Sid Meiers Civilization IV Beyond the Sword by 2K Games

Review about Sid Meiers Civilization IV Beyond the Sword by 2K Games.
The massive Civilization IV universe is about to become more epic with this 2nd expansion pack to the 2005 Game of the Year. The biggest Civ expansion set ever, Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword focuses on the “late game” time periods after the invention of gunpowder and will deliver 12 unique and challenging scenarios created by the development team at Firaxis as well as some esteemed members of the Civ Community.
Product Description
Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword will deliver new themes never seen in Civilization, many recommended by the fans. The expansion will focus on the late-game time periods after the invention of gunpowder and will deliver 12 challenging and decidedly different scenarios, ten new civilizations, 16 new leaders, five new wonders, and a variety of new units.

• Five new wonders: The Statue of Zeus, Cristo Redentor, Shwedagon Paya, the Mausoleum of Maussollos, and the Moai Statues Earn a diplomatic victory and unlock the United Nations, then create new resolutions to expand your diplomatic options.
• Advanced Starts let players buy an empire's components & begin play in a later part of the game -- experience new features of the expansion in a shorter time.
• Enhanced AI is tougher to beat on the higher levels, and expanded its strategies for achieving victory.

Product Features

• 10 new civilizations,
• 12 new scenarios,
• 78 new units and 64 new buildings,
• 16 new leaders,
• 5 new technologies.

Product Details

• ASIN: B000PCLBE2
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: July 23, 2007Platform: Windows XP
• List Price: $29.99
• Special Price: $27.99
• You Save: $2.00 (7%)

Customer Reviews

• By Robert Hudock

I have enjoyed Civilization since my discovery of this wonderful game in the mid-90's. Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is a nice addition if your a "builder", Warlords the last expansion added some great features, but Beyond the Sword has hit the ball out of the park with new spy unites early in the game, more complicated game dynamics including corporations, religion, spy related point system, and new wonders. Another big plus, is the advanced technology tree, I always wanted to continue past the "Future Techs"-- now I can. PS -- to play civ on linux.

• By Alex Felix (Connecticut)

As I understood it, the "Beyond the Sword" in the title referred to making the game more interesting in the period after most of the world's territory has already been staked out and all religions founded; previously there was little to do in the late-game apart from declaring war out of meandering ambition and/or boredom (which may yet have been some pretty spectacular social commentary though it didn't make the game any more fun to play). This expansion pack adds espionage, missing from Civ 4 until now, although as I understand it a popular feature in previous installments. I've so far heard mixed feedback as to how much weight it actually carries - and will admit that I didn't bother really trying it until my second or third game of Beyond the Sword - but I can confirm that it most certainly gives you something to do.
Beyond that, the game runs a bit better than it did previously, and the addition of neat little cause-effect events (i.e. "A dispute has arisen over a marriage between your citizen and a neighboring civilization's; offer money to boost foreign relations or decline and receive a boost in your cultural output") add a lot more than you'd think.
Meanwhile - as is always the case with expansions like this, there's hardly any way to react to any of the new tangible content (the requisite Civs, leaders, mods, etc.) other than to be glad of the fact that it's there, though that's no reason for complaint. Beyond the Sword makes Civilization IV a better game.