Sid Meiers Civilization IV Beyond the Sword Reviews

• Sink your teeth into this hearty expansion!

  
  By AT7W1EXT0PF2Y on 2007-08-13
  Beyond the sword offers so much more than the previous one. Here is what I believe to be the best aspects:
  
  Espionage is now a much larger part of the game. You may use funding to increase and decrease the amount you would like to concentrate on it. Just like science and culture.
  
  Next war mod- This will add about thirty more techs to your tree in the end-game. Clones, mechs, and mind control centers are just a few examples. The only thing I don't like about this is you have to load the mod in order for it too work. Also, it is a tad annoying that the end-game music plays throughout the entire game if you choose this.
  
  A bunch more leaders and few more civs- this is always a bonus. Holy Roman Empire and Byzantium are great choices. Being a fan of ancient Mesopotamian culture I appreciate the Babylonians and Sumerian civs being added as well. Native Americans are also a fun addition.
  
  There is a new random event concept that actually adds a lot of fun to the game. Something good or bad happens at random and you make choices that either make things better or worse.
  
  When it comes to the scenarios, it looks like they were going for a bit of experimentation instead of the usual. Still if you're anything like me you play these once and never look at them again.
  
  There is one that is like a cyber-punk scifi where you fight zombies. Interesting idea but there isn't much to it. Just walk around in dark buildings while you are assaulted by wave after wave of zombies.
  
  Perhaps the best one is an outer space scenario where you colonize planets. About ten new space civs to choose from and a brand new tech tree .
  
  The Charlemagne scenario as you may have guessed involves the many countries vying for power during the dark ages.
  
  Broken star is a russian campaign that involves a fractured russia. Choose a faction and attempt to find nukes.
  
  I believe the animations have been improved and the units of different civs have been changed so they have more personality. ie. an asian civ will look asian while a native american civ looks native american, instead of the units of every civ looking the same.
  
  Unlike the last installment I believe your getting your moneys worth this time around.
  
  
  

• Problems solved.

  
  By AXRDLOEWLI95Q on 2007-07-29
  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.
  
  

• Worthy Expansion

  
  By A2BYPXW5Y0APQP on 2007-07-26
  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 see [...].
  
  

• Now With AI Cheating Built In!

  
  By A31Q7Q9VDFXLG8 on 2007-10-06
  This is like going back to Civ III. The combat system will have you pulling your hair out in much the same way as III. The espionage system will quickly grow uninteresting. I just turn it off at this point. So, here's the main problem. You basically need 99% odds in your favor to win a fight. 50% odds means a 100% chance you will lose. Anything below 80% (allegedly in your favor) means you will likely come out on the short end. Other irritants are things like enemy catapults and cavalry retreating with success nearly 100% of the time. Here's how espionage works: spys come in and blow up a mine. So you go fix it. You can blow up a mine and your opponent will go fix it too. They can poisong your wells or foment unrest. You can do the same. Most of the time spies get caught in the late game and not much gets accomplished by way of secret agents. An espionage standstill develops. It doesn't add much. Corporations do little other than give a small financial boost. You still cannot negotiate for trades with any real frequency, let alone build a strategy around trading. A majority of the time your negotiation screen with any AI civ will show only a column of red text, meaning they are not interested in trading anything. Just go it alone. In conclusion, this is no real improvement upon Warlords. The fighting odds make NO sense.
  
  There are points in favor of this game: the new units are interesting; new buildings also add a new layer to gameplay; the new wonders are also abundant and give you a chance to at least grab a few of these key structures if you are struggling. If you are a Civ fan you will buy this game regardless of its flaws. If you are on the fence, just be aware that not all change is good. Sometimes it can just be downright annoying. I've been playing Civ for four years and typically look forward to each new Civ product, but this is a pretty big let down.
  
  

• Game will not install

  
  By A2DV8RTTZ578A6 on 2007-09-16
  I recently bought this game expansion, but because of an install error have not been able try it. I have been a fan of the Civilization series since version 1. Until now I've been a happy customer. However, after spending hours trying to get this expansion pak to work I'm frustrated with the current company that develops the game.
  
  Here's a brief overview what I've tried. After a number of attempts to install the game and getting install errors I went to the Firaxis support site. I reported the error and ran the data collection tools suggested on the site and sent that information in as well. I got an automatic repsonse saying I should hear from them in 2 working days. A week later having not heard from them, I again sent a follow on message asking for help. Again they did not respond. Finally I tried a third time two weeks after my initial attempt. I never did hear anything from Firaxis. In short, they have NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT.
  
