A 4X players dream! If you like a Civilization type game give this a try.
Gal Civ 2 is an eXplore eXpand eXploit eXterminate (4X) type of game, similar to the Civilization games in many aspects. This game features both a campaign in which you deal with an intergalactic planet conquering super race with a fair amount of missions, as well as an in depth random map generator for "skirmish" style games. With the various options of map size, difficulty, number of planets, number of opponents, etc, each "skirmish" game can take any where from an evening to weeks. The great thing about it is that no 2 maps feel the same, due to the superb AI in the game.
The AI in the game is really one of the main draws of this game. The AI doesn't cheat, unless you choose the absolute hardest difficulty. The Ai is extremely well rounded and adjusts according to your strategy.
Another great aspect of the game is the ability to design your ships. It becomes a necessity later in the game, as there are three different weapon classes as well as three associated counters to each. So if the AI is attacking you with beam weapons, you need to research and build ships with the corresponding defense, shields.
The graphics and sounds are quite good, but as can be expected from the genre, are nothing spectacular.
Another noteworthy drawback is that there is no multiplayer in the game yet, but the AI more than covers up for it.
Despite the minor drawbacks, Galactic Civilizations 2 is a great foray into the 4x genre, and is well worth the money if you are into those types of games.