Don't Starve [Online Game Code]

Don't Starve

Don’t Starve is an uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic.

You play as Wilson, an intrepid Gentleman Scientist who has been trapped by a demon and transported to a mysterious wilderness world. Wilson must learn to exploit his environment and its inhabitants if he ever hopes to escape and find his way back home.

Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style. Play your way as you unravel the mysteries of this strange land.

Features:

• Uncompromising Survival & World Exploration: No instructions. No help. No hand holding. Start with nothing and craft, hunt, research, farm and fight to survive.
• Constant Updates: Join an active community that continues to help shape the game as new content is added!
• Dark and Whimsical Visuals: 2D characters and odd creatures inhabiting a unique 3D world.
• Randomly Generated New Worlds: Want a new map? No problem! At any time you can generate a new living and breathing world that hates you and wants you to die.

[NOTE : Currently, this item is available only to customers located in the United States and who have a U.S. billing address. ]

SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEWS –

1) One of a Kind - Don't Starve is a unique journey through a really terrifying nightmare. Survival is at the heart of the game play where construction, research, and luck are factors in your survival. Graphics are simple but very stylized and interesting.

My Steam library says I've played for 52 hours and that was even before the game's official release! My only complaint is that there isn't more to do and build and discover...I can easily imagine spending another 52 hours.

June 6, 2013

By Mike

2)A Great Game - My interest in this game was triggered by watching a high schooler play this on his laptop. I was immediately compelled by the sort of game I never realized could be popular in the new-fangled era of overly violent or else overly character-less games.

This, my friends, is an addictive game with a new atmosphere to it that's unlike anthing I've been aware of. One thing I love about this game is its customization- I could chose Wilson for better winter survival, Woodie for a constant tool, etc. and I could add and reduce monsters and resources. Another thing I love is how each character has their own set of interesting and funny lines for various circumstances and how each one's speech is also represented by a specific instrument.

 September 15, 2013

By missmouse7

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CLICK here >Don't Starve [Online Game Code]

Final Fantasy IV : The After Years [Online Game Code]

Now with a full 3-D remake, FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS can be played as never before on PC. Take part in the epic sequel that unfolds nearly two decades after the events of FINAL FANTASY IV. Classic characters make their return alongside several new heroes, such as Ceodore, son of Cecil and Rosa.
 

Seventeen years have passed since the war's end, and the son born to King Cecil and Queen Rosa of Baron has grown into a young man. Prince Ceodore has enlisted in the airship fleet known as the Red Wings, eager to meet the expectations demanded of his blood and station. Yet once more another moon has appeared in the sky, and with it vast hordes of monsters intent on destruction. The brief peace enjoyed by the Blue Planet now stands threatened under the shadow of impending catastrophe.

Ten Playable Tales

Begin your journey with "Ceodore's Tale." Complete it to unlock the tales of six additional characters, which can be played in any order, and then return to the core story with "Kain's Tale," "The Lunarian's Tale," and "The Crystals." A total of ten tales in all, and all contained in FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS.

Active Time Battle

Take control of exhilarating combat made possible by the non-stop action in Square Enix's iconic battle system.

Lunar Phases

Feel the moon's presence in combat, as its waxing and waning influences the potency of attacks and abilities of all combatants. Lunar phases cycle naturally with the passage of in-game time, or when resting at an inn, tent, or cottage.

Band Abilities

Combine the strength of your party members to awesome effect with Band abilities that can be unlocked through in-game events or by levelling your characters' Affinity.

Minimap

Keep an eye on your current location and nearby surroundings, or click for quick access to the world map.

Includes STEAM Trading cards and achievements! 

2008, 2015 SQUARE ENIX CO.,LTD. All Rights Reserved. 

THE AFTER YEARS is a registered trademark or trademark of Square Enix Co., Ltd.
 

FINAL FANTASY, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

System Requirements:

• Supported OS: Windows 8   Windows 7   .      
• Processor: Pentium 4 2.4 GHz.
• RAM: 2 GB RAM.
• Hard Disk: 950 MB available space.
• Additional Requirements: Direct X Version 10.

Steam account required for game activation and installation.