  The disrespect and arrogance display by this company is astounding. If I treated customers like that in my business, I would be broke and on the street in a very short time.
  
  I have since explored some of the Civ fan sites and noticed others have had similar problems and they too apparently don't get support from the company. Some of those who have been able to install update patches (to get BtS to install) then report that their base Civ games stops working correctly.
  
  In close, buyer beware seems to be an appropriate warning if you are considering buying "Beyond The Sword."
  
  
• Excellent Expansion for the Greatest Game Ever!
  By A1MB5HUA3WYEJC on 2007-07-26
  I bought this expansion a few days ago and Sid Meier knows how to design a game and keep it going for decades; hopefully the future as well. I would love to see Sid Meier and Will Wright (Sims Franchise, Simcity Franchise), team up and create a game that is like "wooow," I just can't imagine playing this and realize that I never wen't to sleep lol. Imagine a Simcity/Sims/Civilization type of game where you can be the ruler of your civilization, build your civilizations and its cities/states/provinces/capitals/capitals/towns/villages and you can become a sim or all of the sims and act as thow you control a city/state and so forth, create factories, be responsible for activating your countries defenses, or go on multiple media and calm your citizens and even frighten them into loving your rule. Have elections and if you loose you could loose to a pacifist who will lower your budget on defenses, armed forces, and/or raise taxes, and expand influence. Anyway Im getting ahead of myself....
  
  Sid Meirer rarely makes a stinker of a game (one was Railroads). This exapnsion is top of the line out of the 2 created for Civilization 4. Sid Meier is a GOD! While he creates a expansion with the theme of warlords which deals with wars; Beyond the Sword, deals with stuff outside of wars. Spies are greatly exapnded and while its not perfect it's at least a start. To me it was totally useless and weak in Civ4 and Warlords. The introduction of Corporations is a great addition to continue where religion begins to tale off and become non-existent but it just seems weird in which religion never penalized you. When you have a corporation it can. It would be nice to see that as a corporation grows, it might have an influence on your government. Other additions include: more Wonders, expanded and improved traits of Civilization leaders, more units including Cruisers, tactical nukes, guided missles, attack subs, Privateer, and Ship of the line just to name a few. Naval supremacy takes on a new title in the game now. You also have the introduction of canals, river trade routes and creating a forest preserve.
  
  Between the 2 expansions and the core game this makes Civilization 4 a must have for strategy, simulation, and empire building gamers. While the core of the game is untouched from Civilization 3 in which you guide a civilization from the stone age to the future, it is much more polished, less buggy (not that it was very buggy), and the added content blends in masterfully. This is a remarkable game that makes it even worse to say," Just one more turn!" Sid, dont stop now!!!!! Add more please! More realism, more content!
  
  Anyone remember Sovereign which was being developed by Sony Online--take all the concepts in it and blend it into Civ4 and you got a game that you haven't seen since David Lightman got in trouble with NORAD and Mr. McKittrick (Wargames).
  
  Please note that this game tries to utilize the techniques and rendering of todays video cards as well as great sounds and acoustic enviroments on sound cards. Dont give this game 2 stars because your P4 7 years ago with a onboard sound card doesnt let you enjoy this game.
  
  
  
• CIV- Still interesting after all these years!
  By A2E9BSKGZOZ4NP on 2007-08-31
  Almost every new wrinkle introduced in this expansion is a welcome one. I enjoy having lots of civs from which to choose and to try to beat. Some people play the same 2 or 3 civs each time & prefer to be highly expert in that very narrow range & they might not appreciate the broad variety of civs in the Beyond the Sword expansion. I have still not gotten DeGaulle to be anything but a doormat, but will keep trying him from time to time.
  
  Corporations are a cool idea, but they don't gain any traction or have any great advantage at first, maybe deep into the game they get better. Of course, the dimension that matters the most is spying, which begins as soon as you acquire the alphabet technology. Money, units, city improvements, use of specialists, and long-terms strategy all have an impact on your spying prowess during a game. I have played scores of hours, and feel as if I have only scratched the surface on learning how to exercise all of the options available in this one part of the game.
  
