Sid Meier's Civilization V: Brave New World

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 701 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 609 out of 701
  2. Mixed: 51 out of 701
  3. Negative: 41 out of 701
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  1. chevmech
    Jul 19, 2013
    10
    Love it. Complexity is now on par with IV. My favorite game of all time. The new ruleset provides a whole new gaming dynamic that focuses less on war. I have always tried for cultural diplomatic and science victories but found myself resorting to domination most of the time. Fantastic game! I won't even dock a point for the whole Steam preorder fiasco.
  2. DeathBySmiley
    Jul 14, 2013
    10
    Absolutely fantastic expansion. Pretty much every complaint from Civilization is addressed. Boring late game? Gone. Invisible trade? Gone. Basically mandatory for anyone playing Civilization. Try Zulu with mass Impi rush. You'll thank me later.
  3. Haajib
    Jul 19, 2013
    10
    Imagine a golden coin in all its glory, then getting some polisher and your coin shines like the sun, that's the feeling i get from playing this incarnation of perfection
  4. Limey
    Jul 19, 2013
    10
    Trading and diplomacy have never been so vital to interaction incorporating fun variables to Civilization that's separate from typical conquest or scientific triumph. The depths substantive trading routes to ideological friendships have introduced complexity to a previously streamlined franchise and it's kicked Civilization V into the best entry of Civilization's history whilst an echoTrading and diplomacy have never been so vital to interaction incorporating fun variables to Civilization that's separate from typical conquest or scientific triumph. The depths substantive trading routes to ideological friendships have introduced complexity to a previously streamlined franchise and it's kicked Civilization V into the best entry of Civilization's history whilst an echo before lacking much complexity.

    Civilization V has finally evolved into the form it had endeavored before expansions but failed incredibly layered whilst simultaneously straightforward without intricate micromanagement or obfuscating design decisions.

    Conclusion: From a straightforward but shallow experience of the base, Civilization V BNW has expanded the entry into both depth and coherence a very difficult feat.    … Expand
  5. iamRomeo
    Jul 13, 2013
    10
    Maybe the most significant and well tuned version of the game. I still wish for a better visualization of the diplomacy screen but still quite happy with all the changes and additions. Absolutely brilliant. Final note the introduction video is a work of art by itself.
  6. DustDevil
    Jul 19, 2013
    10
    The apex of it's genre, Civilization V Gods and Kings coupled with Brave New World makes for the best Civilization game ever, and a testament of how you can always find room to truly improve your game.
  7. ecki
    Aug 1, 2013
    10
    More Civilization 5 awesome. With Steam Workshop and the new DLC I will sped more time in this great game. Only downside is the high price: 30$. But it`s every single buck.
  8. c0ld3st
    Aug 1, 2013
    10
    Really like the changes to this game brought by the BNW dlc. Before, the game was always a slog once you started to get into more modern times. There weren't many interesting things to build or compelling bonuses to acquire. Not that the end game was terrible...more like, it peaked during the renaissance and after that, you just kept playing because you needed to win...it was ok, butReally like the changes to this game brought by the BNW dlc. Before, the game was always a slog once you started to get into more modern times. There weren't many interesting things to build or compelling bonuses to acquire. Not that the end game was terrible...more like, it peaked during the renaissance and after that, you just kept playing because you needed to win...it was ok, but not nearly as cool as the early empire building.

    BNW changes that, making late game diplomacy and "ideological" choices much more complex and relevant to the game. If you are diplomatic enough, you can use your clout to pass "UN" style agreements that can really tilt the game in your favor! Also, the new trade system is such a huge improvement! You now get to make real choices about trade that have a large effect on your overall economy...before it was just "build a road from A to B to make a trade route". Now it's much more complex and interesting.

