Galactic Civilizations II Dread Lords

There’s an entire universe waiting to be explored in Galactic Civilizations II. Released by Stardock Entertainment, this new entry in the turn-based strategy genre has many interesting features and a host of solid concepts to build on. The basics of any strategy game includes meeting a clever, challenging artificial intelligence that will keep players on their toes. The graphics and sound help pull players into this world of colonization and conquest, but at times the game can be a little slow. Fans of the genre will leap at the chance to play this interesting new title, but casual gamers might find it difficult and time consuming to play.

Galactic Civilizations II tries to bring together the best elements of every turn-based strategy game that has gone before it. Technological research, economic progress and military might all play an integral part in this game. Players can choose from many paths to follow as they strive to survive, to flourish, and seize power in the galaxy. There are advantages and disadvantages to each option laid before players. Focusing your empire solely on the pursuit of war will leave you lacking in research. Diplomatic skills cannot always stop an invasion fleet. Thanks to this flexibility there is no “right” or “wrong” way to approach your goals. This is also an interesting puzzle considering the excellent AI included in the game. Unlike other games players have mocked due to their foolish and simple-minded opponents, the rival empires can be extremely dangerous opponents.

As a player’s reach in the galaxy expands they will gain more planets to settle. Depending on the configuration for each game, habitable planets may be marginally useful or may be exceedingly rare treasures. Players will have to decide which kinds of facilities they will build on their worlds. Factories to increase production of goods can be as important as the research centers that explore the mysteries of the universe. Starports allow you to construct new ships while farmland increases the population cap for your planets. Taxes are generated based on the number of citizens in your empire, which will determine the amount of money that can be used for military expenditures - supporting fleets to defend your territory and bring ruin to your enemies. Other treasures to be gathered include anomalies that can grant permanent bonuses to your empire or resource nodes that increase the production of your various resources - economic, research, or military might.

The graphics for Galactic Civilizations II run smoothly and crisply. Players can zoom in on a region of space to view it in more detail or they can fall back to a more distant perspective. No matter what scale you watch the action, the animations are well rendered. The sounds are interesting, but not memorable. The harmonic music with its chanted tones helps immerse a player in the game world, but at times it can be a little distracting. The noises of combat are fairly generic. The point-and-click interface is extremely easy to use and manages to convey information effortlessly to the player. It may take a little time to learn what the various symbols and messages mean, but after a few short minutes of playing Galactic Civilizations II it will become second nature. The cinematic movies placed within the game are another nice touch. The computer generated animations help bring a sense of immediacy to the world of Galactic Civilizations.

Players can design the color schemes for their vessels and their interface as they configure the settings before each game. Galactic Civilizations II also remembers the settings for your chosen race. Any changes made to customize them to fit your unique style of play are remembered. It is a nice touch that can save a lot of time if you decide to restart your game or recreate the universe for a bigger challenge. As technologies are unlocked players can design their own ships. Basic designs are included in the game at pre-set positions. Each of these designs is robust, fills its role well, and is fairly adaptable. For specific roles it is often easier to build or rebuild your own designs. High speed ships for raiding supply lines can be created as easily as massive cruisers built for planetary bombardment.

The game itself has an extremely high learning curve. The mixture of military might, scientific discovery, and diplomacy is a delicate balance. Players will have to pay close attention to their own economies and the forces of their rivals. Territory is equally important. Ships can leave your territory behind and explore distant stars but there is a maximum range for all your ships. Settling new planets or constructing starbases will extend your range at a cost. Each starbase must be defended, which can be a costly undertaking. Planets will require supervision and can lead to more conflict. If you get too close to the territory of a rival you can get many different responses. Some races will be all too happy to encounter you. Merchant princes will be eager to sell things to you and set up trade routes. Warlike cultures, on the other hand, may decide to declare war. Exploring in the early game is a wise idea, but it is also a wise idea to research a few weapons to defend your planets and ships.

As each game progresses players will be given the chance to make decisions regarding opportunities presented before them. Some opportunities are a two-edged sword. Players will have to negotiate the path they want to follow. Each choice has three options - good, neutral, and evil. Each outcome can have some benefit for players, and each outcome can have costs. If you make too many evil choices, the quick and easy path to power, your empire will be tainted. Political decisions can be reached that impose taxes, limits, or other penalties upon evil empires. This underscores the delicate balance even more, as political and diplomatic clout can be effective weapons.

The early game also takes a long period to set up. Before powerful engines are available through research it can take a significant amount of time to move between the stars. This means that the initial exploration and colonization phase can be lengthy. Given the equally lengthy construction period before any habitable world begins to truly contribute to your growing empire it may be frustrating for casual players. On the other hand, die-hard fans will welcome these difficulties. There is no “twitch gaming” that can guarantee you a win like so many real-time strategy games can boast. Each move must be carefully considered early and late in the game if you wish to achieve victory.

The universe of Galactic Civilizations II is complex. There are many different methods that a player can use to win the game. Politics and diplomacy, research and warfare are all equally important and equally viable tools in your arsenal. The interface is easy to use and the graphics are well done. The two minor disappointments of this title are the sounds and the slow beginnings to each game. It takes time to really set things in motion, which may bother casual gamers. The sounds are interesting to listen to at first but can become a little repetitive. These are minor flaws, however, and die-hard fans should not be discouraged from giving this title a look.

Gameplay: 8.0
The interface for Galactic Civilizations II is very easy to use. The game itself plays well and the AI is fun to engage. The slow periods of growth early in the game can be frustrating for some players, but most players will enjoy this title once they really get going.

Graphics: 8.5
The graphics for Galactic Civilizations run smoothly at many sizes. Close and distant views are available with equal clarity, although after a point the game stops rendering individual ships if you zoom out too far. The cinematics are well done and really grasp the feel of the game.

Sound: 7.0
The background music is interesting at first, but after a while it can become repetitive and a little distracting. The game’s interface uses sound as an effective way to alert a player to what is going on in the universe. Combat sounds can be very repetitive and are not as inspired as the rest of the game.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
There’s a lot to keep track of in Galactic Civilizations II. The AI is a masterful opponent, which can be a downside. New players should select one of the lower difficulty settings for their first few games in this universe.

Concept: 8.5
The inclusion of so many outstanding features from previous games would be enough for a decent rating by any reviewer. The excellent AI is a nice touch that helps flesh out the gaming experience offered by Galactic Civilizations II.

Overall: 8.25
Galactic Civilizations II brings together many of the best items from previous turn-based strategy games. Unfortunately this doesn’t leave a lot of room for innovation. The overall game is very solid, and it really is pointing out excellence to say that the only complaint is a faint lack of anything new. Galactic Civilizations II is an extremely well developed game.