WE HAVE ACQUIRED TECHNOLOGY!
“We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.”
-- Ursula K. Le Guin, Datalinks
“We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.”
-- Ursula K. Le Guin, Datalinks
A 4X game with a compelling story. How?!
Among the most immersive games I've played. It's like stepping into and inhabiting a great sci-fi novel. The personalities and ideologies of the leaders are so distinct and well-realized. The music, sound effects, voices, writing, everything comes together brilliantly to wrap me in its world.
More than just a sci-fi rebranding of Civ, it really is its own unique flavor with more narrative focus (somewhat reminiscent of Dune and other old sci-fi stories), more focus on leader strategies and ideologies, and some well-done chunky, StarCraft-esque aesthetics and intriguing animated/FMV cutscenes
This game shaped me as a person. When I was a kid I used to love playing the Gaians, committing bio-terrorism with mind worms and eco-bombs. Now as an adult, I like sending people improvised explosives in the mail.
Planet is my biatch, I bore holes in her all the time
The Evangelion of strategy games
“An Alien Entry”
“Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri” is generally agreed upon to be one of the more interesting and forward-thinking “Civilization” games, and for good reason. It contains some incredible writing quality, at times poetic in nature and disturbing in its imagery. Unfortunately, the gameplay side of things has not aged very well, and despite some writing that stands the test of time in its depth, the presentation of the game itself keeps it from being an experience that is easy to stomach. The poor UI and pretty much non-existent tutorial represents the worst of what the series has to offer, despite the writing quality far exceeding much of that release at the time.
This game’s presentation is f*cking ugly - there, I said it. Its mixture of unintuitive menus, ugly color palettes, and reliance on hotkeys to complete actions make it incredibly unbearable for a newcomer. The music is strange and mystifying, but also heavily uses synths at weird moments that doesn’t really ever give it a nice vibe to play the game with. The graphics are super pretty either, though that can be forgiven (the UI does not help at all though). A remake would absolutely be necessary to bring this game to a modern audience.
Additionally, there is no tutorial that is remotely helpful here. You’re basically thrown onto Alpha Centauri with little direction/goals (besides your faction’s information), and you must fend for yourself. The controls (specifically hotkeys) are referenced in the guidebook, but they aren’t expanded upon so you have to read/watch additional tutorials. I found this to be too time-consuming, and it slowed the pace of playing the game to a complete halt. Earlier “Civilization” titles had a really rough time with this stuff, but here it seems to be at its worst because of how many other advanced ideas this game has with its writing.
This game’s writing is astounding in many aspects. It explores numerous subjects: philosophy, scientific progress, sociology, religion, humanity, psychology, etc. The list can go on and on, and is easily this game’s distinguishing factor that puts it up there with some of the smartest games (in terms of writing) ever made. The quotes that are given are rich in detail, and would complement the gameplay very nicely (assuming you are able to figure it out). It’s a shame that the game surrounding this writing is so frustrating to play, and I think that a gameplay remake with the same writing would be tremendous for myself and other modern fans of the ideas this game pushes forward).
If this game had some more streamlined features, I would’ve been more willing to take a deeper dive into it. The writing is interesting and sophisticated, and is more forward thinking than other “Civilization” games because it looks into humanity's future. However, the game is just too convoluted for its own good, and the ugly UI and graphics keep it from being charming. This is definitely deserving of a remake, as the gameplay and visuals can easily be re-designed for a modern market. Therefore, I would Not Recommend playing this one unless you are patient enough to stick through it and learn each mechanic using outside resources. Otherwise, it's a game with quality writing that has had its long-term potential wasted.
Final Verdict: 2/10 (Bad)
“Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri” is generally agreed upon to be one of the more interesting and forward-thinking “Civilization” games, and for good reason. It contains some incredible writing quality, at times poetic in nature and disturbing in its imagery. Unfortunately, the gameplay side of things has not aged very well, and despite some writing that stands the test of time in its depth, the presentation of the game itself keeps it from being an experience that is easy to stomach. The poor UI and pretty much non-existent tutorial represents the worst of what the series has to offer, despite the writing quality far exceeding much of that release at the time.
