Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword
2007
- simulator
- strategy
- turn-based strategy (tbs)
- fantasy
- historical
- educational
- 4x (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate)
- single player
- multiplayer
The story
Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is the second expansion pack for Civilization IV - the 2005 PC Game of the Year that has become a worldwide hit. The expansion focuses on the time periods after the invention of gunpowder and delivers 11 unique and challenging scenarios created by the development team at Firaxis as well as esteemed members of the Civ Community. Civ IV: Beyond the Sword also includes ten new civilizations, sixteen new leaders, five new wonders, and a variety of new units that offer even more fun and exciting ways for players to expand their civilization's power as they strive for world domination. Expanded Epic Game: Adds a massive increase of new units, buildings, and technologies to the epic game with a tremendous amount of effort focused on the late game. New Game Scenarios: 11 new scenarios custom-designed by the team at Firaxis and some members of the Civ Fan Community. New Civilizations: 10 new civilizations, such as Portugal, Babylonians, and Netherlands and their associated unique units and buildings. More Civilization Leaders: Sixteen new leaders, both for the new civilizations as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations, including Hammurabi of the Babylonians, Abraham Lincoln of the United States, and Sitting Bull of the Native Americans. Corporations: A new game feature similar to religion allows players to found companies and spread them throughout the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources. Espionage: Now available earlier in the game, this feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents, stir citizen unrest and defend government secrets. Events: New random events - such as natural disasters and pleas for help or demands from their citizens - challenge players with obstacles that must be overcome for their civilization to prosper. New Wonders: Five new wonders await discovery, including the Statue of Zeus, Cristo Redentor, the Shwedagon Paya, and the Mausoleum
What it’s like
Long, quiet stretches of turn-based play: a map rendered in warm parchment tones, soft painterly terrain, and city skylines that grow from thatch to steel as the centuries advance. The soundtrack is a rolling mix of orchestral and folk-inflected themes that swell at each new era, with the clicks, chimes and murmured advisor voices of the interface filling the spaces between. Nothing jolts; the pace is set by the player, who can sit with an empire for hours, reshuffling trade routes, tuning tax rates and watching a corporation spread from city to city like a slow ink stain. The vibe is contemplative and absorbing, a steady, low-stakes hum that suits a rainy weekend, a long evening alone, or background focus while doing something with the hands. Its tone is cerebral rather than dramatic, with the emotional pull coming from small victories and the gradual shape of a civilization's rise. Violence exists as abstract military conflict: units clash on the map and cities fall, shown with brief, bloodless animations and no gore. Religion, slavery and espionage appear as management mechanics rather than scenes. It is best suited to players who enjoy micromanagement, historical curiosity and the satisfaction of watching a plan compound over many quiet hours.
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