  Similarly, getting up in the air when you acquire the physics technology is a bonus. Airships are the best new unit IMHO, but there are many to keep old players working on inventing new strategies in familiar situations. For those looking to get into CIV for the first time, I need to share several items of caution:
  1. You will consume huge amounts of time. The game is as addictive as a Tom Clancy thriller and even tho' you know it is time to put it down, you can't at times.
  2. The game is complex. Civ III or Civ IV will provide you just as much entertainment as starting off with this expansion pack, and will not be as daunting to learn. Use the expansion packs to enhance your experience once the basic games have lost some interest.
  3. The game works best with a strong graphics card and lots of RAM. It is possible to dumb it down and still play without crashing, but the experience is much better with enhanced graphics.
  
  
  
• So much Fun!
  By A3KZPSNQY4DCFK on 2007-07-27
  I have been playing the Civilization games forever it seems. I started out with Civ II and havn't stoped since. This expansion blew me out of the water. It is so much fun and the new stuff like corperations and spies make the game even better. The only thing I am disappointed with is that there is no throne room or palace screen, and I miss the advisors from Civ II.
  
  
• Alot of stuff
  By A262UNFMKY0T6T on 2007-07-30
  What a supberb expansion pack! So much content it will take a while to check it all out. They did excellent with all their additions to the game on this expansion. Highlights of the expansion include: 10 new civs, 16 new leaders, 11 senarios, new additions to the space race, new events system, additions of corporations, natural disasters, quests, more modern era additions to weapons and military, and Even advance starts! They really packed this expansion full. Lots of content for those that felt jipped off the last expansion. This is one excellent expansion for civ IV lovers!
  
  
• Makes Civ 4 Purchase-able
  By A26G35WR7QCFR2 on 2007-12-31
  I got Beyond the Sword and Warlords both for Christmas this year (2007). I would never have purchased either (I bought Civ 4 for myself last year and was totally unimpressed with it - I still think that Civ 3 Complete is much better overall). After playing Civ 4 with the new features of each expansion pack, I have some commentary that can help you in your decision to purchase these expansion packs.
  
  Briefly, as aforementioned, Civ 4 by itself is generally worthless in my opinion if you own Civ 3 Complete. The latter is much more manageable and customizable. If you don't like spending $50 for video games, Civ 3 Complete is less than half of that and will rock your video game world - you don't really need much else if you are into strategy, turn-based video gaming.
  
  That said, Warlords was a pretty lame expansion pack only because I think they should have included ALL of its features in the base game. Withholding the Warlord leader units, the Civ-specific buildings, and other civilizations and leaders was just shameless marketing, in my humble opinion. I also believe that the vassalage system was totally do-able for the base game, as well.
  
  And this leads to my review of Beyond the Sword...
  
  This expansion pack makes Civilization 4 worth buying. But check this out - they brought many of the features from Warlords such as the new civilizations, leaders, buildings, units, and even the Warlord unit! What the heck? This reminds me of the Civ 3: Play the World expansion pack - almost totally worthless; we should have just bought Conquests. (However, I still recommend Civ 3 Complete.)
  
  Anyway, Beyond the Sword does add a lot of content to the base game which is appreciated. For example, there are random scripts that take place throughout your games now. There will be little things like "A flood wiped out one of your mines..." and then you are given three choices, such as (1) pay a lot of money to save the mine; (2) pay a little bit of money to lose the mine but keep everybody happy; or (3) pay no money and lose the mine AND people get unhappy. Little things like that really add flesh to the game, in my opinion, and it is a very nice touch.
  
  Another example of a new feature in BTS - besides just more civilizations, units, and leaders - are the scenarios. Firaxis and its amateur community really put together some sweet scenarios for us to play. Each one tickles your imagination as to how you could modify the game and make your own scenario. Which leads to my final point on BTS...
  
  I still recommend that you hold out for a while before buying the Civ 4 enterprise. Right now, it is just not fair for customers to pay about $100 for Civ 4 and its two expansion packs - the game just isn't good enough for that kind of expenditure. I would recommend holding out until the game is finished being expanded and the "complete" package costs about $50, give or take. In the meantime, I highly recommend playing Civ 3 Complete (about $20). Civ 3 is as addictive as Civ 4, and it is far easier to customize. Civ 4, on the other hand, has a great potential, but most of us will never fully understand the Python and XML programming languages. (Such knowledge is required if you want to change things like government types, civ names, units' attributes, etc.) And even though the scenarios provided in BTS kind of fill in this potential in many ways, the overall product that is Civ 4 is still undeserving of the money they want for it, in my opinion.
  
  So if you get anything from my review here, it is that Civ 4 was properly expanded with Beyond the Sword and is worth having in your video game collection. However, the base game (by itself) and Warlords are cheapshots, and for that we should respect ourselves and not support Civ 4 until it becomes reasonable to do so. I recommend waiting for the "Civ 4 Complete" version or for Civ 5 to be less of a cheapshot. Either way, Civ 3 Complete is waiting for you, and it is a fantastic game that all of us would love and enjoy.
  
