Heroes 3 and Online Frags - 10 Best Games of 1999

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

In 1999, the famous creator of Civilization - Sid Meier - no longer worked in the MicroProse, but in his own studio, Firaxis Games. But he and Reynolds, the developer of the Civilization sequel, continued to work on Civilization, even if he couldn't use that title anymore. This is how something that can be called both a direct sequel and a spiritual heir to the original was created. The Civilization in space was called Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri - suggesting a continuation of the events that ended the game in the original, i.e. the launch of a spaceship towards the Alpha Centauri system. The game is set in the 22nd century where seven distinct factions of colonizers inhabit the planet Chiron.

The game effectively built upon the ideas presented in the Civilization II engine. Critics outdid themselves in their praise. They compared the game to a mix of SimCity with Frank Herbert's Dune and to the productions of Stanley Kubrick due to its engaging and believable plot. It was an "epic science fiction" locked in the form of a strategic game, which was once again addictive and reminded us of the "just one more turn" syndrome. The average ratings in the services accumulating notes were 92% and 89%. The game received an expansion, and its spiritual successor was released in 2014, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth.

1. Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri in our encyclopedia