[NOTE : This item will be available on May 12, 2015 at 12:00 AM (US/Pacific)

Pre-order now! Currently, this item is available only to customers located in the United States and who have a U.S. billing address. Access your content the minute it comes out. ]

[TO PURCHASE]

CLICK here >Final Fantasy IV : The After Years [Online Game Code]

Project CARS

Project CARS is the ultimate driver journey! Guided, tested, and approved by a passionate community of racing fans and real-life drivers, Project CARS represents the next-generation of racing simulation as the ultimate combination of fan desire and developer expertise. Discover an unrivaled immersion fueled by world-class graphics and handling that allows you to truly feel the road. Create a driver, pick from a huge variety of motorsports in a dynamic career mode and write your own tale in an intense online multiplayer. Featuring the largest track roster of any recent racing game with a ground-breaking dynamic time of day & weather system, deep tuning and pit stop functionality, and support for Oculus Rift and 12K ultra HD resolution, Project CARS leaves the competition behind in the dust. The digital edition of Project CARS also includes the Limited Edition upgrade DLC pack, unlocking 5 legendary cars drivable in any game mode and showcased with special one-make series within your career! • Ford GT40 Mk IV • BMW M1 Pro Car • McLaren F1 • Sauber C9 • Mercedes-Benz AMG C-Coupe DTM • BEYOND REALITY: Next-gen graphics, authentic handling, playable via Oculus Rift and 12K Ultra HD resolution • BY RACERS 4 RACERS: Guided, tested and approved by fans and pilots for the perfect gameplay balance • YOUR CHOICES, YOUR VICTORIES: Master a variety of motorsports and unprecedented track roster in a sandbox career mode

Steam account required for game activation and installation.

System Requirements:

• Supported OS:   [Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista]
• Processor:   2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400, 3.0 GHz AMD Phenom II X4 940.
• RAM:   4GB.
• Hard Disk:   25GB Available Space.
• Video Card:   nVidia GTX 260, ATI Radeon HD 5770.
• Additional Requirements:   For racing wheel support check: http://www.projectcarsgame.com/beyond-reality.html

Recommended System Requirements:

• Recommended Processor:   3.5 GHz Intel Core i7 3700, 4.0 GHz AMD FX-8350.
• Recommended RAM:   8GB.
• Recommended Video Card:   GT600 series, AMD Radeon HD7000 series.

FEATURES -

• BEYOND REALITY: Next-gen graphics, authentic handling, playable via Oculus Rift and 12K Ultra HD resolution.
• BY RACERS 4 RACERS: Guided, tested and approved by fans and pilots for the perfect gameplay balance.
• YOUR CHOICES, YOUR VICTORIES: Master a variety of motorsports and unprecedented track roster in a sandbox career mode.

[NOTE :This item will be available on May 7, 2015 at 12:00 AM (US/Pacific)
Pre-order now! Currently, this item is available only to customers located in the United States and who have a U.S. billing address. Access your content the minute it comes out.]

[TO PURCHASE]

CLICK here >Project CARS [Download]

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood [Online Game Code]

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a standalone prequel to the critically acclaimed first-person action-adventure shooter, Wolfenstein: The New Order. The adventure, which spans eight chapters and two interconnected stories, features the hallmarks of MachineGames – thrilling action, immersive story and intense first-person combat. As war hero B.J. Blazkowicz, arm yourself with new weapons such as the bolt-action rifle and grenade-launching Kampfpistole as you attempt to thwart the advancing Nazi war machine, and take advantage of duel-wielding pipes that can be used for wall climbing – or for vicious take-downs of never-before-seen Nazi adversaries. 

STORY 
 

The year is 1946 and the Nazis are on the brink of winning World War II. In an effort to turn the tide in the allies’ favor, B.J. Blazkowicz must embark on an epic, two-part mission deep within Bavaria…. 

Part one of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood - Rudi Jäger and the Den of Wolves - pits BJ Blazkowicz against a maniacal prison warden as he breaks into Castle Wolfenstein in an attempt to steal the coordinates to General Deathshead’s compound. In part two – The Dark Secrets of Helga Von Schabbs – our hero's search for the coordinates leads him to the city of Wulfburg where an obsessed Nazi archaeologist is exhuming mysterious artifacts that threaten to unleash a dark and ancient power.
 

System Requirements: 

MINIMUM: 

OS: 64-bit Windows 7/Windows 8 .

Processor: Intel Core i5-2500 @ 3.3 GHz / AMD FX-8320 @ 3.5 GHz .

Memory: 4 GB RAM .

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 / AMD Radeon™ HD 6870 (1GB VRAM) .

Hard Drive: 38 GB available space.

RECOMMENDED: 

OS: 64-Bit Windows 7/Windows 8 .

Processor: Intel Core™ i7 / AMD FX-8350 .

Memory: 8 GB RAM. 

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 / AMD Radeon R9 280 (3GB or more VRAM). 

Hard Drive: 38 GB available space.

Steam account required for game activation and installation.

