The future that will transport us Civilization: Beyond Earth , looked even more distant when the first of the saga was published there in 1991. Sid Meier had been trying his luck with different ideas, and although some of them got a lot of recognition – like Pirates! o Railroad Tycoon – the series to which the game we analyze today belongs, has undoubtedly been the most successful.
This new release wants to give a new twist to the well-known saga, and for this it was not enough with the planet Earth, its civilizations and historical figures.
This spin-offof the series sets all its events in a not so distant future, in which humanity is forced to abandon its home in search of a new beginning. Thus, we say goodbye to the classic civilization and modern Civilization, to welcome the 8 new factions that embark on this journey so hopeful.
Franco-Iberia, Kavithano Protectorate, CRA, African Union, Polistralia, Brasilia, Cooperativa Panasiática or Eslava Federation , are the names of the existing bands in the game, although their function is slightly different from that of other games in the saga. We will have to choose one of them, certainly, although this election refers more to the patron who
has paid for the expedition than to the nation we represent … Although it will be this patron who identifies us in front of other factions. Nor is it a purely aesthetic option, as each one provides us with a benefit of our own that will be combined with the other 3 choices we
must make before starting a game. The next aspect will be the type of Settlers that embarked on our expedition:Scientists, refugees, aristocrats, engineers or artists . Again, each with different advantages.
We must also choose the Unique Technology that our spacecraft carried, which will offer us new initial advantages. Finally, the type of cargo that we transported, which will allow us to start with additional units, or population.
The number of combinations is quite high, which more than replaces the limitation of 8 initial camps with respect to the large number of civilizations that usually appear in the saga. In addition, during the game, these factions will be complemented by a series of
Minor Powers – similar to the views in Civilization V– y el bando más temible de todos: Los alienígenas. Evidentemente, que nadie piense que la fauna local iba a dejarnos campar a nuestras anchas por su hogar, saquear sus recursos y transformar su entorno para dar cabida a nuestras ciudades e infraestructuras. Algo parecido a lo que pudimos ver en Pandora: First Contact, pero al estilo de Sid Meier.
The last step is to choose a planet on which this new beginning will take place. There are 3 base typologies – Proteano, Terrano or Atlante –
although we can choose one of the planets with more extreme conditions. Once finished the configuration of the game, which we may have skipped with the option to Play Now , we are allowed to choose a point to locate our first colony, which in turn will be the capital of the domains that we will control in this inhospitable planet .
And, at this point, the aesthetics of Civilization is already completely recognizable: Anyone who has spent a few minutes in front of the 5th installment of the saga, will have almost no problems to get control of Civilization: Beyond Earth. Mind you, this does not mean that all the mechanics are going to be exact. To accommodate this new world, Firaxis has introduced some new features, and made a few changes.
First, Beyond EarthIt presents a system of missions and objectives that can help guide our actions. Through them, a slight plot is formed that will shape our progress during the game and, although it is not mandatory to follow it, will give us substantial rewards. On the other hand, we will often be given the option to make decisions about the development of our colony. Generally,
these options arise to provide modifications to the buildings that we have unlocked, offering new possibilities. To give an example, at a certain moment we can choose that the perimeter fences that protect the colony against the local fauna have a greater scope, or
efficiently protect our commercial caravans … In this way, the game offers new variants so that each Player adapt your progress as you prefer.
We are also presented with a system of Affinities , with 3 possible branches: Harmony, Purity and Supremacy. The first is based on total integration with the new environment, the second on respecting and conserving humanity despite the new location and, the third, on dominating the environment according to our needs. We can advance in each one of them separately,
unlocking levels depending on the decisions we make for the emergent events, the missions carried out and some concrete investigations. Reaching a certain rank in one of the branches will provide us with new advantages, as well as the possibility of modernizing
our combat units. This system works perfectly in conjunction with the line of missions, providing the game with a series of optional objectives that provide a new dimension to the classic mechanics of Civilization .
