User Rating: 5.2 | Galactic Civilizations PC
When I bought this game, I thought that this would be the space simulator/turn based strategy game I had been missing for a while. So I read the decent game instructions, and quickly became interested in trying it out. I started it up, set all the computer AI foes to the sub-normal setting, and began playing. The first thing I noticed was that the sound was average at best. There are no real nice affects when you decide to do something, and a very basic ‘ping ping’ and ‘schroom’ sound after a ship battle leaves much to be desired. The graphics were crisp however, and I don’t play strategy games for great sound and stunning graphics, its all in the gameplay, right? So I continue to play, and am enjoying the depth of the research/technology tree. I get into trade, diplomacy, and have about 4 star systems with about 8 planets early on. Then the big bad comes on. One of the evil foes decides that they want to make war. They ignore all diplomatic means, and apparently have a ton of cash. All of their ships have more experience than my peaceful ones, and they have a few war technology advancements, because I was focusing on winning the game by the ‘other’ means, like diplomacy and influence. Basically I get annihilated because I don’t have the tech or troops to beat a pure warlike race. So I start over, and do a mix of tech and war. Again, same thing happens. I play again and again, each time losing to warlike races. I decide to choose the ‘war party’ and go all weapons. I last the longest this way, but still lose. Why you ask? The computer cheats. Even on the sub-normal setting. To take over a system, you have to clear all ships in orbit, and then send in troop transports to defeat the ground troops. I destroy all ships in orbit, when and in the half turn it takes me to send a transport to raid the planet, the computer has built two ships and put them in orbit. Even had they bought the ships ‘on credit’ as is an option, they can’t have two built before the turn is even over. It’s just not possible, except by cheating. So it quickly became apparent to me (after 20 hours of playing) that the ‘other’ ways to win the game, trade, diplomacy, tech, etc are fine in theory, but in gameplay, the only way to do it is to war. Personally, a war simulator such as this is really boring because of the before mentioned average graphics and sound. At least Shogun Total War combined great elements of both strategy and combat. This has barely both. I’m just glad I only paid $35 american for it, instead of the usual $50+ for new games. I hope I get full price on the return…. 