[NOTE : This item will be available on May 5, 2015 at 12:00 AM (US/Pacific)

Pre-order now! Currently, this item is available only to customers located in the United States and who have a U.S. billing address. ]

FEATURES -

• The Action! Experience MachineGames' intense first-person combat as you brandish all-new Nazi-inspired weapons such as the bolt-action rifle, 1946 shotgun, and the grenade-launching Kampfpistole. Unlock your potential with a new set of perks for hi-octane action and vicious stealth take-downs.
• The Adventure! Explore breath-taking set pieces featuring rural Germanic towns, sprawling valleys tangled with cable cars and bridges, ghostly catacombs, as well as a return to the iconic Castle Wolfenstein. Use dual-wielding metal pipes to navigate the world with brand new wall-climbing abilities.
• The Terror! Go up against a new cast of vicious villains and enemies, including legions of hulking new Super Soldiers, elite shock troops, drones and the darkest and most terrifying Nazi creations yet.

[TO PURCHASE]

CLICK here >Wolfenstein: The Old Blood [Online Game Code]

Dying Light [Online Game Code]

Dying Light is a first-person, action survival horror game set in a vast and dangerous open world. During the day, players traverse an expansive urban environment overrun by a vicious outbreak, scavenging the world for supplies and crafting weapons to defend against the growing infected population. 

At night, the hunter becomes the hunted, as the infected become aggressive and more dangerous. Most frightening are the predators which only appear after sundown. Players must use everything in their power to survive until the morning’s first light.

Good Night. Good Luck. Shop Amazon - Gift Ideas in Toys & Games


PRODUCT FEATURES:

• Survive the Night – During the day, players roam free and scavenge for supplies and weapons. But at night, the world undergoes a deadly transformation: the hunter becomes the hunted as the infected grow more aggressive and numerous, and something far more sinister awakens to stalk its prey.

• Free Running Movement – Whether tracking prey or escaping predators, Dying Light lets players swiftly navigate the world by seamlessly leaping between buildings, grappling up walls and pouncing on unsuspecting enemies.

• Welcome to the Quarantine – Dying Light is set in a vast open world, delivering expansive and varied environments, a wide variety of enemy classes and a hopeless tale of survival where resources are scarce and the infected are not the only threat.

• Brutal Melee and Ranged Combat – get up-close using a variety of light and heavy weapons including knives, bats, axes, sledgehammers and more exotic weaponry or utilize guns and other firepower to take down enemies from a distance.

• Choose Your Play Style – Dying Light features four playable characters that can be fully customized and upgraded to match any play style.

• Craft Your Weapon – Why use a wrench when you can use a wrench wrapped in electrified barb wire? Dying Light’s sizeable crafting system enables players to create a slew of new, more potent weapons and equipment, as well as specialized ammunition.

• Breathtaking Visuals and Gameplay – Dying Light is the first game powered by Chrome Engine 6, a cutting edge incarnation of Techland’s proprietary technology, designed from the ground up for the new console generation, DirectX 11 and other advanced solutions.

Minimum System Requirements:

• Supported OS:Windows 7 64-bit / Windows 8 64-bit / Windows 8.1 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i5-2500 @3.3 GHz / AMD FX-8320 @3.5 GHz
• RAM: 4 GB RAM DDR3
• Hard Disk: 40 GB
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 / AMD Radeon HD 6870 (1GB VRAM)
• DirectX: Version 11
• Sound: DirectX compatible
• Additional Info: Laptop versions of graphics cards may work but are NOT officially supported. Windows-compatible keyboard, mouse, optional controller (Xbox 360 Controller for Windows recommended).

Recommended System Requirements:

• Supported OS:Windows 7 64-bit / Windows 8 64-bit / Windows 8.1 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K @3.4 GHz / AMD FX-8350 @4.0 GHz
• RAM: 8 GB RAM DDR3
• Hard Disk: 40 GB
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 / AMD Radeon R9 290 (2GB VRAM)
• DirectX: Version 11
• Sound: DirectX compatible
• Additional Info: Laptop versions of graphics cards may work but are NOT officially supported. Windows-compatible keyboard, mouse, optional controller (Xbox 360 Controller for Windows recommended).

Steam account required for game activation and installation.

SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEWS – 

1) Dying Light First Impressions - As with just about every single other person, I did not like Dead Island. Which killed me, because on paper, it seemed perfect. Skyrim with zombies? What more do you need in life?! But I just did not care for it. To be completely fair, I never finished it, I only probably made it a quarter of the way through the game, but I just found it dull and lifeless. Dying Light has been a much better experience for me so far. I went into this game with little expectations, and have found myself having a lot of fun and enjoying myself immensely. I only got to play for about 2 hours or so, but here's what I found that I liked and disliked from those two hours.

