Civilization fans are probably going to burst a blood vessel in their brain from the news coming out of Firaxis Games. The developer has been hard at work on an upcoming expansion for Civilization V. The add-on, entitled Gods & Kings, introduces a pretty significant number of new features including customizable religions, espionage, nine new civilizations, nine Wonders, three scenarios, plus new technology, units, and architecture. “Sid Meier’s Civilization V: God & Kings takes players through time as they engage in new quests and global competitions, interact with new types of city-states, and master exciting new systems for land and naval combat,” said a representative from 2K Games. 2K’s Senior Vice President of marketing, Sarah Anderson is also proud of the upcoming expansion: “Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword set a precedent in new content and game features in a Civilization expansion pack. 2K Games is continuing that tradition with Gods & Kings. The Gods & Kings expansion is the quintessential Civilization V addition, making Civilization more addictive than ever before.” 
Here are a few of the expansion pack’s key features, according to 2K:
Expanded Epic Game: The core game experience has been greatly expanded with the addition of new technologies, 27 new units, 13 new buildings, and nine new Wonders. New Civilizations and Leaders: The expansion features nine new civilizations including Carthage, the Netherlands, the Celts, and the Mayans, each with unique traits, units and buildings. Gods & Kings also adds nine new leaders including William I, Prince of Orange, Boudicca, and Pacal the Great. New Game Scenarios: Three new scenarios let gamers experience the medieval period, the fall of Rome, and embark on a new adventure in Empires of the Smoky Skies, a Victorian science-fiction scenario. The Return of Religion: A first for Civilization V, players seek out Faith, choosing a Pantheon of the Gods and creating Great Prophets to found and spread their customized religion across the world. World Domination: The fight for world domination is more dynamic than ever. Gods & Kings features a reworked combat system and A.I. that places more emphasis on a balanced army composition. Additionally, the navy is now split into two different ship types, melee and ranged, making coastal cities vulnerable to a surprise naval attack. Enhanced Diplomacy and Espionage: Establish embassies at foreign courts for closer ties or clandestine operations. As the religions of the world start settling in and the world moves into the Renaissance, spies can be unlocked to establish surveillance of foreign cities, steal advanced technologies from your strongest competitors, or garner influence with City-States through election rigging, or even a coup. City-States: Two new city-state types have been added, Mercantile and Religious, adding new gameplay to a greatly expanded quest system to further the narrative of the game and making diplomatic victories more challenging. Gods & Kings will be released late in the spring, but no exact date has been officially announced. By Josh Engen |
