Couldn't tear myself away from my chair.
From top to bottom, this game rocks. There are a few minor bugs, but otherwise Galactic Civ II is highly polished. Here are the pros:
-The graphics are among the best I've seen for a game of this type. The different races all have a different look to them, and all of them are interesting.
-Nothing is too simplistic. I've spent 20+ INTENSIVE hours on this game and I still haven't covered all that it has to offer.
-Competitive AI. If they beat you, it's because they were better, not because they cheated.
-There are many different paths you can follow to win, not all of them aggressive. You can increase how much your culture influences other races, crank up your diplomat skills to gain the advantage against opponents through talk, or use research to become technologically superior.
-Interstellar trade and an engaging AI really create a sense that you are a part of a galactic community.
-The race you choose also affects how you play. You can even form custom races geared toward your taste. This gives the game a lot of replayability.
-Great sense of humor. Nerds rejoice, you will laugh at jokes that you wouldn't dare bring out to your non-nerd friends.
So with all that said, here are the cons:
-Some bugs. But they are largely minor and do not really affect gameplay. Look for patches in the near future that should fix them right up.
-Utter lack of control during combat. It's all simulated. After games like Homeworld and Ground Control, I can't help but wish that 4x strategy games would use some of their features. Oh well, maybe next time.
-No multiplayer. The developers have stated some reasons for not having it, and after playing through the game I can sort of see why. If you go to the Stardock website though, they're apparently considering adding multiplayer support in future updates. I can't speak for others, but personally I don't see this as the type of game you'd play online anyway.
-Steep learning curve. The manual is not really all that good; some computer gameplay tutorials would have been helpful.
Conclusion: Fun Fun Fun! An engrossing game with great graphics and an even better sense of humor. And not expensive to buy either. Get your hands on this title now!