Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 86 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 91 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 93 | 1 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 96% | 91 | 11 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 90.4, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 5,231 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 32 reviews sampled · 26 total reviews in window · weighted 26.2 up / 1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (27)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 91
“One of the most ambitious game add-ons you're likely to find and the vast majority of these changes are welcome ones that add significantly to the experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Doesn't broaden Civ IV's appeal any, but a must-have if you have any Sid Meier love in you. [Oct 2007, p.80]”
- 95
“Between all the wrinkles in the main gameplay, all the scenarios which completely change or add to it, and the fact that this comes with little to no system requirement increases or, well, anything that doesn't add to the gameplay, Beyond the Sword is little more than another stop on Sid Meier's traditional formula but is so much fun precisely because of this.”
read full review ↗ - 80
- 85
“Beyond the Sword's additions are primarily to Civ IV's core gameplay, so the expansion doesn't make a huge leap forward in terms of graphics or sound.”
read full review ↗ - 93
“Basically, Beyond the Sword is more of a director's cut of the fantastic original game than the usual expansion grab bag of scenarios and units. [Oct 2007, p.68]”
- 90
“That these additions make the experience deeper and richer and way more fun can be considered nothing less than a "Wonder."”
read full review ↗ - 78
“Many of these elements seem like an experiment gone bad, as opposed to a decent new addition to the gameplay. As a result sometimes it seems you'd be better off just playing the original.”
read full review ↗ - 89
- 83
“The addition of new units and other things is not so great but the new ways to start out your game and change the style and tempo create a whole new interest to the core game. Sadly, Firaxis didn't improve the graphics or sound that much in this latest expansion and they should have, at least for some of it.”
read full review ↗ - 84
- 82
“Beyond the Sword shows signs of how you can stuff too much into a game not initially designed to hold so much content. I look forward to Civilization V with great anticipation and till that game graces the world I will continue to play the fully expanded version of Civ IV which now graces every computer I regularly use.”
read full review ↗
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot
PC Gamer
ActionTrip
IGN
Game Chronicles…and 15 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.