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Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword

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8.4 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 28 critic reviews
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Based on 46 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: 2K Games

Developer: Firaxis

Genre(s): Turn-Based Strategy

Players: 16

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: July 23, 2007

Summary

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is the second expansion pack for Civilization IV and focuses on the late-game time periods after the invention of gunpowder and delivers 12 challenging and decidedly different scenarios created by the development team at Firaxis Games, as well as members of the Civilization Fan Community. Firaxis Games delivers a massive increase in new units, buildings, and technologies to the epic game with additional focus on the late-game time periods. The expansion pack includes ten new civilizations, such as Portugal, Babylon and Netherlands and their associated unique units and buildings. Sixteen new civilization leaders including leaders for the ten new civilizations, as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations. A new gameplay feature allows players to create corporations and spread them throughout the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources. Now available much earlier in the game, an espionage feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents, stir citizen unrest and defend their government's secrets. New random events such as natural disasters, pleas for help, or demands from their citizens will challenge players to overcome obstacles in order for their civilizations to prosper. Five new wonders await discovery including the Statue of Zeus, Cristo Redentor, Shwedagon Paya, the Mausoleum of Maussollos, and the Moai Statues. Winning the race to Alpha Centauri now requires more strategic planning and tactical decision making. Apostolic Palace: The United Nations becomes available earlier in the game, providing a way for players to win a diplomatic victory earlier. New resolutions will also be added which will expand the available diplomatic options. Advanced Starts: A major fan request, this new feature enables players to "buy" components of a custom-tailored empire and begin play in the later part of the game, allowing them to experience many of the new features of the expansion pack in a shorter amount of time. Enhanced AI: The AI has received many enhancements, making it tougher to beat on the higher difficulty levels. [2K Games]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Civilization II Civilization III Civilization IV Civilization IV: Warlords

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameFAQs

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Yahoo! Games

Where Beyond the Sword will really win you over is with the new scenarios and mods. There is some truly wonderful stuff in here.

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100

2404.org

The new mods alone, including space-based and mythological scenarios, are enough to keep a dedicated player occupied for days, and the new civilizations and systems introduce so many new layers to the gameplay that Civilization IV is practically a new game entirely.

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Game Informer

Beyond the Sword is unquestionably one of the best expansion packs I’ve ever played, and not just because the original release is so strong. The amount of content it adds, and the quality of those additions, is top-notch. This kind of massive depth, smooth polish, and unending replayability is what PC gaming is all about.

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Worth Playing

Between all the wrinkles in the main gameplay, all the scenarios which completely change or add to it, and the fact that this comes with little to no system requirement increases or, well, anything that doesn't add to the gameplay, Beyond the Sword is little more than another stop on Sid Meier's traditional formula but is so much fun precisely because of this.

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Pelit (Finland)

Another brilliant add-on for an excellent strategy game. The new content is well designed and makes the somewhat dull endgame more interesting. Also the mods and scenarios are quite nice, some being actual games in their own right. [Sept 2007]

PC Gamer

Basically, Beyond the Sword is more of a director's cut of the fantastic original game than the usual expansion grab bag of scenarios and units. [Oct 2007, p.68]

GameShark

One of the most ambitious game add-ons you're likely to find and the vast majority of these changes are welcome ones that add significantly to the experience.

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Gaming Nexus

Civilization fans have yet another great addition to their addiction in Beyond the Sword.

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GameTap

Apparently, Hannibal’s scientists have been busy, and my spies have been lacking, as I had no idea that Carthage possessed nuclear capability. If I had, I wouldn’t have sent in a mere blimp as my first act of war.

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PALGN

A fantastic expansion and worth every cent, Beyond the Sword offers plenty of new content to properly upgrade the world of Civilization IV. A must buy for fans of the game.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

This is a monster expansion for a monster game; a total must-have that breathes new life into what is now a fairly old game.

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GameSpy

That these additions make the experience deeper and richer and way more fun can be considered nothing less than a "Wonder."

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1UP

Apart from a few quibbles (large maps still load at a glacial pace and the A.I. still builds cities right on top of yours), BTS takes a strong game with some serious flaws and turns it into a fantastic game with a couple of minor flaws. No small feat, that.

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GameZone

It’s almost a new game in terms of the amount of content, but it’s also the same game in terms of gameplay experience and sheer fun.

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IGN

Beyond the Sword makes an already phenomenal game even better.

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PC Zone UK

Yet another love-letter from Firaxis to their fanbase, and as good a reason for living as chips. [Oct 2007, p.72]

Game Almighty

With its expanded Epic Game, 12 new scenarios, tons of mods from the community, 10 new civilizations, 16 new leaders, corporations, espionage, random events, 5 new wonders, enhanced space victory, Apostolic Palace diplomacy and enhanced AI, this is the best $29 you'll spend all year.

