The famed Civilization franchise is heading to space. 2K and Firaxis have just announced a science fiction-themed entry into the franchise titled Sid Meier's Civilization Beyond Earth.
The game was revealed at PAX via a new trailer, which didn't show off any gameplay, but featured CGI and narration that set up the universe we'll explore. It tells us that (for whatever reason) Earth is no longer going to be habitable, and humanity must look to the stars for a new home.
At the video's conclusion, ships take off into space and the search for hospitable planets begins. This is presumably where players come in, though it's unclear what the equivalent of Civilization's cities will be.
It's possible it will emulate Galactic Civilizations, in which the game takes place in space and habitable planets represent cities once colonized. But Beyond Earth seems to be a spiritual successor to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, so it's more likely to recreate that experience. In the 1999 sci-fi strategy game, you establish cities with the same mechanics as Civilization, but do so on alien terrain with futuristic technologies and factions.
Alpha Centauri didn't see the same success as Civilization as a franchise, but built up a cult following nonetheless. This isn't a direct sequel obviously (as it's an entry in the Civilization franchise), but it definitely seems like Firaxis took inspiration from their other property and incorporated it in Beyond Earth. I can't wait to see what the gameplay looks like, but I imagine we'll have to wait a while for that. For now, check out the reveal trailer below to whet your appetite.