    This is far and away the best DLC I've played for Civ V. If I could give it an 11, I would.    … Expand
  9. AverageGamerRev
    Aug 3, 2013
    10
    Sid Meier's Civilization 5: Brave New World gives you the power to start a civilization of your chose with leaders from through out history. I personally had never played any of the other Civilization games, but that didn't matter because even if your experienced the game tells you how to do every thing. It can run on any pc and is a lot of fun. You can spend from 5 hours to 10 and neverSid Meier's Civilization 5: Brave New World gives you the power to start a civilization of your chose with leaders from through out history. I personally had never played any of the other Civilization games, but that didn't matter because even if your experienced the game tells you how to do every thing. It can run on any pc and is a lot of fun. You can spend from 5 hours to 10 and never get bored as your constantly trying to make your civilization better. the only thing I ever found annoying is that to end your turn you have to do something with all your units but besides that its an amazing game I recommend to any body.… Expand
  10. H4ardDriv3
    Aug 9, 2013
    10
    Content +++
    AI +
    Game-play +++

    All in all this was the missing content to become the game a final product. I'm glad this was a DLC and no F2P. So YES! 10 points
  11. Holyhesk
    Nov 30, 2013
    10
    Best Strategy game on PC. Played now for close to 600 hours. The new Culture Victory mechanics in Brave New World is fantastic and extremely clever.

    Civ 5 has always been a game that makes you think about what your opposition is upto behind the fog of war. Brave new World adds more to that intrigue. End game just got a lot more interesting.

    Reccomend this one for any TBS fans.
  12. armitage
    Feb 10, 2014
    10
    A truly brilliant game. Not normally a grand-strategy fan but I have found myself losing hours at a time as I guide my fledgling nation through the ages. Graphic, game play, music, depth of options are all sensational. My one warning - and it is a big one - is that this game is a massive time-thief !
  13. mehican
    Sep 16, 2013
    10
    I can't imagine playing Civ5 without this expansion. That sums up all you need to know about it. Although I think it's quite expensive for an expansion, the content and gameplay that it brings is a simple necessity.
  14. xspidermanx322
    May 13, 2016
    10
    This expansion makes the game incredible. It's sad that it seems that it takes the devs three versions of the game until they make it right, but if you can buy on sale then get all the DLC. I've played over 500 hours of Civ V because it's just so relaxing. Experimenting with the many different civs and victories gives the player a lot to do for their money.
  15. Novelist
    Dec 11, 2013
    10
    "Brave New World" fixes all the frustrating problems that made the original "Civilization V" such an agonizing experience. It adds new game concepts such as tourism, world congress and many other exiting things you can do with your civilization's culture. Wonderful game. The best in the series so far.
  16. Serindial
    Dec 19, 2013
    10
    An excellent completion of the series. Civ V is a very enjoyable game that is accessible to both light and hard core strategists. The inclusion of this expansion and the Gods and Kings expansion make the game thoroughly enjoyable.
  17. THEWINNER2112
    Mar 5, 2014
    10
    I played the base game for this and i enjoyed it, but multiplayer was unbearable and it didn't really address some problems that the game contained (such as the painfully easy diplomatic victory ). But Brave New World has to be the greatest expansion pack of all time, everything is perfect and 2k games have done an amazing job and on top of that it the music is beautiful. I have had soI played the base game for this and i enjoyed it, but multiplayer was unbearable and it didn't really address some problems that the game contained (such as the painfully easy diplomatic victory ). But Brave New World has to be the greatest expansion pack of all time, everything is perfect and 2k games have done an amazing job and on top of that it the music is beautiful. I have had so much on this game, and I could not recommend it more. If you are going to play Civilization V ,then you are doing yourself wrong if you do not have Brave New World installed.… Expand
  18. TheGodOfGaming
    Feb 2, 2014
    10
    BNW has to be pretty much a great expansion back that enhances the game even further. On the Steam Holiday Sale I bought Civ V Gold + BNW, and I really like the new features in the game. This was my first time playing the Civilization series in years. When I first got into Civilization by buying Civ III I didn't know what to do, but I got the learning curve and I was able to go smoothlyBNW has to be pretty much a great expansion back that enhances the game even further. On the Steam Holiday Sale I bought Civ V Gold + BNW, and I really like the new features in the game. This was my first time playing the Civilization series in years. When I first got into Civilization by buying Civ III I didn't know what to do, but I got the learning curve and I was able to go smoothly when I bought Civ V. Here's what I see here:

    -Culture and the cultural victory: Everything has been changed, and there's now an option to spread your culture to other civs and dominate everyone else. Great artists, writers and musicians can make masterpieces and can be placed in museums and other culture-related buildings. You can get matching bonuses such as if all the masterpieces belong to the same civilization, which brings in more culture.

