Sid Meier's Civilization V: Brave New World

Brave New World taps into some of the darkest chapters of the long and storied history of our species, but presents them with respect, reverence, and a distinct sense of optimism for our uncertain future. This expansion is a fantastic accomplishment, and one that finally fulfills all of the potential of this chapter of the series.

This is the most fun I’ve had with Civilization since Civ IV, and the best late-game since Civ II. Brave New World is the rare case of a title delivering exactly what it promises.

I have few complaints about this second and final expansion to Civilization V. My favorite game in recent years is better than ever thanks to Brave New World. The way Firaxis has fleshed out the thin areas of the game without screwing up the many things it does right is impressive. Peaceful no longer means passive.

If you enjoy Civ V and Gods and Kings, this latest expansion is a must-buy, no-brainer. And while heaping massive amounts of glowing praise on a game might make for an unexciting review, I can’t help but to keep heaping. After all, Civilization V is now the most consistently fun game, from start to finish, in the series’ history. Well done, Firaxis.

The base we already had gets an incredibly deep layer of politics, government and religion that keeps evolving the experience.

Brave New World is without a doubt the best expansion to Civilization V. The core gameplay modes and win states has received great and well needed updates which gives a more varied and balanced experience. Of course there is still some dead air during the game sessions but the new content will disappoint no one. Even if it is three years old Civilization V is with this expansion still one of the best ways to combine entertainment with education.

Brave New World finally address the somewhat lackluster endgame that has plagued Civ V so far. The changes to trade and the added importance of diplomacy through all stages of the game make this expansion a gamechanger in the most positive way.

New gameplay elements introduced by Brave New World are more interesting than what the previous expansion had to offer, and I definitely recommend it to every fan of Civilization. [CD-Action 09/2013, p.63]

A masterful expansion that completely revitalises the Civilization V experience. Coupled with Gods & Kings, this is a must-buy. [Aug 2013, p.80]

Civilization V: Brave New World reveals to be an exceptional add-on, a must for fans of the brand.

Expensive for an expansion pack, perhaps, but considering it comes with Gods And Kings and has some fantastic additions to vanilla Civ 5 then it feels totally worth it, especially for fans.

If you love strategy, Brave New World must not be missed. This is pure Civilization gold and truly shows why this franchise always remains relevant.

Every addition is more than just a +1 to the feature list. Instead, it ricochets up and down the systems that are already in place, giving you new options and methods of play. Brave New World is the real Civilization V; get it and never look back.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed playing Brave New World and would recommend it to anybody either currently playing Civ V or who’d like to play it again.

There’s absolutely no doubt: Brave New World is the best expansion in recent memory, and easily the best Civilization expansion ever. It elevates Civilization 5 from the issues that plagued it at launch and turns it into one of the most addicting, entertaining, and deep 4X games around. If you have purchased or plan on purchasing Civilization 5, there is no reason not to buy Brave New World.

The only trouble with Brave New World is its opening price point of $29.99, which is on one hand worth the cost but on the other is a bit high considering that this expansion is more about refinement than anything else. Some of the AI behavior can still be strange as well. That said, those of you still loading up Civ IV because you find Civ V "broken" will find Brave New World to be the fix they've been waiting three years for. Time to advance to the next era!

Brave New World offers a great deal of content and new elements that makes the gameplay so much more dynamic, while maintaining everything that made Civilization V a great game. The real beauty of this expansion lays in the fact that you can actually use art and culture as the weapons through which you can attain world domination.

If you didn't pick up Gods & Kings for some reason, I really suggest skipping it unless you can grab it for cheap on Steam. Brave New World is the expansion you need to get instead, and I highly recommend it to fans of the series.

Civilization V: Brave New World is a stellar addition to an already excellent game that goes beyond the standard additions of new countries and Wonders by including additional game-changing paths to victory.

All of Brave New World's little changes make the game feel different. If you enjoyed Civilization V you must buy this second expansion.

A Brave New World is the ultimate Civilization package. The expansion retains the good elements from Civilization V and Civ V: Gods and Kings adds a lot of great content to that. Aside from standard elements like new miracles and peoples, there are, for instance, new trading options when starting your game and many deep diplomatic option for the ending of your game. You can spend the entire summer with this.

It's a brilliant add-on, going in with a master surgeon's precision to subtly tweak and change the mechanics for maximum impact. More than ever, this is a Civ, where you want to preserve peace, all the while showing the rest of the world that your way of life is the best one.

With much more culture, the world congress and international trade routes Civilization V gains more depth than ever. Not only for fans of Civilization V is Brave New World worth a recommendation. With his second expansion confirmed Civilization V its position as leader in the genre of turn-based strategy games. I see much nights with less sleep in the next weeks.

Brave New World adds lots of options to Civilization V. The brand new trading routes and Tourism add even more deepness to Firaxis' game. If you love Civ V, you have to try it.

New gameplay elements introduced in Brave New World are an example of a perfectly though-out innovation. This virtual machine works great and it's obvious, that the developers did their best. Even though there are more important rules than before, the gameplay is clear and enjoyable. This is a big achievement , considering the level of this game's complexity. Everything now works together like a big organism.

The sweeping changes to the Civilization V ruleset are both refreshing and familiar. Each of the updates feels like a logical evolution and are seamlessly integrated with the existing systems. Brave New World feels like Civ V Complete.