Pros:
- This one is kind of silly, but something that pleased me. When you look down, you actually see your legs. I don't know what it is, but it irks me to no end to play a first person shooter, and not be able to look down and see my legs. So small brownie points for that.
- As you bash away at zombie heads with your lead pipes, you can actually see them degrade. I like this. It gets more mangled, you see little pieces break off, and I think that just adds to the immersion of the game.
- The graphics are phenomenal. All these people talking about bad graphics on PC obviously don't have the rigs to run them, because the game is beautiful, but in particular the particle effects, the shadows, and the lighting. I was very impressed with it so far.
- It's a fairly solid PC port. I'm running it on a 4770 and a 970, and I can maintain a fairly steady 60 frames per second. There is some noticeable stuttering, but not anywhere near enough to stop me from playing the game, and I imagine that it will be patched within the coming weeks to run better. One word of caution is that I hear that it runs like absolute poop on anything AMD, so keep that in mind as you think about purchasing it.
- The voice acting is actually pretty decent. Obviously it's not The Last of Us level voice acting, but it actually sounds like they put some work into it, and the main character actually personality, unlike Far cry 4.
- When you decapitate/smash a zombie's head, the blood will actually pool pretty realistically around the severed neck, and I really like that.
- Your abilities level up as you use them. There are 3 main skill trees, Survivor, Agility, and Power I believe. Agility levels up as you run and jump everywhere, Power levels up as you fight and kill things, and survivor levels up as you do quests, and I like this just because I feel like it really gives you the freedom to go where you want to go, and level up what you want to level up.
- The story

The Cons:
- This one really bothers me, honestly. Not only are the voices slightly out of sync with the mouth movements, the mouth movements are seriously like from the PS2 era. The people's mouths just awkwardly open and close without any real rhyme or reason to it, and it just seems like lazy work to me. Not enough to take off a star, but it is bad enough that I wanted to note it.
- The story

Wait... why did I list the story under both categories, you ask? Because I can't decide if it's a pro or a con yet. Like I said, I'm only a few hours in, and so far the story seems pretty standard. I like to compare this game to Far Cry 4 in the sense that it doesn't do anything new, but what it does it does very well. The story isn't anything new or innovative, but sometimes it doesn't have to be. Sometimes you go to the movies just to see a movie about explosions and action, and when you get out you really enjoy it. It doesn't break out of the standard "formula", but it works the formula really well. So only time will tell if the story is better, or if it was more of a sad attempt at adding a story to an open world zombie game.

Overall, I've been very pleased so far. It doesn't feel like Dead Island mixed with parkour, it really feels like its own game. You can definitely see and feel the Dead Island influences on it, but it doesn't feel like Dead Island 2.0 with parkour, as I previously stated. I'm really excited to get home from work and play again, so that means something! I'll keep tabs and update my review as I find more things that I like/dislike about the game. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask! :).

 January 28, 2015

By Taylor

2) Can You Survive Dying Light?  - Ok. So anyone who knows me knows that I love a good zombie game. They also know that I love a good FPS title. But with the exception of the Left 4 Dead series of games, I rarely have found a first-person zombie fest that has kept my attention. Well, for those of you who find yourself in the same predicament, I have found your solution. Dying Light has brought back the fun of a great survival horror game and even added in a little different twist to it.

The game starts with a news briefing about the city of Harran that has been infected by an unknown virus. So the government decided to build a hasty wall around the city and quarantine everyone in it. The only trouble is that the rest of the world started helping the ones who had survived and were trapped inside the quarantine wall. They air-dropped food, supplies and most importantly, antizen. Antizen is the medication that helps keep you human longer once you’ve been bitten by an infected person. But in order to get the antizen that gets dropped in, you have to fight your way through a growing number of zombies that are very keen to motion on their level and sound. They like to pack up and chase down whatever piques their interest.

That’s where things get a little fresh. For those of you who loved Mirror’s Edge, you can rest easy knowing that you have found a new home for intense, first-person parkour action. The only two ways to survive in Harran are killing the infected or running, but you can’t just run on the streets, they belong to the infected. You have to use everything in your environment to your advantage. The traversal techniques and controls take a little getting used to, but once you do, you can mad-dash your way through the city and attack an enemy and then disappear.

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More Special Features...

