"Alpha Centauri's" turn-based gameplay, including the technology trees and factional warfare, was commonly compared to "Civilization" and "Civilization II". The Adrenaline Vault's Pete Hines said, "While "Alpha Centauri" is the evolutionary off-spring to ["Civilization"] and ["Civilization II"], it is not ["Civilization II"] in space. Although the comparison is inevitable because of the lineage, it is still short-sighted." "Edge" in 2006 praised "Alpha Centauri's greater sophistications as a strategy game." IGN said "Alpha Centauri is a better game than Civilization II; it's deep, rich, rewarding, thought-provoking in almost every way." Game Revolution's reviewer was less magnanimous, saying "Alpha Centauri is at least as good a game as Civilization 2. But it is its great similarity that also does it the most detriment. Alpha Centauri simply does not do enough that is new; it just doesn't innovate enough to earn a higher grade." The ability to create custom units was praised, as was the depth of the tech tree. The artificial intelligence of computer-controlled factions, which featured adaptability and behavioral subtlety, was given mixed comments; some reviewers thought it was efficient and logical, while others found it confusing or erratic. "Edge" was disappointed in the game's diplomacy, finding "no more and no less than is expected from the genre" and unhappy with "the inability to sound out any real sense of relationship or rational discourse."