games of all time. As more of Beyond Earth was revealed however, it seemed that the ideas featured in SMAC are no more than window dressing for another Civ V game. This is more significant than it seems at first glance. SMAC was, mechanically, Civ II. But the story, setting,I was very much looking forward to this game, seeing as how Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is one of my favorite games of all time. As more of Beyond Earth was revealed however, it seemed that the ideas featured in SMAC are no more than window dressing for another Civ V game. This is more significant than it seems at first glance. SMAC was, mechanically, Civ II. But the story, setting, semi-plausible technology, secret projects, quotes, factions and the overall cornucopia of ideas, went so far beyond any Civ game that Alpha Centauri ended up being unique.
    Beyond Earth is superficially the same thing, but look closer and the technologies are more akin to techno babble, the factions are merely the nations of Civ, without character or a recognizable ideology that drove the ones in SMAC, the resources border on epic fantasy (firaxite? floatstone? really?), the victory conditions specific to this game are all variations of Civ's "man in space". There is no back story, the quests are repetitive and fail to feel relevant (more on them later). There is no soul to this game, for the lack of a better term, nothing to set it apart - its Civ V in space in a SMAC costume that's falling apart at the seams and Chairman Yang is not amused.
    Failing to innovate while being bad at imitation is a sin but the real problem is the fundamental issues that Civ V has. The maps are small, curtailing expansion, the research is slow, you're not likely to have more than a few cities at any time unless you take more by conquest, the troops need constant shuffling around the tight maps, city management is trivial, social engineering is non existent (present only in constant buffs that you can buy with culture - there is no give and take) and that leaves a vacuum where the player simply has nothing to do from turn to turn. They tried to fill this void with quests that the game gives you but they're repetitive and there's little motivation to do them. At most they lead to a little blurb about some changes in your civilization and a small permanent bonus.
    Its shallow and plodding, and probably the worst overall game design in the Civ series. The addictive flow of a slow start but rapid expansion, of large scale warfare, of massive civilizations clashing for supremacy - there's none of it here. There was none of it in Civ V, but here things feel even more constrained, smaller scale and meaningless.
    This is the Civ equivalent of Diet Coke with Colonel Santiago on the label. Civ V fans will gobble it up, claiming its the next best thing since pre sliced bread... and for them, it might be. For me, its merely an above average 4x game that will fade from memory in a month or so with none of the genius one has come to expect from the Civ series.    … Expand
  24. Harold_Lanchest
    Oct 24, 2014
    4
    The developers got away with Civ 5. Huge slap in the face, which made me abandon the Civ franchise entirely in favor of far better strategy turn based games. I have no idea how they're getting away with Civ 5: the addon standalone.
  25. Muro
    Oct 24, 2014
    8
    Different enough from Civ 5 to not feel like an add-on, but still similar enough to make it feel familiar to Civ gamers. So with that in mind if you like Civ 5 you will probably like this, and if you don't then you probably won't.

    I won't list every change and the things I think are better or worse in this game but here are just a few. And I will be comparing this to both Civ 5 and    Different enough from Civ 5 to not feel like an add-on, but still similar enough to make it feel familiar to Civ gamers. So with that in mind if you like Civ 5 you will probably like this, and if you don't then you probably won't.

    I won't list every change and the things I think are better or worse in this game but here are just a few. And I will be comparing this to both Civ 5 and Alpha Centauri, you have been warned.

    Tech Web feels fun to explore. In Civ 5 by the end you had everything, all the techs fell in to place. In Beyond they don't. You have to make hard choices about what tech you want and what you don't. I feel this gave more flavour to my civilisation.

    Alien Life Forms are and aren't barbarians at the same time. In Civ 5 Barbarians were an aggressive annoyance, they turned up and tried to kidnap your workers and wreck your tile improvements. In Beyond the aliens are the dominant species, you are the aggressive annoyance turning up trying to steal the resources from their nests. And how you treat these native inhabitants determines if they decide to try and crush you out of existence.

    Units I felt were a bit weak in terms of their variety. I knew that I wasn't going to get an Alpha Centauri level of customising but I still feel more could have been done.

    Quests are enjoyable as they give some sense of your civilisation making decisions and shaping the way it wants to be. However sometimes I felt that these decisions came a little to often.

    Apart from that, Virtues are the new Social policies, Affinities are the new ideology, and the orbital layer works a bit like great people providing buffs to whole areas or temporary enhancements.

