Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword Screenshots
| Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword Fact Sheet |
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Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Platforms: PC
Release Date: July 2007
Overview
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 world-wide hit. The expansion will focus on the time periods after the invention of gunpowder and will deliver 11 unique and challenging scenarios created by the development team at Firaxis as well as some esteemed members of the Civ Community. Civ IV: Beyond the Sword will also include ten new civilizations, sixteen new leaders, five new wonders, and a variety of new units that will offer even more fun and exciting ways for players to expand their civilization's power as they strive for world domination.
Features
Expanded Epic Game: We've added more new units, buildings, and technologies to the epic game with a tremendous amount of effort focused on the late game.
New Game Scenarios: The expansion will deliver 11 new scenarios custom designed by the team at Firaxis and some members of the Civ Fan Community (see list below for more details).
New Civilizations: The pack will provide 10 new civilizations, such as Portugal, Babylonians, and Netherlands and their associated unique units and buildings.
More Civilization Leaders: Sixteen new leaders will be provided. The list will include leaders for the new civilizations as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations. Leaders such as Hammurabi of the Babylonians, Abraham Lincoln of the United States, and Sitting Bull of the Native Americans will provide the player with even more choices on who they want to play.
Corporations: A new game feature similar to religion that allows players to found companies and spread them throughout the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources. For example, the Standard Ethanol Company consumes corn and provides oil, and the Cereal Mills Corporation provides extra food in exchange for Corn, Rice, and Wheat.
Espionage: Now available earlier in the game, this feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents. Each civilization has the opportunity to fund espionage development, which will allow them to gain intelligence, sabotage structures, poison water supplies, cause rebellions, and much more. Espionage investment must be balanced against other spending and players must carefully choose to whether to direct their resources into offensive missions or defending themselves against them.
Events: New random events challenge players with unique ways of interacting with the world. Players are presented with interesting decisions to make when faced with events such as natural disasters, pleas for help, or demands from their citizens. In addition, each game offers players the opportunity for rewards through the completion of missions ("quests").
New Wonders: There will be five new wonders including the Apostolic Palace, the Statue of Zeus, Cristo Redentor, the Shwedagon Paya, and the Mausoleum of Maussollos.
Expanded Space Victory: Winning a space ship victory will now require more strategic planning and tactical decision making.
Apostolic Palace: The Apostolic Palace provides news ways for players to leverage their diplomatic influence on other civilizations to further their own goals. Unique resolutions such as trade embargoes, common war declarations, and peace enforcement, make diplomacy an even more powerful element of the game.
Advanced Starts: A major fan request, this new feature will enable players to “buy” components of a custom-tailored empire and begin play in the later part of the game, allowing them to experience many of the new features of the expansion in a shorter amount of time.
Enhanced AI: The AI has received many enhancements, and now relies more on smart play and less on handicap bonuses to remain competitive. It will therefore provide a more consistent challenge throughout the course of the game, both economically and militarily. The ways in which the AI will attempt to achieve victory have also been expanded.
Scenario List (11 New Scenarios)
Final Frontier
Communications with Earth have gone silent. As leader of one of the few terrestrial colonies scattered throughout the universe, discover the fate of man's homeworld while extending your control over unexplored star systems. Barter or battle with your fellow colonists as you expand to the edges of the universe, into the Final Frontier.
Afterworld
A squad based tactical scenario where the player fights against zombies and the undead in this X-Com combat styled thriller.
Gods of Old
Create a legion of religious zealots by demonstrating your greatness or by forcing the religion down everyone's throat.
Defense
Defend your civilization against an onslaught of enemies.
Next War
Build clone armies and mechanized units in this futuristic scenario set in 2050's.
Charlemagne
Battle for control over Europe in this Renaissance era scenario.
Crossroads of the World
Carve your fortune from the riches of fourteenth century Africa, Arabia, and Persia as you trade, betray, and battle your way towards ruling the Crossroads of the World!
Broken Star
Russia is divided, and a civil war is upon us! To unite the Motherland you may purchase military units from the U.S. or promotion upgrades from the Chinese Black Market; conscript the Russian people or bribe enemy forces; or even deploy the ultimate in doomsday weaponry, the nuclear bomb.
WWII: Road to War
Play as the allies or axis in Europe or the Pacific in this World War II themed scenario.
Fall from Heaven: Age of Ice
Use heroes and spells to battle the God of Winter on the frozen wastes of Erebus.
Rhye's and Fall of Civilizations
Another of the fan favorites updated and enhanced for Beyond the Sword!
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Content on this page comes directly from press releases and fact sheets provided by publishers and developers and was not written by the Game Revolution staff.
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[ Editor's Note: As Nick Olsen is a writer for Theory of Gaming, this won't be counted in the monthly Vox Pop prize. However, it is very much a worthy read. ]
By Nick Olsen
Co-founder, Theory of Gaming
In 1985 Nintendo started a revolution when it...
