Reviewed: March 14, 2005
Reviewed by: Tyler Whitney

Publisher
Strategy First

Developer
Stardoc

Released: February 17, 2005
Genre: Strategy
Players: 1
ESRB: Teen

8
7
7
9
8.3

System Requirements

Released in 2003, the original game garnered rave reviews despite it’s simplistic graphics and style, but make no mistake the people at Stardock have a keen appreciation for combing space and complex strategy into a winning formula. While I have never been too keen on the space strategy games like Masters of Orion, this one intrigued me for its “sleeper hit” qualities.

Galactic Civilizations Deluxe Edition features:

• Deep immersive storyline.
• Multi-threaded AI that is as sophisticated and challenging as real life politics.
• Multiple paths to victory - military strength, economic might, or political power.
• Ships gain experience as they win battles.
• Dominate with economic power through trade and wealth.
• Gameplay events ensure that each game is a different experience.
• In the Metaverse, games can be saved and allows the game AI to look at strategies used by the top players to make the game smarter.
• New to Altarian Prophecy: 2 new alien civilizations: The Korx and the Drath.
• A full campaign along with 10 built-in scenarios and 10 custom maps.
• 4 new unique ships based on the civilization's ethical alignment (good/evil).
• Map, Scenario and Campaign editors allow you to design your own galaxies.
• New technologies that enhanced logistics and other civilization abilities.
• Metaverse Dimensions – Online campaign support!

While you can only play as the human race, and you may wish to try the more exotic alien races, the humans offer more than enough to keep you entertained. There is also a nice role-play aspect I found, as if I was leading our very own race on to new glory, rather than some mysterious alien sect. I felt more at home here naturally. You can choose to be a pacifist diplomatic focused nation, or go in with massive amounts of firepower and obliterate all enemies to gain dominance. Be careful however, if you rule with too heavy a hand, the people can overthrow you in a popular vote every few years, thus being replaced by a different form of government.

The A.I. is truly great here and makes the lack of multi-player not as harsh. Opposing empires will; borrow money like mad from inter-galactic banks, build up huge armies, lay waste to outposts, declare peace to save face and a host of other intelligent decisions befitting the best human adversary.

Combat itself is very simplistic and direct, assign an action and sit back and watch, this will never be confused for those pretty RTS games like the recent C&C: Generals with their myriad of small-scale combat options and unit details. Of course with so much else going on in the political and economic arena, it’s not such a bad thing that you don’t have more control over battles.

Gamers who are more comfortable with leaner strategy, such as the aforementioned RTS games, may want to head elsewhere as the depth and options are staggering to say the least. But despite the size, the learning curve was surprisingly simple and intuitive. Stick with the game for a while and see if it pulls you in like it did to me.

Oh yes…. there is also a full campaign, map and scenario editor…good lord talk about variety indeed.

I would have liked a bit more detail for planets and other space objects, but considering the style, I can understand the direction the developers took.

However, the ambient musical score is pretty solid, reminding me a lot of the tunes you would hear off the sci-fi channel or Star Trek. They have even added to the soundtrack from the original games as my research points out.

How will you triumph over the alien races? Will you crush them with massive battle ships and cruisers? Or will you deceptively out-trade them with neighboring factions, effectively cutting them out of the loop? These decisions and more are up to you in this loaded game from Stardock and Enlight.