Expansion packs to games over a year old are not very common anymore, especially in this digital age where DLC dominates the "expansion" landscape. However, when the game is as expansive and adaptable as Sid Meier's Civilization V, the task becomes much easier.

Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods and Kings marks the first major expansion from 2K Games to the award-winning game, one which we at Game Rant rated 4.5 out of 5. Various DLC titles have popped up in the 17 months since the game was released, including new civilizations such as Babylon and Mongolia, but most were small additions such as maps and wonders, with little changed to the core gameplay.

Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods & Kings however, introduces new gameplay content and even reintroduces elements that had previously been removed from the series after Civilization IV, allowing players to engage in new quests and global competitions, interact with new types of city-states, and even master new systems for land and naval combat. Sid Meier said the player community was critical in bringing back some of the key elements from Civilization IV.

"Our team has a strong vision for bringing religion and espionage to Civilization V and the incomparable Civ community has expressed their enthusiasm for these features as well. We’re excited to deliver this robust expansion pack that will give players countless hours of new gameplay experiences and more reasons to take just one more turn."

The key additions to the game include the following:

  • Expanded Epic Game: The core game experience has been greatly expanded with the addition of new technologies, 27 new units, 13 new buildings and nine new Wonders.
  • New Civilizations and Leaders: The expansion features nine new civilizations including Carthage, the Netherlands, the Celts and the Mayans, each with unique traits, units and buildings.
  • Nine new leaders including William I, Prince of Orange, Boudicca and Pacal the Great.
  • New Game Scenarios: Three new scenarios let gamers experience the medieval period, the fall of Rome, and embark on a new adventure in Empires of the Smoky Skies, a Victorian science-fiction scenario.
  • The Return of Religion: A first for Civilization V, players seek out Faith, choosing a Pantheon of the Gods and creating Great Prophets to found and spread their customized religion across the world.
  • World Domination: The fight for world domination is more dynamic than ever. Gods & Kings features a reworked combat system and AI that places more emphasis on a balanced army composition.
  • A redesigned navy which is now split into two different ship types, melee and ranged, making coastal cities vulnerable to a surprise naval attack.
  • Enhanced Diplomacy and Espionage: Establish embassies at foreign courts for closer ties or clandestine operations. As the religions of the world start settling in and the world moves into the Renaissance, spies can be unlocked to establish surveillance of foreign cities, steal advanced technologies from your strongest competitors, or garner influence with City-States through election rigging, or even a coup.
  • City-States: Two new city-state types have been added, Mercantile and Religious, adding new gameplay to a greatly expanded quest system to further the narrative of the game and making diplomatic victories more challenging.

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As a series-long fan of the franchise, these additions should be welcomed with open arms by the Civilization community. Any veteran player of the series will readily admit how the AI consistently misuses (or fails to use all together) naval units. Changing the naval combat system to include melee naval ships for coastal city capture adds a completely new (and much needed) dynamic to the game.

It is also welcome to see the re-introduction of religion, considering the impact it has had on human history. It is difficult to have a game that speaks to humanity's past, present, and future and completely ignore religion, regardless of the player's personal beliefs.

Any devoted Civ players out there among our loyal Ranters? What do you think about this expansion pack?

Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Gods & Kings will be released in late Spring of 2012 for PC.

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