Civilization is one of the everlasting franchises that recently had Beyond Earth Spinoff where we move from Earth to an alien planet, but 15 years before Beyond Earth there was one "small" game called Alpha Centauri. Predecessor of the spinoff and one of the best strategy games of all times, Alpha Centauri was a force to be reckoned with. Game is set in 22nd century on a planet Chiron in Alpha Centauri star system where 7 factions are competing for the planets resources. As 4X games go, this is one of the classics that was revolutionary at the time, and one of the Firaxis Games master achievements.
Game is a direct continuation of Civilization 2 colonization victory. There are many new features in the game like social engineering, alien native life, climate, customizable units, some new diplomatic and spy options. Factions differ in ideological lookout on life and give decent amount of replayability. Graphics are certainly outdated, but at the time of the game release in 1999 were quite ok. Alien Crossfire expansion added new factions and expanded the game with more gameplay options. Alpha Centauri is one of the best 4X games of all times worth checking out if you like retro games and somehow missed this gem.