The whole point of your being in Harran in the first place is to find the would-be leader of the city, who has gone rogue and stolen top-secret documents concerning the origins of the virus as well as the early-stage vaccine trials. So you parachute your way into town, only to land and get your ass kicked by some locals. Then you get saved by someone else after you uncork a couple of pistol rounds that bring the zombies in herds. You get rescued by a guy and a girl and the guy dies trying to save you. Once you get to safety, you realize that you have infiltrated a survivor and now switch to using them as a cover so you can work your way in close to the leader and the documents. But will you view things the same way as you near your objective? Well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself.

Now that the story bit is out of the way, let’s talk shop for a minute, beginning with the most evident thing, the graphics. I have to tell you that I am truly blown away by how gorgeous this game looks. From every angle and every vantage point, the sprawling, desolate city has been created in vivid detail and the lighting effects help to create a sense of realism to your plight that can even make you feel a little like this event could actually happen. Or at least, if it did happen, this is what a decimated major city would look like. There were a few framerate issues during early gameplay, but they could have been due to the fact that the game was installing while I was playing it. But even still, the issues were there. However, apart from this one little thing, I found no other fault with the graphical content. Animations were fluid and timely and well-synced with the voice audio and atmospheric audio.

And since we’re on the topic of audio, let’s get deeper into that. The voice acting is top-drawer for this title. Seriously, this is some of the better voice acting I have heard in a long time. The voices aided in fleshing out the characters and made them memorable–which is a good thing since you spend most of your time listening to them on a radio, rather than actually seeing them. Beyond the voice audio the soundtrack is incredibly well done. It helps to add to the overall effect of whatever is going on at the moment but is ambient enough to not become a distractor. There was a time or two that I thought things got a little loud, but that’s a personal thing more than a technical issue. So overall, I think that the audio couldn’t have been any more spot-on than it was.

Next let’s talk control. As previously stated, this game introduces a first-person parkour traversal system that can either be a huge asset, or your worst nightmare. I am not going to lie to you–if you have never played a game in first-person with super-fast movements and vertical movement as well as horizontal, you may be in for a surprise. You might even need some Dramamine before attempting this one. The pacing is frenetic at best when you are trying to escape the hordes of undead while trying to secure food and supplies. The controls take a little bit to get used to and I feel like some of the buttons are a little counter-intuitive in their placement (but that may be because I have been playing a solid amount of Assassin’s Creed IV lately as well). Be that as it may, once you get the hang of it, you can literally fly your way through line after line of traversals that will put a huge amount of distance between you and your assailants.

January 29, 2015

By Evilsushipirate

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Dying Light [Online Game Code]

Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth

Pre-purchase Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth and receive the Exoplanets Map Pack for free.
The Exoplanets Map Pack includes six custom maps inspired by real-world exoplanets. Specialized scripts produce randomized geographic layouts each time a new game begins, allowing for even more replayability on new alien worlds. 

• Kepler 186f: This lush forest planet is one of the oldest known Earth-like planets.
• Rigil Khantoris Bb: Orbiting the closest star to the solar system, the historical records of this arid continental planet’s settlement are well-preserved.
• Tau Ceti d: This planet of seas and archipelagos features a booming biodiversity and a wealth of resources.
• Mu Arae f: Tidally locked in orbit around a weak star, the southern hemisphere of this planet is a blistering desert where the sun never sets, while the northern hemisphere is perpetually in frozen darkness.
• 82 Eridani e: An alien world of scarce water and wracked by tectonic forces.
• Eta Vulpeculae b: A mysterious new discovery with unknown terrain.

Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth is a new science-fiction-themed entry into the award-winning Civilization series. Set in the future, global events have destabilized the world leading to a collapse of modern society, a new world order and an uncertain future for humanity. As the human race struggles to recover, the re-developed nations focus their resources on deep space travel to chart a new beginning for mankind.

As part of an expedition sent to find a home beyond Earth, you will write the next chapter for humanity as you lead your people into a new frontier and create a new civilization in space. Explore and colonize an alien planet, research new technologies, amass mighty armies, build incredible Wonders and shape the face of your new world. As you embark on your journey you must make critical decisions. From your choice of sponsor and the make-up of your colony, to the ultimate path you choose for your civilization, every decision opens up new possibilities.

