Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is the second expansion pack for the popular turn based strategy game
Civilization IV.
Unlike the previous expansion pack,
Civilization IV: Warlords,
Beyond the Sword looks to add more depth to the game by expanding on non-martial aspects of the game, including improvements to the trade and economics systems, expanding espionage system and a revamp of the game’s AI.
The improvements to the game’s AI can be seen from the moment you start the game. The AI no longer tends to ‘zerg’ you with military units in an effort to win the game, instead using a variety of tactics to take your cities. The AI is also now more willing to use alternative victory methods, such as the diplomatic path, which is now available much earlier in the game.
The Epic game mode has also been balanced - it no longer tends to drag and feels much more like a standard five-hundred turn game, despite having more then two-thousand turns.
The two biggest features added to the game are the introduction of Corporations and the new Espionage system.
Corporations serve to improve the game economics by allowing players to convent one resource type into another, for example, the Ethanol company converts oil to food, allowing you to benefit from oil long after your units no longer require it. These have a surprisingly small effect on the latter portion of the game, but can give a player the economic edge that is required in the industrial and modern eras. It can be quite resource heavy, with the majority of the seven different corporations available requiring a Great Person and other criteria.
Espionage has a great effect on the game, and is now available near the start of the game. It allows you set an Espionage level, much like the Gold, Culture and Research levels in the core game. Over time, you gain Espionage points and if you have enough compared to you opponent, you can see the units based in their cities, what they are researching and other information. You can also train a spy to send into their cities to foment revolt, steal gold or technology and generally give you an advantage over your opponent.
Of course, the improved AI has absolutely no qualms about doing the same thing to you.
Other then the major changes, there are a plethora of small changes to the game as well. These include the introduction of 10 new civilizations with their accompanying unique buildings, units and leaders plus 6 new leaders for older civilizations, including Abraham Lincon, Charles de Gaulle and Pericles. There are also a number of modern day units, new random events, similar to those in
Civ II and the Space and Diplomatic Victories have been expanded to make them more difficult to achieve.
For some, one of the most interesting additions to the game are the inclusion of a number of new scenarios, including three different World War II campaigns, a Russian civil war set in the modern ear and a campaign which pits the player against hordes of undead.
Beyond the Sword is definitely a must have for any fan of
Civ IV. Altogether it adds a lot to game and gives you a much more balanced gameplay experience. However, I can’t help feeling slightly ripped off by this expansion - a lot of the
Beyond the Sword content should have been in the original game or released in free downloads - especially the AI improvements and balancing. It should also be noted that many of the scenarios included in the pack are either based on content available online from independent modders or works licensed from independent modders, while many of the units added were present in the previous two
Civilization games, but were mysteriously absent when
Civ IV launched.
Before this pack,
Civ IV and
Civ IV: Warlords felt that they were lacking something compared to
Civ II and
Civ III—with this pack
Civ IV becomes one of the best entries in the series. Before
Civilization Revolution and
Civ V get going properly though, Firaxis needs to get their act together and start shipping more rounded and balanced games rather then borrowing EA’s tactic of churning out game expansions to generate income.
Beyond the Sword is on sale now. Please note that you do require Civilization IV to play the expansion, but you do not need to have the previously released Warlords expansion. A demo of the expansion can be downloaded from the
Beyond the Sword website.
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