14 DAY TRIAL // Summer is a great moment to revisit old video game favorites, and that means that this weekend will be dedicated to Alpha Centauri, that most classic representative of the turn-based strategy space created by Firaxis when it started out as a developer.
The game, even after 16 years, still feels fresh and engaging, and the presentation is still unrivaled in many ways, even if the various videos are a little dated.
The way each technology and each special project is introduced with a quote, either from a real or fictional important scientific or literary work, combined with an impressive voice acting, makes it a joy to play Alpha Centauri again and again, exploring different paths and possibilities.
I tend to play my first game after each re-install with the University and try for a transcendence victory, but this time I want to switch things up and focus on the Spartans and on a future in which I dominated my rivals using purely military means.
Firaxis tried to update the concept with the new Civilization: Beyond Earth but it failed to capture the unique elements of the original and the way the player had to interact with their rivals and with Planet itself in order to reach their goals.