Lo Chiamvano Sid Meier: The Doctor's opinion on the Brave New World Expansion

So I picked up Civilization V's latest expansion, Brave New World, on Steam, and I don't regret it.

SHAKA'S BACK, BABY!

Granted, the return of one of my all-time favorite leaders, Shaka of the Zulu, was more than enough for me to drop a few bucks on it, but, once again, the team behind Sid Meier's latest game gave me my money's worth in full, to the tune of nine new civilizations to run or cooperate with (Or, in my case, "enlighten" with holy fire), overhauled trade and culture systems, and new scenarios to obliterate. Firaxis has been a good parent to the franchise, and they haven't let the fans down either.

"This is my "No, YOU Leave" stick."

Alongside Venice, The Zulu, Poland, and five others, the Shoshone stood out to me as the most fun, boasting a mean bonus that grabs more land with each city you found. This, not to mention the fact my first game isolated me from the craziness of a continental land grab struggle (The last place I like to be without my Giant Death Robots handy), has led to THE most fun game of Civ I've played yet. As Greece made war with the Zulus, Hoplites at the ready, my musketmen snickered from behind the Great Wall fifteen miles away at the primitive (And rather small) warbands.

"I heard you like trade. So I bought your capital."

The new trade system wasn't hard to get a hold of, but the way it works is thus: You can trade between cities, in your civ or someone elses, with caravans or cargo ships. The catch is, while you CAN govern the trade, it's sometimes worth it to just let it run between your cities. A capital can trade food to a newfounded city via sea to help it start, and you can send some production from one city to the one working on the World Far (Something they added with the World Congress). Of course, Civs can trade with you wether you like it or not, which leaves my braves a little pissed as Montezuma keeps mooching Science from me.

Hey, Montey! Cortez called. He said your headdress is STILL stupid.

That being said, Brave New World is just what it says on the can: Brave, and New. However, it's still the same world, which isn't a bad thing at all. It's still fun to watch with a smug grin on your face as Catherine and Washington go to war for the fifth time this century, muskets and galleons blazing with fire, as you silently mass your armies of marines and robots behind your walls, waiting for the moment to strike. 

...Wait, wait, my mistake: that's just me.

Pacific Rim, eat your heart out.

For your inner President, King, Messiah-figure, Trade Prince, or Despot, Brave New World brings some flavor and strategy back to Civilization.

And that's the Doctor's opinion.