Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth

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Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth is a Science Fiction Turn Based Strategy game set in a future where global events have destabilized the world. As a human expedition sent to find a new home, players must lead their people, explore and colonize an alien planet, research new technologies, and make critical decisions that will shape the face of their new world. The game includes both single-player and multi-player modes, offering various challenges and ways to create a new civilization in space.

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Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth screenshot

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 15,405 reviews

gameplay582 positive mentions

stability307 negative mentions

gameplay
2,605 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
71%
7%
The gameplay of "Civilization: Beyond Earth" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it closely resembles "Civilization V" in mechanics, often feeling like a reskin rather than a standalone title. While some appreciate the introduction of new features such as the tech web, affinities, and quests, others criticize the game for lacking depth, character, and the complexity found in previous entries. Overall, the game offers a familiar experience for fans of the series, but many feel it falls short of expectations, particularly in terms of innovation and engaging gameplay.
- “Different civilizations have unique gameplay abilities.”
- “The new alien/miasma mechanics are pretty good once you understand them; the tech tree and unit selection are robust and meaningfully different from Civ V.”
- “The gameplay is in-depth and intricate like Civ V but with fewer irritating limitations of the map as we have seen in more recent iterations.”
- “The core gameplay is just weak, the AI is awful, and the sponsors are bland and forgettable.”
- “The gameplay just feels monotonous and repetitive, so I cannot bring myself to recommend this game.”
- “The gameplay is bland and lifeless.”
story
1,490 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
74%
6%
The story aspect of "Civilization: Beyond Earth" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of depth and engagement compared to its predecessor, "Alpha Centauri." While the game introduces a quest system that allows for some customization and decision-making, the quests often feel repetitive and lack meaningful impact on the overall narrative. Players appreciate the sci-fi setting and the potential for storytelling, but many feel that the execution falls short, resulting in a bland experience that doesn't fully capitalize on the rich lore and character development expected from a game in this genre.
- “The quest system adds a new level of customizability to the game.”
- “The quests allow you to change the function of each and every city building.”
- “The quest system is a great way to guide growth toward one of the victory conditions, and the culture/affinity system is of an interesting design but takes some getting used to.”
- “To mask the mediocrity and lack of creative energy that went into this game, the developers push the story.”
- “The overarching story and leaders are bland on their own, but what makes up for it, in my opinion, is the sandbox nature of the game.”
- “The quests are also incredibly generic, repeating every other game and always resulting in the same excessively powerful choice.”
graphics
1,290 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The graphics in "Civilization: Beyond Earth" receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the vibrant visuals and sci-fi aesthetic, while others criticize the game's color palette and the difficulty in distinguishing terrain types. Some reviewers note that the graphics feel dated compared to modern standards, often likening them to those of "Civilization V," and express disappointment over the lack of unique artwork for wonders and the overall blandness of the environments. Despite these criticisms, the game is praised for its smooth animations and the visual evolution of units based on player choices, contributing to an immersive experience.
- “The graphics are beautiful, though sometimes a little hard to tell the various terrains apart as they all have a bluish tinge and look very similar.”
- “The graphics and visuals are decent, but I strongly dislike the presence of 'plague' on tiles.”
- “The graphics are stunning and the game really makes your economy a crucial part of your game, your civ relies on diplomacy and trade routes to keep and create a great economy.”
- “The graphics are terrible for a Civ game.”
- “The graphics honestly suck - for an alien world the maps look like something from the PS2 era.”
- “The graphics are dull, the play is slow, you have no pull out/drop down for all the details of research advancements, and combat is again lacking basic understandable attack/defense roles.”
music
434 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The music in "Civilization: Beyond Earth" has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, with many players praising the soundtrack as one of the game's standout features. Reviewers highlight the ethereal and epic nature of the music, which enhances the sci-fi setting and complements the gameplay experience. While some critiques mention a lack of variety compared to previous titles in the series, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's appeal and is worth experiencing.
- “The music and atmosphere are amazing, and if you're still on the fence about playing, I'd suggest watching the opening movie.”
- “The soundtrack is absolutely amazing and extremely fitting, with an almost inception-like quality to it, which is perfect, given that Beyond Earth makes the dream of deep space exploration and colonization a virtual reality.”
