People took issue with Civilization: Beyond Earth when it was released. It’s a fantastic strategy game, but some felt it was also a little too similar to its predecessor, Civilization V . While Beyond Earth is an entertaining and enjoyable game, many of those arguments were valid. It did play in an almost identical fashion, diplomacy was a carbon copy of the system found in the mainstream installment, and a person pretty much had to lock into one affinity to win. Fortunately, the series is also known for game-changing expansion packs, and Rising Tide is going to make great strides in transforming Beyond Earth into a more distinct entity.
With a Civilization game, there’s only so much that can be done to alter the conquering of a world. People call dibs on as much land as possible, building huge settlements and acquring desirable resources. It’s pretty much the driving force behind the game, and it’s difficult to redefine that. But Rising Tide is going to do that for Beyond Earth , adding a new layer of strategy to this Civilization , by letting people live on water.
Cities will be able to be founded in the ocean, a first for the series. This will completely alter strategies, since it means new resources and an increased focus on naval defense. Personally, I’m excited to see if a wayward alien encounter with a Kraken could sink an entire area of a water settlement.
The various factions will become more realistic in Beyond Earth as well, which should prove quite interesting since typical Civilization games focus on personalities inspired by actual historical figures. Instead of mirroring the familiar, Rising Tide will show us faction leaders that evolve as people play. There will be different Diplomatic Traits assigned.
We’re all used to playing a game and seeing some AI get huffy if we settle too close, but Beyond Earth ‘s expansion will apparently offer more nuanced approaches which will shift based on a history of our own behaviors and choices in the game. It’s an intriguing prospect, especially since these leaders are blank slates to us. I’m hoping to create multiple games against the same opponents after the expansion is released, testing to see if their personalities and approaches will shift depending on the Affinities I invest in and paths I pursue.
Most exciting is the knowledge that Rising Tide will bring us more ways to win. I greatly enjoyed Beyond Earth , but found it could get confining after a few hours of play. There were only five ways someone could win, and it was limiting since there were often elements from multiple Affinities I enjoyed acquiring to further my goal of becoming an intergalactic queen. (Oh, don’t give me that look. I usually went for a Harmony win.)
While Firaxis hasn’t mentioned if Rising Tide will bring with it new ways to beat any who oppose you, it did reveal that people who enjoy exploring the grey areas and not staying staunchly on a single path would be able to enjoy upgrades and units that reflect decisions to dabble in multiple Affinities. I often enjoyed accumulating Purity bonuses, despite my leanings toward peace and love, and can’t wait to see how the two play off of each other when hybrid units and upgrades appear.
Rising Tide immediately heads in and addresses three issues that were problems for people who played Civilization: Beyond Earth . Right away, the initial expansion seems to be doing more than adding something shiny to suddenly make a title more appealing. It’s altering the way the game is played in three important ways, requiring people to rethink proven strategies. Not only is it fixing possible mistakes and setting Beyond Earth apart from Civilization V , it’s showing the true value of a game expansion.