FEATURES -

• Seed the Adventure: Establish your national identity, choosing one of eight different factions, each with its own unique gameplay benefits. Craft your expedition by assembling your spacecraft, cargo & colonists through a series of choices that directly seed the starting conditions when arriving at the new planet. A new quest system guides you as you begin your journey.
• Colonize an Alien World: Explore the dangers and benefits of a new planet filled with alien terrain, resources, and hostile life forms unlike those of Earth. Build outposts, establish trade routes and develop flourishing cities to create prosperity for your people.
• Technology Web: To reflect progress forward into an uncertain future, technology advancement occurs through a series of nonlinear choices that affect the development of mankind.
• Orbital Layer: Build and deploy advanced military, economic and scientific units that provide strategic offensive, defensive and support capabilities from orbit.
• Unit Customization: Unlock different upgrades through the tech web and customize your units to reflect your play style.
• Contend with Rivals: Wage war, form diplomatic alliances, and engage in espionage in your path to victory against other factions, each with its own leader and different gameplay style.
• Multiplayer: Up to 8 players can compete for dominance of a new alien world.
• Mod support: Robust mod support allows you to customize and extend your game experience.

Minimum System Requirements:

• Supported OS: Windows Vista SP2/7.
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.0 GHz.
• Memory: 2 GB RAM.
• Graphics: 256 MB ATI HD3650 or better, 256 MB nVidia 8800 GT or better, or Intel HD 3000 or better integrated graphics.
• DirectX: Version 11.
• Hard Drive: 8 GB available space.
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c‐compatible sound card.
• Additional Notes: Other Requirements: Initial installation requires one-time Internet connection for Steam authentication; software installations required (included with the game) include Steam Client, Microsoft Visual C++2012 Runtime Libraries and Microsoft DirectX.

Recommended System Requirements:

• OS: Windows Vista SP2 / 7.
• Processor: 1.8 GHz Quad Core CPU.
• Memory: 4 GB RAM.
• Graphics: AMD HD5000 series or better (or ATI R9 series for Mantle support), nVidia GT400 series or better, or Intel IvyBridge or better integrated graphics.
• DirectX: Version 11.
• Hard Drive: 8 GB available space.
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c‐compatible sound card.

Steam account required for game activation and installation.

SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEWS – 

1) Launch day issues...UPDATED with first impression/review. - UPDATED: 10/27

Typical issues rampant on launch day PC games now a days.

High resolution support is STILL(10/27)bugged for some(ie: 1920x1080) 2K/Firaxis are aware(https://twitter.com/CivGame/status/525444246372114432)of the bug as this is not intended, but still, how does something like a pretty standard resolution like 1920x1080 end up missing from the launch build, and not a single tester caught it???
Looks like garbage on low resolution(s), so I'll update how I feel about Civ:BE after they patch/update it.

It's stuff like this that slowly drains my patience with the state of the gaming industry, and it's not isolated to PC games either, it's industry wide. QA has taken a back seat, at our expense.

EDIT: A "work-around" for the lack of Fullscreen 1080 support is: run in windowed mode, however this isn't borderless windowed mode, it's crappy windowed mode, but for now it's better than low res.

UPDATE: After an hour or so of playing:

Gameplay: Nearly identical to Civilization games before it, but has an amazing number of choices that shape your Civilization, that put Civ5 to shame. Unlike Civ5, Beyond Earth really makes you work for what you accomplish, you cannot simply make blind choices, or send out scouts/explorers without significant risk.

So far, I've been trying to learn about the Alien species on the planet I chose, rather than being combative, and I'm finding it to be quite challenging, as some species rattle your nerves in their size and potential threat. I have taken precautions though by placing Marine's along trade routes and my colonies.

Diplomacy seems to have gotten a major overhaul, other Civs are no longer unreasonable jerks like they were in Civ5, that's not to say that some personalities other Civs have are as cooperative, but it's a major improvement in my opinion.

Controls: Very similar to Civ5, though some options are either missing, bugged, or non-functional in the windowed mode all users seeking a 1080 resolution have to deal with until the patch is released. For example, edge scrolling seems to be missing or non-functional in windowed mode(even with the mouse cursor bound to the game).

Presentation: Very slick interface, plenty of onscreen info to keep you informed and able.

The Civs/Advisor/Sponsor etc, do not have any info other than perks ie: +1 food from desert tiles. At least there is little to no info/bio available at the moment, as it could be yet another bug.

The Virtues and Research tree/web is wonderful, and is very clear in explaining what you will get out of your choices.

Audio: As always, Firaxis has outdone themselves with another fantastic soundtrack, the music fits the sci-fi elements of the game and changes depending on situations you find yourself in.

Sound effects are much better than previous Civ titles, not just in quality, but also in the creativity the sound designers put into creating unique effects that despite having similarities to sci-fi media we love, still feels original to this experience.

Graphics/Performance: Art design as seen in trailers/gameplay/interviews, really pops, and continues to amaze me. The artists really outdid themselves with Beyond Earth. The tiles are much more alive in appearance than previous Civ games, not just visually but audibly as well.