- “The music is beautiful, and it has some really interesting themes.”
- “The music is absolutely uninspiring: the same tune that plays during the introductory video periodically plays in the background, but otherwise the soundscape is limited to vague atmospheric tones.”
- “The music is also very bland and the whole game just feels stiff and boring.”
- “The soundtrack consists of whimsical beeps and boops that are gratingly undefined and stagnant; the ambient soundtrack which I feel is reaching for a sense of futuristic wonder is lost on me and leaves my mind dulled rather than excited.”
stability
319 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
96%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. Many players have experienced issues such as unresponsive menus, graphical glitches, and problems with multiplayer functionality, leading to a consensus that the game feels unfinished and poorly optimized. While some users noted improvements over time, the overall impression remains that the game is still plagued by significant stability issues.
- “In the end, the game is fun, it isn't glitchy, it runs great, everything works as intended.”
- “They worked out most things after the launch, and it's almost bug free now.”
- “On the positive side: the game is pretty much bug free, it is balanced and all the mechanics work.”
- “The game is incredibly buggy and the AI is atrocious.”
- “This game is a buggy piece of shit for multiplayer... multiple game crashes, sync errors, etc.”
- “The game is still filled with bugs and glitches.”
replayability
316 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The replayability of "Civilization: Beyond Earth" is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while the affinity system and various victory conditions offer some variety, the overall experience feels repetitive and lacks the depth found in previous Civilization titles. Some users appreciate the potential for replayability through customization and modding, but many express disappointment over the limited diversity in civilizations and gameplay mechanics, leading to a consensus that the game falls short of the high replay value typically associated with the franchise. Overall, while there are elements that can enhance replayability, many players feel it is significantly lower than that of earlier Civilization games.
- “The different factions and their distinct playstyles encourage players to experiment with various strategies, enhancing replayability.”
- “The game has multiple ways to win, which allows you to play different ways from game to game, and increases replayability.”
- “Fascinating worldbuilding, and the different world types and victory types make it wonderfully replayable.”
- “The lack of interesting characteristics in the playable leaders is disappointing and this drastically hurts replayability.”
- “The bio-alien path is unique and had me hooked, the other two paths are a bit generic and similar, so replay value is a bit low.”
- “It lacks the replayability and charm most civ games have.”
grinding
168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
96%
The reviews highlight that grinding in the game is often perceived as tedious and repetitive, particularly due to micromanagement of trade routes and city production queues. Players express frustration with the lack of depth in gameplay mechanics, leading to a sense of monotony, especially in the mid to late game. While some aspects of the game are praised, the overall experience tends to feel like a grind rather than an engaging challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Possibly the best improvement over Civ V and Civ IV, though, is the espionage; it is finally a great blend of being useful/necessary, but simple to manage and not tedious.”
- “Not boring, not tedious, not a remake of Civ V by any means.”
- “The way this game just diminishes your fun is not through the combat system, nor through graphics, it's just the lack of gameplay mechanics that make the game tedious and frustrating, especially when you want that vibe that you're some big space empire.”
- “Trade routes are tedious as all hell (8+ cities? you will be assigning a trade route every single turn) and they completely imbalance the game as the AI doesn't know how to use them.”
- “The game is a tedious chore to play and I've uninstalled after just 5 hours.”
atmosphere
149 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
44%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique sci-fi aesthetic, immersive soundtracks, and rich lore, reminiscent of classic titles like Alpha Centauri. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a captivating environment through its art design, music, and the sense of exploration in an alien world, despite some criticisms regarding repetitiveness and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, enhancing the overall experience even amidst its flaws.
- “The music and atmosphere are amazing, and if you're still on the fence about playing, I'd suggest watching the opening movie.”
- “The lore is rich, the atmosphere is gorgeous, and it brings all the right feelings when you sit down to play on a quiet evening.”
- “The graphics and visual effects are stunning, and the music really helps to create a unique atmosphere.”
- “Simply dreadful - too many aliens, too powerful aliens, poisonous atmosphere... and this on the 'easy' setting.”
- “Unfortunately, the sloggish gameplay, the bugs, and the inability to expand and develop a nation meaningfully creates an atmosphere that quickly feels old after one or two games.”
- “Worse, the atmosphere of the game is bland, with even the aliens coming in a limited variety of flavors but nonetheless seeming to have more characterization and motive than the human factions.”