  Recommended expenditures for the Civ 4 titles:
  
  Base game: $15
  Warlords: $10
  Beyond the Sword: $25
  
  
• Almost like playing a whole new game, but still familiar
  By A1C05DKHAZIYEI on 2007-08-23
  I preordered "Civ IV - Beyond the Sword" almost on a whim. I had also purchased the previous expansion, "Civ IV - Warlords" and had been very happy with it. I am very happy that I followed that whim. In my opinion, Civ IV is the best of the Civ series (which is saying a lot), and "Beyond the Sword" adds some very cool new features which increase the replayability (something very important to me).
  
  The first thing that caught my eye was the new civilizations and new leaders for existing civilizations. I had liked the civilizations and leaders added with Warlords, and these are just as good (my favorite from Warlords was the Vikings). I've tried the Dutch twice now and like them a lot! I can't wait to try a game as the Americans, led by Abraham Lincoln.
  
  As with Warlords, they also added new civ-specific units and some new units usable by all civs. The airship is a neat little air unit, usable by all, that you get around the same time you are getting Cavalry and Ironclads. It is supposed to be good at spotting Subs, but I wouldn't know since my opponent (the Celts led by Boudica) was using them against me while I still had wooden ships! The East Indiaman, a Dutch specific unit, is a vast improvement over the standard Galleon (2 more strength, 1 more carrying capacity), especially in games where control of the seas is a must. It can also be used in place of the Caravel since it can travel through enemy territory and neutrals without provoking war or requiring open borders. No wonder the Dutch became a trading empire!
  
  And of course, there are new buildings and some new wonders including the very frustrating (but also very powerful) Apostolic Palace (a medieval version of the UN). A word of advice on the Apostolic Palace: you must spread your state religion to at least one city in every civilization in order to make use of the voting feature! I had to research a lot of forum threads to figure this out. The Dutch (can you tell I like these guys?) get the Dike, an improved version of the Levee (new building). The Levee gives you an extra hammer on all river tiles, the Dike gives you an extra hammer on all river AND ocean tiles. Both can be built about the time you discover Coal.
  
  But the best feature in my opinion are the random world events. This truly makes every game a unique experience. Some events are good, some are bad, and some are competitive. There are a number of quests amongst these random events that you can attempt to complete for nice rewards (examples include build X number of Y unit type, build X number of buildings in your cities, or found/conquer at least 1 city on X number of continents). A bad event for your opponent is almost as nice as a good event for you. Many of the events seem to be tied to certain time periods, but some can reoccur over and over (surplus food, famous artist/musician, floods, fires, earthquakes). In one game I was invaded by the Goths (Axemen), and in another game by the Huns (Horse Archers)! I repelled both invasions, but it was challenging.
  
  Finally, they added more scenarios and more mods to "Beyond the Sword". I have not tried these yet, but I did play 2 of the scenarios from Warlords and enjoyed both so I am sure when I finish my current game I'll give some of these a try. I don't remember Mods from Warlords, so I'll throw in this explanation. A scenario is completely self-contained game, while a mod can be incorporated into a standard game at startup. Also, "Beyond the Sword" allows you to begin a game in a later epoch, using a point-buy feature to start with multiple cities, buildings, units and terrain improvements. This allows you to start in the medieval era, gunpowder era, and even modern era.
  
  If I had to find a complaint about "Beyond the Sword", it would be that not all the new features were fully explained in the Civilopedia. Or at least the interface wasn't fully explained. I had to discover some things through trial and error (like the later epoch start feature, or the Apostolic Palace). However, there are some great websites that can get you through this little difficulty (I recommend Civ Fanatics).
  
  I strongly recommend this expansion for anyone who enjoyed Civ IV and/or the Civ IV Warlords expansion. For 1/2 the price of most new computer games, this little expansion will get you to dust off a familiar game engine and at the same time give you the experience of a whole new game. If you are like me, you'll play it more than once to try all the new features! And I still haven't told you about all of them....
  
  WARNING: Be prepared to get drawn back into your little Civ world and lose track of many, many, many hours! Just like when you first got Civ IV, Civ III, Civ:CTP, or any of the other Civ products and expansions. You will not be disappointed.
  