The textures are all top notch, and the character/structure/environment models look beautiful even when zoomed in.

My PC- AMD 8350 4.4ghz, 32GB DDR3, 780ti, runs flawlessly, no hiccups in fps, no stuttering. Installed on an SSD, the load times are great.

As I said above in my initial post, Beyond Earth has some bugs(mostly typical things we gamers have to deal with now on launch day(s)), Firaxis is aware, and are working on getting a patch to us ASAP. But until the patch I'd suggest you wait until the bugs are cleaned up, before purchasing Beyond Earth(unless you can overlook the bugs), but once it gets patched I'd suggest you pick this game up, especially if you're a CIV fan, or have been hoping for a modern Alpha Centauri experience.

UPDATE: The missing high resolution options in Fullscreen mode have still not received a hotfix/patch from Firaxis. Some users have reported using 3rd party programs to force the resolution they need, and some have used them to force a borderless windowed mode for 1920x1080.

Completed my first play-through, and as a result, I've taken my rating from 4 stars to 3 stars. I lost, but it didn't exactly explain how or why(apparently Firaxis/2K are aware of this as well, whether a bug or oversight idk).

The more I've played the more I've gotten irritated. Remember City-States from Civ 5? Remember how you could disable them? Well in Beyond Earth, they have "Stations", you cannot disable them, and they frequently get in your way, sometimes even setting up shop where you're literally about to start a new colony.

I also had an AI Civ make planetfall and start within 10 tiles from me...ON A MASSIVE PLANET, it's like the person that sits next to you in a theater that's practically empty.

There is also a "timed victory" condition you've no control over through the game's options, you have to go into .xml files to change this.

I advise anyone considering purchasing this "AAA" title to visit the Steam forums to get an idea of what's going on with Beyond Earth. Some people are nitpicky or let hype get the best of them, but a good amount of the complaints are valid, and the bugs are piling up. I really and genuinely felt that Firaxis learned from the Civ5 launch, I was wrong. This game will likely be worth purchasing after months of patching.

October 23, 2014

By impressivesir

2) Better than I expected but Civ 5 is still better. - I purchased this game from a position of already being underwhelmed. I had watched the pre-release videos on Youtube, found out who the civs were going to be and was pretty uninspired to begin with. Personally I don't like the civilizations they created for this game, and prepare for a lot of your favourite "nations" to be missing from the rather thin line-up of playable nations. That being said, with my initial expectations perhaps being lower than other people, I played the game. The first play through I thought I would just have a quick game, but found myself having played 4 hours in a blink of an eye without even noticing the time going by. The game is very addictive and the game play is actually better than I expected.

The setting up of a game is quite well thought out, allowing you to customize starting bonuses for your chosen civ and map type. This can be important depending upon the type of map you play, for example, playing a water world may prompt you to select the option which reveals coastlines on your new planet. Once the game starts, you select the tile you want your rover/first city to land on, and then you are ready to go.

There are those who will say that this game is a Civ 5 reskin, which in some ways is true since the engine, graphics and UI aspects are similar to the predecessor, I would however argue that the game play is new and different. Early on in the game, I found myself not even really bothered or concerned about the rival civs landing on the planet, because the main concern early on is establishing your first cities and dealing with the aliens. The aliens are vast in number and how you treat them often determines how they treat you, either aggressively or passively. Aliens will always attack units which get too close to their nests, which may force your hand as a player if you need to expand in an area where alien nests exists. This initial alien threat, which is far more engaging than the "barbarians" of previous games, creates a tension between whether to develop your economy, or the need to upgrade and create soldiers, and finding the balance is key to success early on.

Originally I was concerned that the tech tree web would be messy and difficult to navigate because rather than being linear, it starts from the middle like a web and you work your way out, however this actually works and added a level of tension and strategy to the game, making decisions more significant in shaping your empire. I really like the virtue system which is a whole new layer of decision making to supplement the tech tree. The virtue system is a lot like the "social policy" system of previous games however it seems to me to be better thought out because there is a decision to make about advancing broadly or focusing heavily on one virtue type. Players are equally rewarded for choosing a balanced broad approach as they are for choosing a narrow approach.