optimization
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
56%
32%
The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, crashes, and slow loading times, particularly on larger maps or with multiple players. While some users have found workarounds or experienced smoother performance on specific setups, the overall consensus is that the game feels poorly optimized and lacks polish, detracting from the gameplay experience. Despite potential, many believe that without substantial optimization improvements, the game falls short of being a classic.
- “I recommend using the Mantle executable along with a Mantle to Vulkan wrapper for peak performance... in just DX I was getting 60+ FPS, but with the wrapper, I'm getting 200+ easily with top settings at 1080p.”
- “Absolutely no performance issue for me, very polished game. I think maybe it runs a bit better than Civ 5 (I have an AMD graphics card, so I picked the AMD Mantle option; I had an issue the first time when I tried another way).”
- “The overall performance and gameplay is slick, engrossing, and oozes an aura of 'I have options.' The freedom of nonlinear decisions that affect your technology and philosophy is where Beyond Earth really shines.”
- “This game suffers from performance lag and feels sluggish.”
- “The game does not launch on Windows 10, and even if you somehow find a way to launch the game, it suffers from major optimization issues.”
- “This game is poorly optimized, and thinks my drivers are not up to date, and doesn't work on some new high-end machines.”
humor
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding amusement in both intentional comedic elements and unintentional glitches, such as the AI's nonsensical behavior and the absurdity of certain game mechanics. While some appreciate the quirky names and humorous quotes, others feel that the humor falls flat compared to previous titles in the series, leading to a sense of frustration rather than enjoyment. Overall, the game offers moments of hilarity amidst its flaws, making it entertaining but not consistently funny.
- “It has great humor in texts and voices and looks alien and interesting.”
- “One of the most fun 4X games I've ever played, with a wonderful setting, great gameplay, and more than a bit of humor sprinkled in.”
- “The writing of the 'pedia is extremely tight, engaging, and often humorous.”
- “Entertaining but not funny.”
- “Not enjoyable and not funny.”
- “Funny bugs.”
emotional
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight a significant emotional divide in the game, with some players expressing deep emotional connections and moments of joy, while others feel a lack of narrative and emotional investment due to the absence of historical context and relatable characters. Many lament that the new systems and AI interactions fail to evoke the same emotional bonds found in previous titles, leading to feelings of disappointment and emotional hollowness. Overall, while some moments resonate powerfully, the game struggles to maintain consistent emotional engagement for a broader audience.
- “Beautiful... touching... powerful.”
- “One of the very few games in my life that made me cry through unrestrained emotion... touched me deeply.”
- “We've been getting more female protagonists and characters of a better caliber the past few years, but something in that cinematic made me feel intense respect and thanks to the people behind that beautiful little story, for a game that didn't necessarily need any story or anybody at all.”
monetization
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
4%
93%
The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing disappointment over its perceived lack of originality and depth compared to previous titles in the Civilization series. Players feel that the game was rushed to market primarily to capitalize on the success of its predecessors, leading to a sense of being misled by pre-release advertising and a lack of substantial content. Overall, the sentiment is that the game prioritizes profit over quality, leaving many fans feeling unsatisfied and wary of future expansions or DLC.
- “We are convinced that we are probably, from an industry point of view, under-monetizing on a per-user basis. We're not trying to optimize monetization to the nth degree. If you do that, the user will know. - Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Interactive, CEO.”
- “This game is a cash grab, an obvious and utterly pointless cash grab.”
- “An incomplete game and a blatant cash grab riding off Civ V's hype.”
- “In short - this game is an uninspired unpolished cash grab.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking, with players noting minimal growth for in-game characters compared to previous titles like Civ V, which offered rich backstories. While the character designs of leaders are appreciated, the overall narrative and depth of character engagement feel underwhelming, contributing to a generic sci-fi atmosphere.
- “I also really love the character design of the leaders (Arshia Kishk, Han Jae-Moon, Kavitha Thakur).”
- “And Civilization maintains its certain style of branding that comes through in the tone of things, in the character designs, in the look and feel of the advanced gameplay elements - the 'wow cool' of the components that comes from the designers' enthusiasm.”
- “There is very little character development for the characters you meet while in the game, whereas with Civ V you had years of history to read back on.”
- “Cons: difficult, overwhelming, too many buttons, not enough guidance/explanation, lack of story, slow and tedious, cliché generic sci-fi feel with little to no character development.”
- “The game maintains a certain style of branding that comes through in the tone of things, but it lacks depth in character development.”