This game’s presentation is f*cking ugly - there, I said it. Its mixture of unintuitive menus, ugly color palettes, and reliance on hotkeys to complete actions make it incredibly unbearable for a newcomer. The music is strange and mystifying, but also heavily uses synths at weird moments that doesn’t really ever give it a nice vibe to play the game with. The graphics are super pretty either, though that can be forgiven (the UI does not help at all though). A remake would absolutely be necessary to bring this game to a modern audience.
Additionally, there is no tutorial that is remotely helpful here. You’re basically thrown onto Alpha Centauri with little direction/goals (besides your faction’s information), and you must fend for yourself. The controls (specifically hotkeys) are referenced in the guidebook, but they aren’t expanded upon so you have to read/watch additional tutorials. I found this to be too time-consuming, and it slowed the pace of playing the game to a complete halt. Earlier “Civilization” titles had a really rough time with this stuff, but here it seems to be at its worst because of how many other advanced ideas this game has with its writing.
This game’s writing is astounding in many aspects. It explores numerous subjects: philosophy, scientific progress, sociology, religion, humanity, psychology, etc. The list can go on and on, and is easily this game’s distinguishing factor that puts it up there with some of the smartest games (in terms of writing) ever made. The quotes that are given are rich in detail, and would complement the gameplay very nicely (assuming you are able to figure it out). It’s a shame that the game surrounding this writing is so frustrating to play, and I think that a gameplay remake with the same writing would be tremendous for myself and other modern fans of the ideas this game pushes forward).
If this game had some more streamlined features, I would’ve been more willing to take a deeper dive into it. The writing is interesting and sophisticated, and is more forward thinking than other “Civilization” games because it looks into humanity's future. However, the game is just too convoluted for its own good, and the ugly UI and graphics keep it from being charming. This is definitely deserving of a remake, as the gameplay and visuals can easily be re-designed for a modern market. Therefore, I would Not Recommend playing this one unless you are patient enough to stick through it and learn each mechanic using outside resources. Otherwise, it's a game with quality writing that has had its long-term potential wasted.
Final Verdict: 2/10 (Bad)
I've discovered this game waaaay late in 2012. There are parts of this game that have aged, unfortunately, but...there are parts that are so unique and good, that to this day nothing out does it.
I have probably replayed this game more times over the years more than any other game. There's nothing else quite like it. The whole vibe so so great, the visuals own, the setting is wonderful. A lot of stuff really fell into place too once I finally read The Jesus Incident by Dune author Frank Herbet. The extensive manual mentions this in the back as one of the primary influences for the story and setting and they aren't lying! If you really love the setting of this game I highly recommend reading The Pandora Sequence series by Herbert, they are wild and amazing.
The Top of the top of Sci fi games, a Timeless Masterpiece, that influenced my sci fi imagination like no other game
Unbelievable how it's still unsurpassed to this day, it seems like every dev that has had the budget to imitate it hasn't been able to get it. Once in a century kinda stuff.
This is an utterly genius game.
Masterpiece
beautifully bleak game. turn off alien crossfire factions though they don't fit the original story
I don't like 4x games, but I like nwabudike morgan
We sit together,
the mountain and I
until only the mountain remains.
the mountain and I
until only the mountain remains.
A sort of the sequel to Civilization 2, SMAC is the most beautiful science fiction story I've ever seen. Not to be taken lightly, Alpha Centauri deals with heavy existential themes on essence of being, technology, the best way to lead society, and the way you lead your colonists has a gamut of awesome and terrifying power: You can construct anything from the worst technological dystopia to a utopia where all untold human suffering has been worth it, with flavour text and lore being backed by believable precedents and roots in real physics and biology.
For a canonical playthrough and the best first impression, play as Gaia's Stepdaughters, and shoot for Transcendence Victory. Let it envelop you entirely.
For a canonical playthrough and the best first impression, play as Gaia's Stepdaughters, and shoot for Transcendence Victory. Let it envelop you entirely.
Set 4X standards that were never met.
If I could only have one game for the rest of my life, this is it.