As you progress to mid game, around 150 turns in, your empire will start to feel more confident and the alien threat will subside as you start to make progress on "affinities" which are unlocked in the tech tree. Affinities shape your empire in either a purity, harmony or supremacy path with each bringing military unit upgrades. These upgrades allow you to more easily deal with aliens than the early units that are available when you first start the game. At this point on, your focus will be less on the aliens and more on your rival players. Depending on the luck of your initial location and your expansion success, you will now have a measure of how you are doing compared to your rivals. In my first game, with 2 large continents, I completely colonized my side and then landed towns on their continent, allowing me to win out. In another game I played on a larger Pangaea-like continent where me and the AI were pretty much even in our land acquisition at the mid-late game.

In conclusion I would say that if you start out with expectations that this game will be inferior to Civ 5 as I did, then you will likely be pleasantly surprised and enjoy the game. If however you were very excited about this game, then you might be disappointed. The problem these days is that the marketing department for game developers are far more skillful at hype and generating buzz for a game than back in the early days in the 90s. In the 90s, games were released and they were usually pretty good on release. Nowadays it seems there is so much hype, which builds expectations high in order to secure those pre-release $$$s, only then to disappoint people when the game comes out and is either not as cool as hyped or has bugs and issues. I have read forums where other people have been facing issues with this game on their systems due to screen resolution and crash issues, fortunately I cannot comment on this since I have had no crash or play issues on my computer. One other gripe I want to mention is the whole DLC issue. As I stated earlier in the review, I was pretty disappointed with the boring and thin in number civilizations which are on offer in this game. If for example you are looking to play as a British or Scandinavian or even German like civ then forget it because they don't exist, and even countries you would demand like the USA are represented as the dull "American Reclamation Corporation" with an equally dull civ leader that doesn't look very American, lets say. Obviously, this lack of civs is something they will of course fix with lots of $$$ making DLCs. It is quite annoying when we keep being sold these half finished games only then to be sold the rest of the game in small DLC pieces. While DLCs are reasonable in price, it seems like a principle here is at the heart of the matter. Going back to that 90s golden age I keep mentioning, back then you purchased a game and you got the whole thing, not something which was incomplete on release and then made better if you pay out more $$$s. Also back in the 90s, games were almost half the price too!

So my final words on this game are that it exceeded my expectations but only because I did my homework before buying the game and so my expectations were perhaps lower than others who are now disappointed. I am sure the game will improve with DLCs and balancing, and the mods available on the steam workshop always add to the experience of games which are mod friendly like the Civ games are. In my opinion, Civilization 5 is still the very best of the Civilization series, and my 1326 hours of gameplay on that game, (according to steam), are testament to that game, (and my lack of anything more productive to do with my time :) ). If you are new to Civilization, buy Civ 5 first before you buy this one.

***UPDATE***

I wanted to add a few specifics that I forgot to mention regarding things that need work in the game:

1) Release world builder for the SDK tools ASAP - This is a must for allowing people to create their own maps and scenarios and is not yet available in the SDK tools.

2) Wonders artwork needs to be improved, the whole look of it is too clinical and nowhere near as beautiful as Civ 5.

3) More Civs please! The game is Civilization and yet the current civs are few in number and rather dull at that. In fact a great tool for DLC would be some sort of Civilization creator which worked inside the game UI, where people could create a Civilization, name it what they want, upload an icon from desktop, set the traits/bonuses and write the menu text, and then create it as a mod. I know this is possible with modding but a specific tool which is easy to use would certainly compensate for the poor offerings of Civs on release.

4) Unique units - While the tech tree allows for customization of units based upon affinity, this is no substitute for the unique units for each civ that we have seen in prior games.

5) More aliens - The aliens are the same regardless of the world you play on. Maybe the desert aliens should be different to the ones on aquatic world? Standard form aliens are unrealistic and need to differ depending on the world in question.

6) Please fix the clunky UI for buying new tiles. The old system in Civ 5 where it popped up after clicking the "buy tile" button was much better. The overlapping icons for which tiles citizens are working makes it a pain to click to buy tiles.

7) Better icons or picture popup for military units - Some people have commented, and I agree, that it is difficult to determine which units are which since the names do not tell me anything about the unit. In civ 5 and archer was an archer and knew it was inferior to a rifleman. This aspect of unit selection is clunky.

8) Trade routes - Managing trade routes in later games can become tedious, since they must be reassigned every 20 turns, and each city can support at least 2 trade vessels. Maybe a better system would be allow trade routes to be auto assigned based on the most valuable available, with perhaps an option to block trade with certain civs or to focus entirely on internal trade between your own cities. This could be achieved with a simple UI popup box that allows a "trade policy" to be established. A system of check boxes could be used to determine who you want to trade with, allowing routes to be auto assigned without all of the annoying pop ups in late game.

October 27, 2014

By J. C. J. Raybould

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