Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide Emerges From The Deep
The Civilization: Beyond Earth expansion, Rising Tide, is coming this fall. As the name implies, one of the focal points of this expansion will be the water. Prepare to use water tiles in a whole new way, along with a multitude of other new additions and changes.
Not only will the water tiles play host to new aliens and offer players new ways to build out with new naval units (including submarines!), the aquatic gameplay can accommodate either a small focus for players to add to their plans or something a player can go all-in on for a completely new game experience.
In addition to the many new units and opportunities that come with the aquatic highlights, an important change of note is happening with the diplomacy system. This is not simply a change to the existing diplomacy system, but a completely reworked vision of how a diplomacy system should work.
“This diplomacy system is not just a couple of new buttons or new options,” says Andrew Frederiksen, producer on Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide “We quite literally have rewritten diplomacy at the code level. We look back at historical Civ and those leaders came into things with some implied character and personality. With BE it wasn’t quite there with the made-up leaders. This is going to let them show off their personalities and traits. It all comes to serve as fleshing out the leaders with more narrative and personality, and it’s also a whole set of systems with its own bonuses and gameplay. It can evolve as you play the game. Perhaps a diplomatic peaceful civ gets pushed into a corner – the personality can change and maybe become more willing to trade or perhaps become militaristic.”
Four new playable factions (Including the currently known Middle Eastern faction Ah Falah) will be introduced in Rising Tide. The new leaders raise the stakes and are a bit more intense than the existing factions that players are familiar with. The Ah Falah actually traveled through space without cryogenics, so complete generations have lived and died during the journey – they’ve never even seen Earth.
Hybrid-affinity playstyles will also receive some attention with Rising Tide. “It’s basically a recognition that players don’t simply want to go down a single affinity. I think one of the criticisms of the base game was if you wanted to go for an affinity victory you had to focus solely on that or fall behind,” says Frederiksen. “With hybrid affinity we’re going to allow for new options and rewards for exploring it. It includes new unique units and upgrades for hybrid affinities. They’re not just part this and part that, they are their own unique identity.”
Rising Tide will also include two new biomes, one of which is a Primordial backdrop.
Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide is expected to be available this fall for $29.99
Our Take
I'm excited to explore the water in new ways and the overhauled diplomacy system seems intriguing. Expansion can add a lot to these games (They certainly did with Civilization V) so it's great to have one on the way.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
