|
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC DVD) | 
 enlarge | From: Take 2 Interactive
Category: Video Games
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £9.77
You Save: £10.22 (51%)
New (4) from £9.77
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 1836
Platform: Windows Xp
Genre: world-builder-strategy-games
Media: Video Game
Age: 11 - 18 years
Operating System: Windows XP
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 5026555052856
EAN: 5026555052856
ASIN: B000PTJHKA
Release Date: July 20, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Civilization has been the PC's premier turn-based strategy series now for over a decade, offering you near infinite freedom to create and nurture your own society and conquer the world through either military might or cultural influence. For many though it's always been overly tempting to rely on warfare not words, so this expansion pack has been created specifically to encourage more peaceful means of domination. It also focuses on expanding the options for playing the game in the time period after the invention of gunpowder. This means it is now possible to achieve a diplomatic victory much earlier in the game, while at the same time making space victories more difficult because of the more complex requirements. In keeping with the modern theme the concept of global corporations is also introduced into the gameplay, which works similarly to Civilization IV's use of religion, except this time your people spreads economic benefits in exchange for specific resources. Other tweaks include expanded espionage options to stir up an enemy's population, and SimCity style random disasters. That's all on top of the expected addition of new civilisations (ten new ones, from the Dutch and Portuguese to the Babylonians and Mayans), six new leaders (including Abraham Lincoln, Boudica and Charles de Gaulle) and eleven new historical scenarios. In this sense the expansion has the best of both worlds, with all the expected new content and gameplay options but also a fundamental change to the way you play, and win, the game. Harrison Dent
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Brilliant Fun and a Stiff Challenge January 21, 2008
Ewan Gibson
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This expansion pack adds to the already brilliant Civ 4, the most addictive game ever. They seem to have fine tuned aspect of the game to make it more like real life especially religion and diplomacy. You are now severely punished for your civilisation having a different religion which is exactly what happens in real life. They have added great new units such as cruise missile, tactical nuke and better air defence units. A lot of people complained on here of bugs in the game, these have now been fixed in a patch so you most download that before you play this game. I do have a couple of negative points, but these are personal gripes. I think the new spying system is very intensive and a big distraction, I would prefer to tone it down a notch. I also have not got my head around corporations and it's not explained very well in the civopedia tbh. They are not as useful as religion but they do have a big influence in the modern world. All in this is superb and well, well worth 10 quid.
 Some Features are great but now the game is too hard :( September 9, 2007
Patrick King (England)
13 out of 21 found this review helpful
I have played every single Civ game and have found that i can only play them at warlord difficulty (maybe noble if im up for it). I have now played beyond the sword expansion and have found in warlord its impossible now.
The comp civs discover techs far faster than you and go to war with you even if they havent talked to you before! they usually have 5-10 units in each city. Even in the level down from warlord its still very tough.
Unfortunaly you will be at war with one player the whole game just losing and retaking a few citys. I cant explain or find any reason why they felt the need to make the AI so hard this time. It just takes the fun out of it for me.
Civ 4 worked brilliantly on my computer but this expansion seems to have very chuggy slow game play after a few hours of playing. It even crashed, which has never happened in previous civs for me. Must be some bugs as i have a top spec pc.
On the positive side of things the new final froniter space mod seems great but i havent played that much yet. The new Civilizations and leaders are interesting too. There is also a couple more different map styles to choose which are much better than the olds ones for me. Lots of random events take place aswell. spying has been made more important now as you can now steal enemys techs etc.
In conclusion a few nice add ons but too hard to enjoy even on the easier settings.
Predictable August 26, 2007
Jack Moore
4 out of 25 found this review helpful
when i installed this game i was expecting in the later eras of the game units such as the ones you see in empire earth etc ie futuristic ones, but it seems to be much more of the same really
The Second Expansion August 25, 2007
R. R. Turner (Scotland)
58 out of 60 found this review helpful
Right, so you are looking at this and wondering if this is for you - that's why you are reading customer reviews right? OK, so I'll try to explain the changes made first so that you can get a handle on if this IS for you. Firstly, certain game models have been changed: You can spin off colonies, which will be a new civ vassalized to your own. Seige weapons and air units (and interception) operate differently, with a more realistic/complex approach. Espionage is available with Writing (far earlier) and no longer costs cash but instead uses Espionage points which are generated by certain building, events, a Great Spy, and/or as part of fiscal planning as it's own slider like research or culture. There are corporations which can provide benefits (depending on which corporation) and can generate cash. There are random events both positive and negative, both minor and major. Of course there are new units, buildings, civilizations and techs as well. And then there are the scenarios, which are varied and some so different from the base game as to be almost unrecognizable. So, do expanded game mechanics, new units and civs and a variety of scenarios draw you? Then this is for you. If it's just the scenarios, some of them are available online for absolutely free as they are the best of fan creations to begin with. I for one greatly enjoy the changed mechanics and the new random events and quests.
For those not in the know (say you are buying this as a gift) it does require the base Civilization IV game but not the later Warlords expansion.
Note: there is a patch available, just go to advance options and tell it to check for an update while connected to the internet.
Boyond the expansion pack August 25, 2007
A. D. Kerr
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
Ok, first time reviewer, so here goes!
This expansion pack adds a fair bit to the original game by increasing the choices for Civilisations but not as many late game units as i hoped for.
I have also found that the programme becomes unstable in the later eras- wont save, shuts down for no reason. Now, I admit, my 3 yr old machine, even with an enhanced graphics card, is at right in the middle of the specification, but I have still been disappointed at the reduced playability these problems have brought.
Civ 4 it's self is fab and this does add to the late game playability, but I'd leave it for a bit until they have patched up some of the tech issues and not worth it at all if you have an older machine.
|
|
|
www.pcprotech.co.uk | |
