Firaxis released the intro cinematic for their upcoming video game Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth today. Like the Civilization games, this one is a turn-based strategy game in which you have to guide your chosen faction to victory by researching new technologies, engaging in diplomacy with other factions, fighting wars and managing your economy. And while the Civilization games covered the history of humanity until modern times, this one begins where many Civilization games end: when your spaceship leaves for the stars.
As a matter of fact the trailer shows people boarding spaceships (“The Chosen”) and is reminiscent of apocalyptic films such as 2012. It focuses on a young lady (who appears to be of Arab descent) and who at some point says that “some people were chosen by luck”. It is great to know that even in this dystopian future, when humanity has exhausted Earth’s resources, one can end up joining the chosen few thanks to a lucky coin toss, and not due to his or her IQ scores.
What is not such good news is the fact that those who preorder will get the Exoplanets Map Pack. This is day one DLC in other words, which in my book is really not a good thing. But if Beyond Earth turns out to be as good as Firaxis’ previous strategy game Civilization V, then gamers worldwide will surely forgive this.
Note: You will be able to explore and colonize otherworldly planets to your heart’s content on the 24th of October. This is the release date for Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth (it will be released on PC only). More details here.