After winning my first game in CIV BE, here's what I think.. IIf you are not trying to compare this game and take it as it's own, it is a very enjoyable game with a lot of interesting features. If you start wishing it was more like CIV 5, or 6, you'll think it falls short of expectation. I'm glad I did not bother with the mixed reviews and will definitively play more of it.

There isn't really that much that is special about this game. It feels too similar to the previous game in the series, Civilization V. It just feels like a paint-job or a redesign of V, which seems a tad unnecessary. If it were cheaper, I could see the appeal, but unless you can get a good deal, just stick with Civilization V.

A lot of people claim this game is just a retexture but personally having played Civilization since Civ II, it is an interesting addition to the franchise. Featuring the return of some old mechanics from Civ IV and new ones, and an interesting take on a tech tree. This game is indeed entertaining with the new DLC, yes the base game might not be cut for it but with the DLC it truly is some hours of entertainment. There is a lot of to do and explore, and many new ways of obtaining victory previously not seen, however a big issue with this game that does not make me want to play another match for a while after my previous one ended is simply that things get old. Unlike previous Civ games were you have an abundance of nations and sometimes leaders to select from, in this game you only get a handful, the maps lack variation from time to time usually featuring the same colour theme which can make things appear bland after a while, was it worth the full price at launch? Definitely not but seeing how the game is decreasing it price, it is definitely worth picking up for the sci-fi fan.

This game has everything the fifth one does, except the charm and adventure of ruling Earth. Instead, your the leader of a forgettable group of people who have disregarded Earth and you land on some planet that has a forgettable name (like your leaders') and there is just nothing going for it. When it first came out and got bad reviews, I thought, "Well people are comparing this to Civ 5 with all the dlc attached." But then the only dlc for this game came out and I was like, "OK, this game sucks." But if you only cared about the gameplay from Civ 5, this game has more of that with a few more mechanics.

Sorry but this game is not at all good... it feels slow, clunky and boring. It offered nothing exciting to me and I stopped playing it after 2 full games. The problem is the game feels bland and lacking. Whilst the affinity system and tech umbrella are pretty cool, they're let down by the UI and the fact I don't really feel passionate about it like I do with CIV V and EU4. Sadly I'm let down and wouldn't recommend you buy this game.