Genre: 4X, Turn Based Strategy
Year: 2014
Developed by: Firaxis Games
Published by: 2K Games
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
#143
Feeling Like: Strange New Worlds
I was sort of surprised to see a bunch of YouTube videos shit all over Civilization: Beyond Earth.
I was also sort of surprised to discover Beyond Earth is my highest rated Civilization game and the last one I’ll be discussing on the 500.
Huh.
I have no idea why I dug so far into this one – I didn’t play it with friends, I don’t have any fond memories as a child being mesmerized in Grade 7, or watching Kasim master the map, or failing hilariously at a multiplayer match. I absolutely loved the intro FMV, and the idea of colonizing another planet. I skipped Alpha Centauri, I had a ton of time on my hands so I figured why not?
The first few hours were mostly wading through the mechanics and tech trees; I also skipped Civilization 5 so I had a lot of catching up to do. By the third hour, I was completely hooked. I played an entire game in one sitting, approximately 275 turns and I’d never done that before. Even while playing a match, I was already planning my next game’s first few turns. Deciding which victory to go for, or which technologies to focus on, or what to name my cities is mercilessly addictive. I’m twitching right now trying to stop myself from re-installing Beyond Earth as I type up this entry.
I guess fans saw this as nothing but a placeholder between Civilization 5 and Civilization 6. While I have played many Civ games, I wouldn’t consider myself a hardcore fan of the series. I’m a casual participant, I usually play on one of the lower difficulties and I don’t stress about the minutia. The bigger appeal to me is exploring the map and improving my cities. Combat doesn’t interest me, mostly because building military units takes resources away from building cool wonder-esque structures, but thankfully most modern Civ games allow for victory conditions without having to pummel your enemies into dust.
The interface and menus are perfectly clear and crisp. Now that I’ve worked for a games studio for the past six years, I have a much better understanding of how difficult it is to build a good user interface. UI is one of those things where if it’s perfect, you’ll barely notice it and if it’s anything less, it’s an annoying eyesore. There’s both a science and an art to it, particularly on mobile. With limited real estate, how do you present all relevant information to a player without cluttering up the screen and overwhelming them? Beyond Earth is complex and deep, but not convoluted or over-bearing thanks to the intricate design.
I even got the expansion, Rising Tide, a year later. I don’t recall much of the details, but I do remember building cities on the ocean and improving my workers to the point where they put SCVs to shame. Maybe I was just in the mood, or unencumbered by expectations set from previous entries in the series, but I was all-in. Weird miasma you have to farm? Sure. Strangely colored landscapes? Yeah, I’m down! Aliens? Oh boy, I do like aliens! Either way, this is the most fun I’ve had playing a Civ game until Civilization 6 rolled around. Which…yes, that one should also be on the 500, but I’ve already locked in my Almighty Spreadsheet so it will have to remain as an honorable mention. Which is a strange place to be when you’re the best.
I digress.
This won’t be the last game in a series that’s my favorite but maligned by other fans. That’s fine, it’s my list and I can do what I want with it. I guess I’m just wondering what I missed – were other Civ games that much better? Was Beyond Earth a result of the developers sleepwalking until Civilization 6? Did the leaders of other factions lack personality? I guess so, but when it comes to space and humanity’s place in it, you’re going to have to do a lot worse than Beyond Earth to turn me off that concept.
The 500 