    World Congress: You can make your own version of the UN in this expansion. Host cities for the World Games, pass embargoes, ban luxuries and even become world leader.

    Archaeology: Send archaeologists to investigate sites, and you can either turn into historical artifacts and place them into museums or build a landmark which increases culture.

    Trade routes: Build caravans and make money and science off of them, and spread your religion too.

    Policy Trees and Ideologies: There are two new policy trees in the game: Aesthetics, which enhances your civilization's ability to spread culture and Exploration, for overseas expansion and trade. Ideologies are also a brand new feature. Ideologies are almost to the end of the game, can can be used to enhance your civilization and gives you more bonuses with tenets.

    Overall It was worth the $15 (It was half off), the gameplay mechanics are stunning, it feels it's like how a Piplup evolves. BNW is the Empoleon!    … Expand
  19. S0me_Guy
    Jul 18, 2014
    10
    GOOD: Great turn-based strategy game where you start from the ancient age (can change where you start from) to the information age; As you play, you discover technologies which transfer you to different eras allowing more options for your empire; 5 ways to win the game (Time, Domination, Science, Cultural, and Diplomatic) which require different strategies to win; Caters real well to newGOOD: Great turn-based strategy game where you start from the ancient age (can change where you start from) to the information age; As you play, you discover technologies which transfer you to different eras allowing more options for your empire; 5 ways to win the game (Time, Domination, Science, Cultural, and Diplomatic) which require different strategies to win; Caters real well to new players who don't know how to play; There are 43 civs to play as(in this expansion) and they all have their own units, buildings, tile improvements, and bonuses that can help win certain type of victories; Interacting with other civilizations by trading, discussing issues, and/or demanding things from them; ALL CIVS SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGUES when on the diplomacy screen (ex. The Ottomans speaks Turkish, The Aztecs speak Nahuatl, The British speak English, The Chinese speak Mandarin, etc.); New City-States which are smaller civs that you have to do favors for and if you ally with them they can give bonuses, units, resources, and go to war with you against your enemies, all of them have their own personalities which determine what kind of quests they give you, and they can act as buffer zones between you and other civilizations; can choose how many civs and city-states to play with and how large the map is(can delete city-states if you want); Deal with barbarians as always; New hex grid map that is better than the old square grid; can choose maps you want to play on (continents, archipelago, Pangaea, fractal(all 4 are prodecurely generated), or Earth with the same landmasses); 8 difficulties to choose from; Strategic resources are important to the game that can make new units, buildings, and also can be used for trade; Luxury resources are important for trade, gold, food, production, etc.); The cool Happiness system used for growing your empire; Can gain culture to adopt policies which give bonuses for what type of empire you want to have (Liberty is best for large empires, Honor best for military based empires, Rationalism best for science in empires, etc.) and can give great people to help with those policies; Use faith to create a pantheon of gods and then turn it into a religion(you can name your own religion); Gold used for trade, buying stuff, maintaining buildings and units, upgrading units etc.; Later in the game, the world congress starts and you can propose resolutions that can be voted on by you and other civs with delegates; Workers and Work Boats are used to make tile improvements(ex. workers can make farms, mines, quarries, etc. and work boats make fishing boats and oil rigs); Caravans and Cargo Ships are used to establish trade routes with other civs and city-states which increase gold and pressure religion to other cities; Units have increased movement on flatlands and decreased movement on marshes, hills, forests, jungles, and rivers; Can use spies to steal techs, uncover plots, and rig world congress elections; Can discover natural wonders which will give bonuses if in your borders; Can build world wonders use for huge upgrades in your civilization; No military unit stacking(adds more strategy on the battlefield); New ranged and and siege units that attack but don't get attacked back(ex. firing a catapult from a few tiles away, before it would attack like a regular melee unit face to face); Before battle the game will show you the outcome of the battle; Multiplayer functions; Beautiful Soundtrack with culture appropriate music for each civ and gets intense in wartime

    BAD: Scenarios are disappointing and force you to play the game a specific type of way like the Civil War scenario which is total war; There are a some missing civilizations in this game like where are the Sumerians, Khmer, or the Mali and that just names a few; A lot of times when I play, there is a bug that makes my mouse disappear which annoys the hell out of me

