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Alpha Centauri by Firaxis / Electronic Arts Review by Vajra
Chandrasekera
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Notice this is not just Alpha Centauri -this is Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri. Does it make a difference? Well, it sure grabs attention, doesn’t it? It also drags in several inevitable questions. Is this Civilization-in-space? Is it as good? Is it better?
These questions are to be expected, with many long-time Civilization & Civilization II fans eager for novelty. Other questions also present themselves. Whatever happened to poor old Brian Reynolds and all the other folks at Firaxis? Don’t they rate a mention? Did Sid do it all on his lonely own? Well, it is unreasonable to require that everyone who participated in the creation of the game be listed, which would result in a preposterously long list of names. Sid Meier, who unveiled the original masterpiece way, way back in 1991, and Brian Reynolds -the same combination behind Civilization II- led the team at Firaxis who put this game together, making it a sort of spiritual heir to the Civ games. Is it a sequel? Well, the answer to that one is an unanimous yes and no. As a matter of fact, this answer applies to a great many questions about Alpha Centauri, including a few of those asked above.
On a less facetious note, does the game truly deliver on novelty? That one is really a burning question to many. Civ II was a remake, but a damn good one. As for Alpha Centauri, the story may be an unofficial sequel (unofficial because MicroProse still owns the Civ games), but the gameplay is looking a little...familiar. Even those who have already decided that Alpha Centauri is great are asking themselves, is this a great game, or is this a great remake? Well, why don’t we take a look at the game as a game in itself, without prejudice, and see what it has to offer...
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