A one of a kind game made by one of a kind developers. In a word, incredible.
First, a disclaimer: GalCiv2 is not for everyone, if you only enjoy the above mentioned quick paced RTS games, then you will not like GalCiv2. There is no real time combat in GalCiv2, the AI handles the combat. This game is about preparation and reaction not execution. GalCiv2 is about building a successful civilization using all the facets of a society from military to economic to diplomatic. GalCiv2 is a TBS game, which means that it is intentionally slow-paced. In order to get the most out of this kind of game you have to put in time, and have a measure of patience. That being said GalCiv2 does what it does so well that the “Just one more turn.” addiction is in full effect.
GalCiv2 takes place in the distant future, when humans have invented “Hyperdrive” technology that they share with the other races in the galaxy and essentially open the galaxy to expansion. This has many effects including making the more war like races even more dangerous. So while everyone squabbles over territory an ancient race called “The Dread Lords” returns with a vengeance and starts manipulating the course of the wars that are going on and basically blasting anything that moves. So the campaign consists of you playing as the humans and trying to survive the onslaught of not only some of your neighbors but also The Dread Lords.
The gameplay in GalCiv2 is something that any TBS player can appreciate. The developers have put in a ton of time to make the AI play in a challenging way. And the AI is all you’ve got in this game because there is no multi-player. In GalCiv2 you can have the AI play as well or as poorly as you want. And when it plays well you better bring you’re A-game, it really is the best AI I have seen. It really gives you a run for your money without cheating.
So during a typical game whether it be in the campaign or skirmish(which really is the meat of the game) you will start out with a single colony, build your society, research technology, trade with other societies, fight wars, make deals, colonize distant worlds, and hopefully either conquer or unite the galaxy.
The main draw of the gameplay is the customizability. Nearly EVERYTHING in this game is customizable, from the shipyard where you can build an endless variety of ships, to custom races where you can import images and logos, change the look of your ships, and add your own stat bonuses and race descriptions. And in addition to customizing your race and ships you can change the parameters of your game and the races you are competing against. The bottom line is that through the customization options of GalCiv2 you can have a completely different experience each time you play, with very little effort.
The graphics in GalCiv2 are excellent, especially when you consider how much information the game is pushing to handle all of the facets of the game. I play it on a Sony laptop at medium graphics settings and it looks great, I can only imagine what it would look like on a high end system.
The sound in GalCiv2 is also great. It is not as robust as a lot of RTS games, but that is because it isn’t an RTS. The music and sound effects set the mood very well. The music and voiced scenes in particular, while sparse, are very good.
The value of this game is a no-brainer. It is priced at $29.99 and you can download direct or get it on disc. One of the things that the developers are very adamant about is that there is no CD copy protection on this game. They want you to be able to play where ever you are and without the burden of CD keys or license checks. The developers really trust and care about their customers, which is also evident in the way they have worked diligently on huge updates that have and are still making drastic and extensive changes improving an already stellar game. Never before have I seen a developer actually ask their players for feedback and ideas and ACTUALLY IMPLIMENT THE PLAYER’S SUGGESTIONS IN FUTURE UPDATES! The team at Stardock are simply brilliant, really.
So if you have not guessed it yet I really like this game. Not only for its own merits, and they are great, but also for the merits of its developers, BIG KUDOS to those guys. In short if you like strategy, have the patience to enjoy diplomacy and economics in addition to combat, and want to get involved with a great game and a community of developers and players that actually listen to each other, then GalCiv2 may be the game you have been looking for.