    FINAL VERDICT: This game back in 2010 is a 9/10, but this expansion in 2013 makes the game into a full 10/10! It adds so much and carries over the features from the previous expansion Gods and Kings. Civilization V: Brave New World is an ALL TIME LEGEND and is my favorite strategy game of all time!    … Expand
  20. Quissah
    Sep 4, 2014
    10
    My experiences with the Civilization series begin in my childhood. For Christmas one year I received Civilization: Revolution for the DS. At this point in my life I was generally ignorant to the videogaming world so all of my decisions on games were based solely on what other kids in my school already had. I can attribute Civ: Rev to being the game that changed that forever.My experiences with the Civilization series begin in my childhood. For Christmas one year I received Civilization: Revolution for the DS. At this point in my life I was generally ignorant to the videogaming world so all of my decisions on games were based solely on what other kids in my school already had. I can attribute Civ: Rev to being the game that changed that forever.

    Civilization: Brave New World completes what is probably one of the most influential games I have ever played. Civilization V as a whole will always be what I consider my favorite strategy game and with Brave New World, I can happily say that every dollar of the $130 I spent on this game were very much worth it. From the new Ideologies to the expanded trade systems to the new Civs. This expansion really just made the game for me and for that, I will always hold the names Sid Meier and Firaxis to the highest reverence.    … Expand
  21. Invertus
    Sep 18, 2014
    10
    While i do admit that Civ V vannila was,,, underwhelming, Civ V:BNW Completely fixes all the problems that plagued the original. better AI, Expanded Diplomacy, Trade routes are hella fun, MUCH better late-game with ideologies (and Xcom cause why not). Overall, if you ever doubted that Civ V was awesome-tastic, pick this one up, it's tottaly worth it. Civ V:BNW-Best Civ to date.
  22. Ian277
    Oct 13, 2013
    9
    This expansion fixes a lot of problems that Gods and Kings did not fix. i have found that the other empires around me are willing to get into long term and deep diplomatic relationships like in the earlier civ games. this was my main complaint about the game and it has been fixed. the new features are welcome to the game and fit in perfectly. the new civilizations are great and i am happyThis expansion fixes a lot of problems that Gods and Kings did not fix. i have found that the other empires around me are willing to get into long term and deep diplomatic relationships like in the earlier civ games. this was my main complaint about the game and it has been fixed. the new features are welcome to the game and fit in perfectly. the new civilizations are great and i am happy to see new civs that have never been introduced to the civ world. also civs returning from older games are welcome back. the combat didn't need fixing so it is still good. so overall i think it is a great buy... i waited until it went on sale because 30 dollars for a DLC is way too much. but it is a must buy if you already own civ. the diplomacy and interactions between other countries is amazing. highly recommended.… Expand
  23. Necrotaur
    Jul 9, 2013
    9
    Brave New World does a lot to improve Civ V. Beyond the normal addition of civs, buildings and units, it completely revamps the cultural minigame (which was sorely in need of it), adds several new mechanics and fine tunes others. Trading is far more realistic and in depth, with you needing to initiate and guard trade caravans to get their benefits. Tourism is an interesting subcategoryBrave New World does a lot to improve Civ V. Beyond the normal addition of civs, buildings and units, it completely revamps the cultural minigame (which was sorely in need of it), adds several new mechanics and fine tunes others. Trading is far more realistic and in depth, with you needing to initiate and guard trade caravans to get their benefits. Tourism is an interesting subcategory of culture. Religion has some minor changes, such as new policies and beliefs, while espionage adds diplomats, a sort-of spy that doesn't steal tech but can watch and influence your neighbors in other ways. All of it does an excellent job of bringing the different aspects of Civ into one complete package, where everything feels interesting, but nothing seems overpowered. The only (minor) issues I have with BNW is that it doesn't really address the inherent flaws of the AI, and a lot of the mechanics feel like they're designed for larger games with many players. If you play with 2-3 others you're probably going to miss out on some fun. So, the burning question on everyone's mind is whether or not Civ V now measures up to Civ IV: Beyond the Sword. I was pretty hard on Civ V at release, and G&K didn't really do much for me, but now, with all expansions, I can confidently say that Civ V lives up to it's predecessor.… Expand
  24. MatPK
    Jul 19, 2013
    9
    The best Civ to date. The new culture and religion system finally makes sense. Also the new trade system is great. The concept that the culture and religion spread along trade routes is very realistic and well implemented. The city states are perhaps overpowered but managing the relations with them adds to the complexity.
  25. Miskin
    Jul 11, 2013
    9
    No doubt BNW is very good and Firaxis successfully introduced several innovations. However, I would also mention that the initial Civ5 was severely dumbed down. G&Ks turned Civ5 into a strategy game adding several layers of polish. What BNW achieved is turning the series into a masterpiece, which surely deserves a 9.
    Strictly speaking BNW should have been the first expansion pack. Even if    No doubt BNW is very good and Firaxis successfully introduced several innovations. However, I would also mention that the initial Civ5 was severely dumbed down. G&Ks turned Civ5 into a strategy game adding several layers of polish. What BNW achieved is turning the series into a masterpiece, which surely deserves a 9.
    Strictly speaking BNW should have been the first expansion pack. Even if BNW is a good one, I cannot forget Firaxis milked us by releasing an incomplete game (vanilla Civ5) and asked us to pay up to fix what was initially broken.    … Expand
  26. ChoicestGames
    Feb 3, 2014
    9
    Brave New World is definitely a contender for best PC game expansion of 2013. The expansion reinvents how culture works in Civilization V and offers more interesting gameplay when it comes to trading and diplomacy. The only real criticism you could make is that they should've had these in the game in the first place! But that's just the way it is with Civ expansions isn't it? :)
  27. Cytokinesis
    Jul 11, 2013
    9
    First off: if you still don't like civ 5 after gods and kings and you are one of those forever civ 4 types this PROBABLY won't convert you but it can. This expansion does to civ 5 what beyond the sword did to 4. It is a completely different game and the changes are phenomenal. The tourism and world congress are amazing, huge, changes that completely revolutionize the game and it'sFirst off: if you still don't like civ 5 after gods and kings and you are one of those forever civ 4 types this PROBABLY won't convert you but it can. This expansion does to civ 5 what beyond the sword did to 4. It is a completely different game and the changes are phenomenal. The tourism and world congress are amazing, huge, changes that completely revolutionize the game and it's strategies. I was a level 7/8 difficulty player but I have had to ratchet it down to 5 and I'm STILL losing about half my games just because the world congress and tourism effect the way game plays so much. It is the perfect expansion to the game and completes civ 5 (just like bts did to 4) into a masterpiece. If you even slightly liked 5 you owe it to yourself to get this.