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GameSpot

Beyond the Sword's additions are primarily to Civ IV's core gameplay, so the expansion doesn't make a huge leap forward in terms of graphics or sound.

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Gamer 2.0

For Civ IV fans, Beyond the Sword is a must-own game.

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Game Chronicles

The addition of new units and other things is not so great but the new ways to start out your game and change the style and tempo create a whole new interest to the core game. Sadly, Firaxis didn't improve the graphics or sound that much in this latest expansion and they should have, at least for some of it.

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Play.tm

Beyond the Sword shows signs of how you can stuff too much into a game not initially designed to hold so much content. I look forward to Civilization V with great anticipation and till that game graces the world I will continue to play the fully expanded version of Civ IV which now graces every computer I regularly use.

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games(TM)

2K wasn’t exaggerating when it called Beyond The Sword the biggest Civilization expansion ever, but it failed to mention that it’s also its most innovative and entertaining expansion too. [Sept 2007, p.112]

Eurogamer

The best Civ expansion ever? Yeah, why not?

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PC Format

Doesn't broaden Civ IV's appeal any, but a must-have if you have any Sid Meier love in you. [Oct 2007, p.80]

ActionTrip

Many of these elements seem like an experiment gone bad, as opposed to a decent new addition to the gameplay. As a result sometimes it seems you'd be better off just playing the original.

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Game Revolution

Beyond the Sword presents a lot of additions to what was already a great game. It's a good expansion, and capitalizes a great deal on fixing some of the weaknesses of the original.

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PC Gamer UK

The new elements it adds feel more like a patch than a genuine expansion whilst the mods are hit and miss - and you can already get the best ones for nothing. Would I want to go back to playing Civ IV without what Beyond the Sword adds? No. But should I have to pay this much for the privilege of balancing a game that, by the very intent of this expansion, its developers clearly feel needs it? Again, no.

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G4 TV

We like Beyond the Sword because it makes the vastness of Civilization 4 just a little bit bigger. Getting to play the Dutch and Portuguese is worth a lot, but we wish all the expansions could have the cunning to make us look at the game in a new way without losing the rich complexity that make us love it in the first place.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 46 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

M. Alex gave it an8:
When this one came out I was very dissapointed. The end-game addition were great, don;t get me wrong. But the whole was buggy and virtually unplayable. After a few patches it started to be playable, and after the last one or two, even enjoyable. Still, some elements are irritating: To much weight placed on espionage, which as an element when playing against more difficult AI's seems to be fairly unbalanced. I'm keeping this one, but it wasn't as good as Warlords.

Vicky V. gave it a10:
I Love this game, I can play it for hours!!

Balazs C. gave it a10:
I would easily give this a 11 out of 10. This expansion seriously beats the warlords in my opinion and even that was excellent.

David M. gave it a9:
The sheer immensity of this expansion pack is equal to an entirely new game! Fans of the Civilization series will not be disappointed by the new features, including incredible scenarios leaps and bounds better than those released with Warlords, and game balances, buildings, and wonders that finally give the chance for peaceful rulers to negotiate and build their way to victory. This is not to say that this expansion isn't for warmongering players, as it also adds new units, strategies, and a totally revamped AI that will make taking over your neighbors exciting again! The only thing marring this expansion are the number of bugs it shipped with, some of which made a couple new features, including espionage and corporations, unreliable and unrealistic.

Meestyk gave it a7:
Why a 7? Read on. First, this game is totally turn-based, no RTS at all in the campaign map and the combat system. There isn't anything new added to this recent title to Sid's previous games, if anything, more content, better graphics, but that is pretty much it. For those who enjoys turn-based, this is their final stop. This game would be so much more if it had RTS elements to it. Implementing RTS combat would have added a lot more excitement to this title (Total War series: Medieval 2 Kingdoms.). As is, the game plays more like a chess game more than anything else (pretty boring to me). If you have trouble thinking faster than your finger's strokes (PvP games), this game is definitely for you.

John S. gave it a5:
There are a lot of good things to like about this expansion, but unfortunately for me, even after the recent Aug07 patch, I am having problems with playability of asian civilizations with workers not working at all. I am looking forward to the next patch, which will hopefully fix my woes. Other than this 1 major problem, I have loved the added features, corporations and increased espionage.

Mahahem gave it an8:
So many possibilities it's difficult to rate. If you play the "standard" game and have been running the game for many years (as I have) then you might find the other civs surprising you even at the lower levels. If you have ever wanted to run Civ in the real world, then Civ4: Beyond allows you to play one of about 20 countries during WW2. You can run this as the war really happened (seems reasonably accurate) with little choice in when things happen. Or you can run a what if scenario...much fun. I think the best thing. However I always wonder why I have to spend money on an initial version and then the good stuff comes out later?

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Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword

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