Civilization Beyond Earth gameplay and new screenshots

Civilization Beyond Earth is the next installment in Sid Meier’s highly acclaimed Civilization series. While previous titles featured a historic setting, the next chapter in the franchise takes place on a much larger scale. In Beyond Earth you’ll be tackling the final frontier in the hopes of forging a new future for the human race. Following a disaster known only as “The Great Mistake”, mankind is left on the verge of extinction and it’s all up to you to make things right. Considered to be a spiritual successor to Alpha Centauri, Civilization Beyond Earth will send the popular TBS series to space for the very first time.

Civilization Beyond Earth was first revealed earlier this year at Pax East, but we really got to see it in action this week during E3 2014. The video we’ve posted above includes some gameplay footage although not as much as we would have liked. Regardless, it’s enough to give us an idea of how the game looks and acts compared to the previous titles. On the visual side, Civilization Beyond Earth looks quite similar to its predecessor, Civilization 5. Both games run on the same in-house engine so this was to be expected. Also, the interface seems to be more or less the same. Players familiar with Civ 5 will most likely be able to jump right into the new game without needing any tutorials.

The biggest change I’m seeing here is the new branching skill tree, which seems to replace the old research system. The devs said that creating Civilization Beyond Earth’s progression system was quite difficult. They basically had to invent new technologies and science application for the new game, but they did this in a way that seems realistic and plausible. “You’ll be able to enjoy the game as both a fan of science, and of science fiction,” publisher 2K mentioned. Another major feature introduced with the game goes by the name of the Affinity System. This basically allows you to choose how your civilization will behave on the new planet throughout the game. Whether you want to dominate everybody or try to get along with the other inhabitants, it’s all up to you.

Civilization Beyond Earth is being published by 2K Games and developed by Firaxis. The game will be released sometime during the third quarter of the year and will be available for the PC only. Stay tuned for more news and check out some of the new screenshots below.