  
• Beyond belief
  By A3TS4JF2UUH3E7 on 2008-02-11
  I liken this strategy game as being similar to the way you used to play monopoly in the good old days with some friends/ family. And about half way through the game you discover that all the other playing are 'unofficially' ganging up to force you out. They give each other free passes, advantages, whilst you are constantly trying to fight for your life. With some nasty players whose seemingly only object in the game is as a "griefer". I.e. As long as you lose thats all their interested in. Now when you do win that kind of game its a real accomplishment, but most of the time you just get very frustrated because the same rules don't apply to all. At heart the problem isn't so much that you have to fight in exasperating conditions as you don't really get to play the heart of the game and it degenerates to a grudge match.
  
  For example it's next to impossible on the normal/advanced level to win an early victory like an Alexander the great or a Julius Caesar might. Either the opponents you play just keeps on producing archer after archer (and other equally mono defensive units )or you go bankrupt even with a modest army/ empire trying to finish the last enemy city. Go beyond 4 cities and your penalized. Go beyond 5 units your screwed. Which means you are forced into long boring middle games, I liked the previous civ games concept in that you could occasionally go for broke and risk it all to gain an early victory.
  
  The AI cheats as well, it knows which square will produce a given resource even before it appears. It will trade techs between itself very easily but wont trade/swap yours. If it does trade you are again penalized/ short changed . It loves to randomly attack, even if you don't provoke a war. Hence Tonight as I was playing ALL the five other civs attacked during the middle game, ( it was 2 at a time minimum throughout the beginning )The whole lot aggro'd at once at critical stages. Note I was broke with a small army and 6 cities, but the the other civs had no problem with 20+ towns and producing wave after wave of 10 stack units, every second turn !!
  
  My main problem with the game is that it doesn't so much out think or
  out strategize's you, it has a simple plan, but merely penalizes your units/cities so that it can win. Especially at the higher levels, the AI doesn't get smarter, as it just gives itself more and more huge breaks. Not exactly value for money, having one AI fit all.
  
  Graphics are good and has some nice concepts, but no real depth in thinking for things like diplomacy, spying or trade.
  
  I enjoyed the CIV 2 & 3 games , as you didn't have to necessarily manipulate the game parameters in order to win at the highest levels. But in this expansion set I don't see how to get pass the AI except by doing the same cheating tricks it plays on you
  
  
• A 'must have'
  By A3HNWP1OFIAJ48 on 2007-08-23
  This expansion changes and improves almost every aspect of the vanilla product. It takes what you already love about the game and improves upon it by giving it additional breadth and playability. I particularly like the random events that insert themselves into the game. (However, if you don't like them, no problem, turn them off before the game starts.) If you were the type of player who enjoyed the floods, tornadoes, and Godzillas that would show up in Sim City, you will love them here.
  
  Much has been said about the 'Mods' that are included with the expansion both good and bad. Frankly some are clever, and others, not so much. They are a nice break from starting at the dawn of time and do allow you to have a life since they are faster to complete.
  
  A number of the new units and technologies will be familiar to those of you who have been playing earlier versions of the game. For instance, paratroopers are back! Also, those of us who fell in love with Alpha Centauri so many years ago are glad to see it have a place in the game.
  
  What is wrong with the expansion? My only real caveat is that if you are fairly new to the Civ universe and you found Civ IV too complex, you should skip this expansion. You always had to juggle a lot of competing interests and the expansion gives you a lot more to do. Also, and this is very picky, the end-of-game establishment of outposts in space was done in an expansion of Civ II. Grrrr. When the worst criticisms I can come up with are this minor, you know that this reviewer loved the product.
  
  Open up the wallet.
  
  
• install issues
  By A16HSXC3AQMWJ6 on 2008-03-28
  If you have window's vista do not buy this game. civ 4 gold edition is required to play civ 4 on windows vista. beyond the sword, however, in incompatable with civ 4 gold edition. during the install it says there is a newer version of civ 4 available and attempts to download. this always ends in an aborted download and install. after 6 months of talking to the support staff for this product i've given up. i am cosidering consulting a lawyer concering this product. they are falsely advertising it as compactable with window's vista and civ 4 gold edition. do not buy this if you have window's vista. it has been out for over a year and firaxis/take2games has done nothing to address this issue.
  
