Review: Galactic Civilizations II

Published February 6th, 2007

Nope, not just books here. Today I’m going to review my favorite game of the past year, one that seems to be quite overlooked even where it shouldn’t be.

Name: Galactic Civilizations II
Publisher: Take 2
Creators: Stardock Systems
Website: www.galciv2.com

Introduction
Once upon a time, there was Master of Orion. Then, the MoO sequels. And then, pretty much, nothing. And the sequels were mediocre at best. And so, there was a void in the 4X strategy world - the space empire. That changed with the quiet and tiny release of Galactic Civilizations in 2003. The game wasn’t a new idea for lead creator Brad Wardell, the history of the game extends back into OS/2. This was a return to roots, as it were. The game did OK and had a small, loyal following. But in February, 2006, Galactic Civilizations II came out and blew the doors off everything else in the genre. Which is nearly nothing - but don’t let that put you off. This game is incredible. In my opinion, it is superior in almost every way to the King of 4X, Civilization 4. GalCivII surpassed the wildest sales dreams of the creators and deservedly so. It appeared in nearly every Game of the Year discussion, coming in runner up in many overall polls as well as dominating the strategy game category. For those of you strategy fans that have not played this game yet, hear me now: YOU ARE MISSING OUT. On February 14th, the first expansion pack comes out for GalCiv2 - and there so many changes, improvements, enhancements and additions that it will be like playing it from scratch all over again - but better. And I cannot wait. The reviews for this game have been very good, and I’m obviously a little late to the party here, but I needed to get this one down before Feb 14 comes around and everything changes.

Graphics
Yeah, it’s a top down 4X strategy game. It’s not FarCry. But for what it is, it’s really good. The level of detail in the ships is impressive. You can zoom way in or way out. Fleet battles are a little confusing to watch, but it’s kinda neat. Recognizing small ships from a zoomed out position is hard, but that’s because they’re small. Build some capital ships, loser. Then you’ll be able to see them just fine.
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Sound
Again, it’s a 4X game. What is in there is pretty much laser beams, guns and missiles. There’s some background music that is epic and blends into the background just fine. Clicks and beeps tell you what’s going on and it’s all very organized. I’m not going to rate this section - there are no problems with sound and let’s leave it at that.

Company
This is a pretty special company. This crew loves their work. They genuinely love their community. They constantly post on the forums. The lead developer (Brad Wardell) gives you fascinating behind the scenes stories and explanations on his blog. They don’t believe in copy protection and contrary to the industry line it hasn’t hurt their sales one bit. It’s probably helped it. And they will sell you the game via digital download, or digital download + hard copy. And you can download it as soon as it’s purchased, even before your copy comes in the mail. These guys rule.
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Gameplay
Where to start? This game features multiple races, all with their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Most have some customizable things too. Or you can simply roll your own race. There are a ridiculous number of difficulty levels. And you’ll be glad for that, because this game has, hands down, the best computer AI of any 4X strategy game ever. Period, full stop. It’s not even close. And on most difficulty levels, it doesn’t cheat. It’s actually that smart. None of the weaknesses of the Civilization series work here. Stack of Death? Sorry powermongers, doesn’t work. There are 3 kinds of weapons and 3 associated defenses. You try to overpower with one weapon, they’ll just research the proper defense and render you inert. You can’t create huge fleets until you research the proper techs. Rapid expansion and cramming tons of cities together? Won’t work - some planets are habitable. Most aren’t. It’s a limited resource, so you’d better appreciate the ones you’ve got. And the AI is smart enough to use the complex diplomacy to hose you over - so don’t go pissing everyone off. Better decide how you’re going to play too. You can’t research the entire tech tree. It’s a tech forest. You try and get everything, you’ll be a galactic memory. Specialization is the word of the day.

There is so much to talk about gameplay-wise. Read some other reviews, check out the website. Suffice it say, it’s incredibly well thought out, interesting and challenging. It makes Civilization look like RISK - bland and boring. The learning curve can be a little steep, but it’s so worth it. And it’s a blast having full customization abilities for your ships. You can spend an hour just designing a ship that looks cool - let alone bristling with phasers, photon torpedos and spike drivers. It’s sci-fi military paradise. It’s the holy grail of 4X troop building.
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Multiplayer
Ahh, the hard sell. There is none. This was a conscious decision from the start, and it’s a contraversial one. But a large part of the reason the game is SO good is that they didn’t have to worry about multiplayer. It has been hinted that if there’s a 2nd expansion (which is now looking more likely than it did before the game launched), multiplayer will be in it. Allegedly the game is ready for it, infrastructure-wise. Everything just needs to be built out and turned on. No rating on this section - it’s not a multiplayer game. If you have more questions, I direct you to the official party line.

Bias, Fun Factor and Bonus Points
Hah, my own editorial section, to dole out points as I see fit. And I will - this game gets them. It’s amazing. I don’t play Civ4, I play this game. If you like 4X strategy games and you aren’t playing this one, you’re a fool. Especially if you like the sci-fi setting - but even if you don’t, this game is THE 4X game to beat. Going back to Civ4 after playing this game is like listening to someone play the violin after hearing a complete orchestra. It’s still good, it’s still beautiful, but it’s just not the same. It’s just lesser. And I have fun playing this game. I don’t win every time. I keep trying to challenge myself and move up the difficulty ladder. I’m barely grasping all the intricacies. And on Feb 14, I get to start all over. And I can’t wait.
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Conclusion
I don’t think there’s anything new to say. Great game. Great Company. Reasonable Price. Great Support. Exciting Expansion. You like 4X, you simply gotta have it.
Overall Rating:

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