A brief two months after its announcement from Firaxis and 2K, Sid Meier’s Starships has been released. While it is set in the same universe as Beyond Earth, Starships features a completely different take on bringing your science-fiction faction to victory.
Players take the role of their federation’s fleet commander, travelling boldly to new worlds, meeting new people, and shooting them as necessary in turn-based starship combat. While the tactical combat game is the star of the show, the strategic overlay provides a slightly more traditional (if simplified) 4X empire management experience.
To go along with the release, Firaxis has put out a short video going over the game’s basics. You can see more gameplay footage and developer talks on their YouTube channel.
Owners of Beyond Earth can also import a save from it when starting a new game of Starships. A patch for Beyond Earth is also in the works, and is set to improve diplomacy, wonders, and a range of gameplay fixes.
Sid Meier’s Starships is now available on Steam for Windows and Mac for $15 US. So far, user reviews have been mixed. iOS users can pick it up on iTunes, though only iPad 2 and minis are officially supported.