  
• Adds a lot to the late game, but systemic weaknesses remain
  By A1KGWUYXUBEMB2 on 2007-11-08
  
  
  Even more than the last Mod, in Beyond the Sword seeks to create a sort of Civ IV.V. In several ways they succeed: the new espionage feature adds an interesting element to the game, which judiciously used can give a player a serious edge. Likewise, Corporations, though criticized by many, add a level of excitement to the late game, which often comes down to just a race, and can further individualize a players strategy. Wanting to win a cultural victory? The Jewelry Company is gives you a considerable boost in culture. Going for a conquest or space race win? The production boost from certain corporations can make all the difference.
  
  Likewise, several of the new Civilizations and leaders added offer players interesting variety. The Holy Roman Empire and Ethiopia being particularly fun. Graphics have likewise been improved, particularly with regard to greater unit individualization for particular cultures (no more medieval looking Aztec knights!, though everything still looks the same in the 19th century and later part of the game).
  
  That said, many of the games weaknesses remain unaddressed. Certain Civilizations still have considerable advantages while others remain near useless. Likewise, as has always been true in the Civ series, geography remains as destiny, meaning that perhaps the biggest determinant of whether or not you are going to win depends on where you begin relative to other "players" and the locations of key resources (iron, stone, marble). If anything can address this problem, the Civ developers have yet to find it.
  
  On balance, those who enjoy Civ, especially those looking to squeeze a bit more fun out of the game will enjoy this module. One can only wonder what they will come up with for Civilization V.
  
  
  
• An awesome game to play! ...Except when it crashes
  By A3S3KUXLM5R2DL on 2007-08-13
  For as long as I have been playing the Civilization series I have been thinking of how great the games are, and how much greater they could be if they added some things. This expansion pack has added many of the things that I've been dreaming of! Random events, new units, civilizations, leaders, and buildings, corporations, advanced espionage, and the scenarios all combine to make this the one of the greatest computer games I have ever played!
  However, the game crashes often. By changing some of the graphic settings I've made it crash less, but it still does at times. Unless your computer has very good graphics, it's good to save often.
  Other than that, the game is stupendous and it will be hard for Firaxis to come up with more to add. If you're a fan of Civilizaion games, this is for you!
  
  
• Frankly ... I expected More :(
  By AV48ZTNIZM9OY on 2008-01-02
  
  The game is great but i never try any civ game before so from what i heard about civ 4 i expected something better than command and conquer something more action not only order all of your unit to do something and then press the red turn button . It's like CHESS game with some addition .
  
  The Idea of choosing a famous leader at the begining is great but they actually do nothing to the result of the game . They just ask for techonlogy , help and War .
  
  The fames stopped working with me many times allthough my laptop is new and very good one .
  
  you can start this game and finish it without killing any unit which is furstrating because there is 6 winning scenarios . One of them is Time winning (if you reach 2050 with the highest score you are winner).
  
  When you attack a city with a large army only one unit can fight at a time . Imagine that i lose about 6 cavalries to one maceman ...
  
  Near the end of the game you can creare air craft . Some of the are useless .
  
  The bottom line : I don't recommend this game to any one who like action strategies game like command and conquer but if you have heart deases or health problem you can buy this game because you adrenaline will never rush :)
  
  
• Recommended
  By A2NCSPA53VB4OK on 2008-05-25
  This expansion pack definitely adds to the game. Note that you don't need to buy the Warlords expansion as this includes the stuff that was in Warlords, except for the scenarios.
  
  If you enjoyed Civ4, you will enjoy it more with this expansion. It adds whole new strategies beyond what's in the plain vanilla Civ4.
  
  There are some downsides. I feel this expansion was never really completed. It feels more like a beta than a final product. There are some play balance issues with spies, and with corporations, that were never addressed in the patches. Even the final released patch, 3.13 is full of bugs. After you install it, you need to visit a Civ4 forum site where some guy has posted a fix to the official patch. You need to download and install that unofficial patch to the patch otherwise the game is unplayably buggy. I think it's pretty pathetic that a fan had to fix the game instead of the actual programmers working for Firaxis.
  
  But you still should buy it and enjoy it (after patching it as described above) despite the bad stuff. It's just a shame that it's merely a really good addition to Civ4 instead of what it might have been, the ultimate greatest strategy game ever.
  
  
• If you have a Dell, beware of this expansion pack
  By A3OU1Z8US97W0I on 2008-07-01
  I was a Civ IV fan through Warlords, but when I tried installing "Beyond the Sword" on my Dell Inspiron it wrecked the whole game. When I inserted the second installation disk, the computer locked up instead of finishing the installation. When I rebooted, I discovered that I couldn't remove the incomplete "Sword" expansion -- it didn't show up in the programs to uninstall -- and I couldn't reinstall it either (whenever I put the disk in it, it tries to start playing the game and then crashes). And now I can't play the earlier Civ games either because it just crashes. Since I've lost the original Civ IV installation disk, this means that I've spent $20 for the privilege of wrecking a game on my computer. If I could give it a minus star, I would.
  
