Fans ofCivilization 6and its previous iterations probably know about the time the franchise took to space withCivilization: Beyond Earth. It seems like games from other publishers and franchises are following suit, like Bethesda with its newest game:Starfield. Both games play similarly to their publishers’ other titles, but they also have quirks that set them apart from the rest.
Civilization: Beyond Earthwas released by 2K Games for PC on July 31, 2025. The game’s premise is that humans in the not-too-distant future are looking for extraterrestrial planets to inhabit, as they caused a disaster that made Earth unlivable. It adopts the same hexagonal grid and turn-based strategy gameplay of its predecessor,Civilization 5. The fundamentals, like city building, leaders, progression, and technologies are pretty much the same inBeyond Earthas inCiv 5, but it has a few features that set it apart from regularCivgames, like objectives that involve contact with alien life.
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How Civilization: Beyond Earth is Similar to Starfield
Apart from being set in space, both games have been described or hinted to be the spiritual successors of previous titles.Beyond Earthis tied to the 1999 releaseSid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, which has turn-based mechanics andleaders likeCivilization 6but with a slightly different story. InAlpha Centauri, humans leave Earth because of factors, like famine, pollution, and war, instead of a singular catastrophic event. This game was based onCivilization 2’s engine and famous customization options, but that makes it more difficult to learn compared to more modern, streamlined installments likeBeyond Earth.
Starfield, on the other hand, was described by director Todd Howard as “Skyrimin space.” The game is a spiritual successor to the developer’s first-person RPGs likeSkyrimandFallout 4, but likeBeyond Earth, it inherits the legacy of a past space game in Bethesda’s cancelled projectThe 10th Planet. It will feature similar gameplay toFalloutandTES, with familiar mechanics like persuasion, pickpocketing, recruitable NPCs, factions, outposts, and lockpicking. The story, however, is vastly different from Bethesda’s other franchises.
Starfieldinvolves the player joining an organization of space explorers who want to learn more about the planets and societies ravaged by the recent Colony War between two major factions. The trailers and demos haven’t stated why humans decided to leave Earth and move light years away toStarfield’s Settled System, a collection of planets and stars similar to the solar system humans are part of in the present day.
The Case for Civilization: Beyond Earth to Ride Starfield’s Hype Train and Release a Sequel
Starfieldis 25 years in the makingand will be released on July 28, 2025, making it one of the most awaited games of the year. Apart from the game’s prestige as a title developed by a highly successful company like Bethesda,Starfieldseems like it’s pushing the boundaries of space exploration games. Its combat appears more fluid and dynamic than itsFalloutandElder Scrollscounterparts. Its resource collection seems to improve on the similar functions in games likeNo Man’s Sky. It’s also ambitious with its world, with over 100 star systems and 1,000 individual procedurally generated worlds. With so much to explore, players are bound to clock in hundreds ofStarfieldhours if its release goes well.
Firaxis Games and 2K could capitalize onStarfield’s popularity and release a sequel toBeyond Earth. The new game could feature theadjacency bonus ofCivilization 6, which may play well withBeyond Earth’s affinity system. Both mechanics let players specialize in their cities or whole civilization, letting them earn bonuses for specific resources and technologies. While the game’s dedicated fans would love to see a new game that integrates these features along with updated graphics, there are no signs of a sequel forCivilization: Beyond Earthjust yet. For now, players will have to make do with theRising TideDLC or similar but newer games likeStellaris.