Essentially, if you love Civilization V, Brave New World will open up a world of possibilities. And if you haven't yet picked up Civilization V, Brave New World is the best way to play.

The last few herbs and spices that Civ V’s epic stew was missing. A recipe for hundreds of hours more delicious turn-based strategy.

Civilization V: Brave New World integrates perfectly with the mechanics of previous versions and achieves to extend the gameplay of this great 4X. It is becoming clear that Civilization V is one of the largest of its kind with each new expansion pack and an image in which many would like to be reflected. If not for its flaws in the AI and that feeling of being buying a complete game in easy monthly payments... this would be an almost perfect game.

You’ll need patience until you realize all the new well designed options at your disposal, but they result in more complexity for non-military strategists. But when archaeologists hunt for lost treasures or when museums are graced by works of art while my resolution passes the world congress, this is strategy at its best.

Brave New World brings a huge tangle of exciting political nuances that you’ll have to navigate on your way to world domination.

Ultimately, it makes Civilization V a much better game, which is the key thing here.

Of course, there’s more to Brave New World than Culture Victories, and more than I could hope to absorb in a single 20-hour game. Firaxis has added new world wonders, abilities specific to each of nine new civilizations, a couple of period-specific scenarios, and even some fresh military units, like the late-game XCOM: Enemy Unknown-inspired XCOM squad, which I built but, sadly, didn’t have occasion to use.

Civilisation V: Brave New World is the last brick added to Sid Meier's game. The arrival of this DLC allows the player to enjoy the complete experience of the famous strategy game. Sold for 30 euros, this DLC is a must-have for avery Civilization fan. While the game came out looking pretty empty, the DLC's have added features that puts Civ V back on it's tracks, giving it back it's status of strategy same's reference. If the content are close to perfect, it's quite sad that Fireaxis and 2K made us go through two main DLC before we can have the feeling of what should have been Civilization V at start.

Firaxis and 2K Games are offering hunderds of hours of replay value with this latest expansion. Brave New World expands and delivers updates to the Civilization V formula. The more diplomatic approach is interesting and will leave you playing till deep into to night. For just thirty euro's this game your sitting on the first rank!

Firaxis could have played it safe and simply layered on more changes of clothes. Instead it took the strategy gaming bit between its teeth and launched the venerable franchise into some startlingly new territory, while keeping it fun, engaging and — remarkably — approachable.

A huge expansion, which manages to give the fans countless hours of new strategic fun, without breaking the core balance of the game. Even though it's time for a new installment, Brave New World will be very hard to pass for all the Civ fanatics out there.

Brave New World is a major step forward for Civ V, that will make many fans happy.

Quotation forthcoming.

THe Brave New World add-on has a lot of good new stuff: cold war, better cultural victory rules, world congress, archeology… I only wish the AI would be better in battles. [Aug 2013]

It is easily the best additional content so far, although it seems to lack balance because there are several civilizations that are not considered in multiplayer.

What Brave New World does is complete Civilization V. The game was never really all there and it’s taken nearly three years to make it all the way.

Brave New World makes Civilisation 5 a better game.

All of these changes serve to make Civ V's late-game a much more enjoyable endeavor. The inevitability of victory is greatly lessened, and it's entirely possible to totally throw the established order of things into disarray if you happen to get some big tourism and/or culture boosts later on. For those reasons, Brave New World is easy to recommend to anyone who still has an active interest in the game.

The additional content of Brave New World ensures that, now more than ever, Civilization 5 feels like a complete package; a game to lose hundreds of hours to as you build an empire to stand the test of time, and one to which you'll sacrifice many a cup of tea along the way.

Brave New World makes Civilization even more addictive that it already was. Every new feature is interesting in its own way and enriches the game experience. The fact that it focuses mostly on the last half of the game makes this expansion a must.

Civilization V keeps getting deeper and refined gameplay with Brave New World ; diplomacy, commerce, tourism, and culture in general are the main focuses of this new extension, and the introduction of the Nations Congress all boost the middle and end game with an enhanced appeal, even though the start of a game remains ever-critical to future success.

An impressively ambitious expansion that greatly improves on some of the original’s failings, offering new ways to play while still remaining accessible and fun.

Brave New World might not feel incredibly new or brave, but it's an impressive expansion that any Civilization V fan should enjoy.

The best thing about Brave New World is it finally capitalizes on one of Civilization V's main goals: provide multiple and equally viable routes to victory. Culture and diplomacy no longer feel less valuable than science and military might. However, it's almost like you're paying $30 for fixes and alterations. It also doesn't help that the AI is as cryptic as ever. The expansion is no doubt substantial, but it's also paying for sins of the past.

If you’ve played through Civ 5 more times than you care to admit, this expansion definitely freshens things up and adds a whole new level of game play.

Brave New World brings a lot of new content along with new mechanics that do not, however, change or improve its gameplay. All's just chewed up. It's the same thing as with some immobile wrack, out of which you would try to make a movable cool car by just changing its transmission, respraying it with bee stripes, or by connecting a trailer to it. It just won't do. BNW is no BMW, even though it's not entirely its fault.

Sometimes Civ V feels like it’s on autopilot, which isn’t the hallmark of a strategy game worth your time.