Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth has been announced by 2K and Firaxis Games. Slated for a fall/autumn release in North America and priced at $49.99, the game is being developed by Firaxis for Windows-based PC, and will be coming to Mac and Linux via Aspyr Media.
Civ: Beyond Earth is billed as a ‘science fiction-themed entry in the award-winning Civilization franchise’, delving into humanity’s future on an alien world. In a press release, Sid Meier is quoted as saying, “We’ve always let our fans create the history of mankind, and Civilization: Beyond Earth will now let them create the future.”
The game features revealed are as follows:
Seed the Adventure – Players will establish a cultural identity, select a leader and sponsor an expedition by assembling the spacecraft, cargo and colonists through a series of choices that directly impact starting conditions when arriving on the new alien planet.
Alien World – Exploring the benefits and dangers of a new planet filled with dangerous terrain, mystical resources, and hostile lifeforms unlike those of Earth, players will build outposts, unearth ancient alien relics, tame new forms of life, develop flourishing cities and establish trade routes to create prosperity for their people.
New Technology Web – Reflecting forward progress in an uncertain future, technology advancement will occur through a series of nonlinear choices that affect the development of mankind. The tech web is organized around three broad themes, each with a distinct victory condition.
New Quest System – Quests are infused with fiction about the planet, and will help guide players through a series of side missions that will aid in the collection of resources, upgrading units, and advancing through the game.
New Orbital Layer – Players will build and deploy advanced military, economic and scientific satellites that provide strategic offensive, defensive and support capabilities from orbit.
In addition, the press release has stated that Civ: Beyond Earth ‘will be among the first wave of products optimized for the latest in AMD graphics t[echn]ologies, including: the new Mantle graphics API, for enhanced graphics performance; AMD CrossFire™, for UltraHD resolutions and extreme image quality; and AMD Eyefinity, which allows for a panoramic gameplay experience on up to six different HD displays off of a single graphics card.’