    Overall I am loving this game, it's not perfect, but I am sure I will once again sink hundreds of hours in to a Civilization game.    … Expand
  26. Masterhummel
    Oct 24, 2014
    7
    Civ: BE fells most of the time like 'more of the same'. This is not a bad thing, as the game uses a formula that works. So, the setting launches into space, but BE does not manage it to elevate the concept and game mechanics to a new level as well. Most of the time i felt like i'm playing a heavily modded Civ V with BNW. I mostly did stuff that i did in Civ V - just with different names.Civ: BE fells most of the time like 'more of the same'. This is not a bad thing, as the game uses a formula that works. So, the setting launches into space, but BE does not manage it to elevate the concept and game mechanics to a new level as well. Most of the time i felt like i'm playing a heavily modded Civ V with BNW. I mostly did stuff that i did in Civ V - just with different names. Aside from stagnation with it comes to gameplay, the biggest Problem might be the lack of stereotypes and nations. Shaping your own civ and building the eifeltower in Washington was part of the fun in earlier civ games. I feel like BE does not have a good enough replacement. They really tried, and i appriciate that, but the new alliances of nations just feel bland and somewhat uninteresting.

    That all said, Civ: BE is still a lot of fun and if you loved Civ V you will most likely like Civ: BE.    … Expand
  27. Verdan
    Oct 24, 2014
    6
    All i can say is that Sid Meier set new record for an expansion. Making a new skin for an all ready working game is pretty bad and i personally was expecting bit more than new theme.
    Game looks good but then again. I just played this game for a lot of hours under different title.

    9 points for the CIV V
    - 3 points for going for "shake my money makers" strategy
  28. Sawt00th
    Oct 24, 2014
    6
    300+ hrs on Civ 5 and even using the same engine i feel I have been dumped on new planet in space. Very exciting discovering the new resources and units. Think Civ 5 & FTL together. This game incorporates the quest system well into the strategy mix. I greatly enjoy the sense of woven story the narrative quests provide. it allows you to inject life into the early game, where civ has300+ hrs on Civ 5 and even using the same engine i feel I have been dumped on new planet in space. Very exciting discovering the new resources and units. Think Civ 5 & FTL together. This game incorporates the quest system well into the strategy mix. I greatly enjoy the sense of woven story the narrative quests provide. it allows you to inject life into the early game, where civ has sometimes been bland. The Tech Web is still a little confusing, but the mist will settle after a few play throughs. I will admit it has the feel of a re-skin, but there is very little that can be done about it considering the gameplay is within set parameters. Everyone knows this game will be tweaked and patched massively over the coming few months, so don't listein to idiots that complain of broken AI. The game falls within believable science and I think that it is where the game will excel. Not disapointed at all.… Expand
  29. Escherichia
    Oct 24, 2014
    6
    Beyond Earth constantly forces you to continually pick between small numbers and fixed percentages, I did not like to be spammed by all these constant, meaningless decisions that do not seem to affect the gameplay at all. The factions are bland and soulless, and the tech quotes make me cringe.
    The only thing this game has that reminds me of Alpha Centauri is the inconsistency in its    Beyond Earth constantly forces you to continually pick between small numbers and fixed percentages, I did not like to be spammed by all these constant, meaningless decisions that do not seem to affect the gameplay at all. The factions are bland and soulless, and the tech quotes make me cringe.
    The only thing this game has that reminds me of Alpha Centauri is the inconsistency in its leader's motivations: In my first game, 3 different factions kept praising me for not engaging in combat with the aliens. Suddenly, 2 of them declared war to me for no reason. Not that it matters, the combat AI is as dumb as ever. Enemy units will just go back and forth, struggle with the terrain and camp on damaging miasma hexes, just to beg for peace a few turns later and start praising you all over again. Somehow, enemy factions are dumber than in the previous civ games.
    The new tech web is a nice addition, altough I dont think it will help newcomers find their way, and the affinity system is alright, but it does take ages to truly kick in.
    All in all, It still is a Sid Meier's game, a 6 is as low as it gets.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

57
#57 Best PC Game of 2014
21
#21 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 78 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 78
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 78
  3. Negative: 1 out of 78
  1. CD-Action
    Jan 9, 2015
    90
    Cancel all your plans and fill up the fridge, because once you launch Beyond Earth you will not want to leave your home. [13/2014, p.46]
  2. Worth Playing
    Dec 23, 2014
    85
    Passive AI and lackluster online support from the community isn't enough to make Civilization: Beyond Earth a total wash. If you've enjoyed the series over the years, you'll likely spend many hours with this entry as well.
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  3. Games Master UK
    Dec 21, 2014
    80
    Prepare for tech tree troubles, but the amount to discover and overall quality wins out. [Christmas 2014, p.64]
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