5 Reasons to be Excited for Civilization: Beyond Earth

Talk to any PC gamer for any amount of time and they’ll most likely end up telling you about their best Civ campaign at some point. The oh-so-addictive Sid Meier’s Civilization series of strategy games has been hooking in players since its first entry in the early 90’s, and it’s easy to understand why. 

The games manage to be complex and approachable at the same time, with lots of different leaders, buildings and units to play around with, and a turn-based system that keeps one muttering “Just one more turn…”. Not to mention some of the greatest game music of all time with songs like Civ IV’s Baba Yetu.

After 23 years of conversing with famous historical figures like George Washington and fighting over real locations like Mt. Fuji, it’s time for the series to go somewhere it’s never truly gone before: space. 

Going to space is one of the many ways to win a game of Civilization, but that’s the stopping point. But what would it be like if that wasn’t the end, but rather the beginning? That’s what the latest entry into the franchise, Civilization: Beyond Earth is hoping to show players. 

After a global dark age known as The Great Mistake, the people of Earth decide it’s time to pack up and look for greener grass on the other side. The other side of the galaxy, that is. In Beyond Earth, it’s up to the player to establish colonies on distant worlds in the hopes of finding a suitable replacement for Earth.

Here’s five reasons why hardcore Civilization fans and newcomers alike should be excited to go beyond.