  
• Lots of New Details and Eye Candy. Little gain in playability. Still Good
  By A20IIR0422G3A5 on 2008-08-01
  `Beyond the Sword' is the second upgrade to Firaxis' Games' title, `Sid Meier's Civilization IV', easily one of the top two or three most popular games, let alone strategy games, of all time on the PC. My impression is that the popular reaction to this upgrade is far more positive than to the first upgrade, named `Warriors'. And, it is quite true that this upgrade has much more to offer than `Warriors', but true to an upgrade rather than a `Civilization V', everything stays within the basic framework of the original game. But, Since `Civilization IV' was such a great advance over `Civilization III', this upgrade doesn't have to do a lot to sustain our interest. Should you have any doubts up to this point, I must assure you I am an avid `Civilization' fan, and it is virtually the only PC game I play, and I have been playing it since the release of `Civilization II'.
  The first change one sees is in the graphics which make up the world, its buildings, and the actors in this world. The art in general and the color and animation in particular are all notably richer. For ancient units, the same unit from different civilizations will be dressed differently, and this is not limited to the civilization specific units. Egyptian workers have the typical ancient Egyptian headgear, apron, and bare chest, while the northern Europeans are appropriately bundled up for the cooler weather. The landscape art is also seems much richer, especially when you zoom in.
  The biggest change to game play is the addition of corporations, which are developed and expanded with almost exactly the same mechanics as the game's religions. In fact, I'm sure they used the same code, but changed the names and the art. I have a sense that this addition, especially at lower difficulties, is not a great improvement. Creating a corporation requires the generation of an appropriate great person, and by the time you earn the Corporation advance, great people require so many points they are few and far between, not like the salad days of the ancient era. One `made up' objective I often try to accomplish is to found all the game's religions. And, with a little luck in finding an early settler in a village, this is quite doable at lower difficulties. On the other hand, I have yet to be able to create more than two out of the eight corporations. Another problem of their showing up late in the game is that they contribute only a small amount to money or culture toward winning objectives. I also miss the great graphics associated with building the world's religious centers. Why not add a feature to build corporate headquarters.
  Another major change to game play is the enhanced espionage mechanics. Spies arrive much earlier and opportunities for using them are greater. And yet, I don't see them doing what I would have expected to be their greatest virtue, turning cities over to your civilization by revolt. This goes together with the fact that it is far harder to turn a city than it was in `Civ III'. There, one could conquer a good quarter to a third of an enemy's cities with culture alone, even before firing a shot. `Civ IV' may be more realistic, but not as much fun in this area.
  The most welcome addition may be one of the least impressive. This is the addition of mobile artillery and blimps. One of the most dreadfully dull parts of combat between the catapult and aviation was the slow speed of siege weapons. Didn't the developers ever hear of the 19th century mobile artillery, dating back at least to Napoleon. The other side of the coin is the more realistic limitation on siege weapons. They can no longer capture cities or destroy units without assistance from infantry or cavalry.
  On addition I find to be great fun are the incidents which pop up randomly now and then. They rarely add a lot to gameplay, but they certainly make the experience more enjoyable. This is a feature which could stand much enhancement to good effect.
  My very favorite feature of this upgrade is the improved World Builder feature. On the one hand, this feature is literally an open opportunity to cheat until the cows come home. But, I am generally quite realistic in understanding that by custom terraforming the map and giving myself lots of free units in the beginning, I am simply not playing the game as Sid Meier intended. I am constructing my own starting and endpoints, and I simply do not always win according to my own conditions.
  Most of the other additions are `more of the same'. More civilizations and more leaders in familiar civilizations, and yet, none of the new additions have made me give up my trusty Indians under Ghandi, with their souped up workers.
  If you are any kind of fan of `Civilization XXX', get this upgrade and skip the `Warriors' upgrade. This has everything available in `Warriors'. If you are not a `Civilization' fan, this upgrade will not change your mind.
  
  
  
• Don't waste your money
  By AYYGW12M3WIMV on 2008-08-01
  The company sent out faulty disks that don't load. I've tried three different cds and all of them were useless. I'm tired of exchanging bad disks for more bad disks, this game is going in the trash.
  