    The only downside is that I think most of the new civs are really uninteresting gameplay-wise. But that is entirely opinion based on how you like to play.    … Expand
  28. Invino
    Aug 13, 2013
    9
    Finally Civ 5 does not suck (too much). For this I give it a 9, single player.

    Sure the uber slow turns (God help you on a slow PC) are still there, but game is actually what it should be
  29. armchairjerk
    Sep 5, 2013
    9
    One of the best time sinks of all time in the TBS world. A must own for any strategy fan, and even to those who are looking to play RTS/TBS this is a great first game.
  30. Tastycakes
    Jul 17, 2014
    9
    Great expansion, worth the money. The reason why is simple, the expansion adds depth and mechanics to the game, it's not just a visual upgrade for some units or a map pack, it changes the dynamics and fixes major flaws.

    This expansion makes the later part of the game as fun as the beginning, something I thought I'd never see in Civ V. This expansion also makes it so that someone not in    Great expansion, worth the money. The reason why is simple, the expansion adds depth and mechanics to the game, it's not just a visual upgrade for some units or a map pack, it changes the dynamics and fixes major flaws.

    This expansion makes the later part of the game as fun as the beginning, something I thought I'd never see in Civ V. This expansion also makes it so that someone not in the lead by the end can still win if they play well enough, as well as overhauling the culture and diplomacy systems. Just an incredibly fun game, hour after hour, and this does nothing but help.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best PC Game of 2013
74
#74 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 55 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 55
  3. Negative: 1 out of 55
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 7, 2013
    83
    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]
  2. Level7.nu
    Sep 10, 2013
    90
    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.
    Read full review
  3. Eurogamer Portugal
    Aug 19, 2013
    80
    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.
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