  
• LOVE Civ IV...HATE long, protracted battle
  By A1SO8AE23KZ0HZ on 2008-08-03
  In terms of $$$ per hour of play, this has got to be the best deal in an expansion pack since Ultima VII!
  
  Did you ever load up Civ IV, then cringe when you up against a violence-prone leader like Salidin or Boudica? Groan, not more fighting to get in the way of my culture-based Civilization!
  
  "Beyond The Sword" can help make Civ IV fun again.
  
  This expansion pack adds lots of new AI personalities (example: Pericles the Greek, Sitting Bull the Native American (about time, too) and William of Orange of the Netherlands. You also get the "Great General" great person from Warlords, and lots of layered ways to win the game.
  
  "Diplomacy" can be a tricky way to win the game, but with BtS you can create Vassal states out of almost-vanquished opponents...leave a remnant of your enemy standing, and they become a puppet state that will vote your will.
  
  "Space Race" is much, much more complex
  
  "Corporations" are founded and spread in the same fashion as religions, if you don't care to form a Civilization based on Fundamentalist Taoism.
  
  Lots, and LOTS of special buildings and units. And I didn't even bother with the scenarios (the "Holy Roman Empire" one is a fav of mine.)
  
  Really fun, and strongly recommended!
  
  
• Some good, some bad
  By A8BDY250NM8HK on 2007-08-22
  Well they added Espionage and Coorperations, to wich seems to drive you away from the actual game itself at times, it is still fun and interesting, though some of it seems to be a little bit too much to grasp, being that the original game was so stream lined.
  
  Mod's and sceanarios are hit and mis, The space mod is very detailed and feels and play's like and entirely different game, they probably coulda sold this as a stand alone game and it woulda done well.
  
  Some of the new civilizations are pathetic, the Dutch come to mind... besides some involvement during piracy, there is realy not much to make them a worthy Civilization for a game. if you wanna include making windmill's.
  
  Overall a great add-on to the original, though some elements take away from the original gameplay, this is probably the most ground breaking expansive part of the Civ series to date.
  
  
• Great upgrade
  By A1MHIU7WILD1G9 on 2007-08-23
  This is a great upgrade for Civilization IV. The space race has been revised back to the previous game editions and is a fun way to win. The corporation option is also nice, acting similar to the relgious function in the games later stages. An enjoyable purchase.
  
  
• Technical problems
  By A7R44ZCEAOBTL on 2007-08-24
  Do not use this product if you use a TSST CD or DVD drive, the copy protection on the CD is incompatible with the drive. Although it may start correctly in some instances, more often than not it will attempt to load and ultimately fail. CHECK YOUR OPTICAL DRIVE BFORE BUYING! 2k and Firaxis support will do nothing to remedy the problem despite repeated e-mails!
  
  
• Civ4-Beyond the Sword
  By A2JU8W5S8MMCXT on 2007-08-26
  Great add-on to the classic Civ Series. A must for Civ Fans.
  Only problem I had is game crashed due to memory problems with video settings on 'high' (1280 X 1024). Lowering it to 1280 X 960 and shutting off the 'movies' solved the problem.
  Another 'just one more turn' type of game !
  
  
• Just keeps getting better
  By AR0M6DHCWU656 on 2007-09-01
  Been a fan of the series ever since the original and it just keeps getting better. Plenty of new stuff to keep you coming back for more
  
  
• Beyond The Sword
  By A2MR9T0TC8ZPUI on 2007-09-04
  This game is awesome! It makes CIV 4 a much better game to play! Anyone who is into stratagy games should try this game!
  
  
• Best Civilization Expansion Pack
  By A2PZXXPGLXXKZU on 2007-09-18
  This game is no doubt the best civilization pack I have ever played. It is also said to be the largest expansion pack for civilization ever. This pack is so big that I would say it could have been named Civilization 5. Its got lots of new techology advances, civilizations, units, game concepts and scenarios. One of my favorite scenarios was the final frontier. If your not sure about the game I would suggest downloading the demo. It offers you 75 turns in the final frontier scenario. If your a big Civiization fan than this a must have.
  
  
• Best Expansion Ever!
  By A3K5HSIHMBTFO9 on 2007-09-18
  I've got to say that this one of the best expansions I've ever seen in a video game! It's certainly a great value. It is almost like playing an entirely new game. The additions of the new wonders and corporations truly make a difference in the game. You'll love it!
  
  

• PC Gamer (1-year)

• Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Gold Edition
• Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords Expansion Pack
• Sid Meier's Civilization IV
• Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization
• Spore