Recent reviews by ablbebxb

Can't help but feel that this is the pinnacle of the 4x genre right now. I find myself constantly comparing any other strategy games I play back to this one. EU4 has an unrivaled depth of mechanics. It was definitely a few play-throughs before I really grasped all of the core mechanics, and due to the free updates the developers roll out fairly regularly, I find that I always have something new to learn each time I pick this game back up for a new run. If you enjoy strategy games, I can't recommend this game enough.

This is a quality 4x experience. While perhaps not as deep as Europa Universalis 4 in a diplomatic sense, this game still more than lives up to the high standard I've come to expect of Paradox games. Moreover, the advantage this game would have in comparison to EU4 the emergent storytelling that it brings. Often times, I've felt that events in EU4 are one offs and more just happen as a function of random chances based on certain existing criteria in your empire. In Stellaris, you will find that ongoing tales emerge the from patterns of the events. Its not that the merchants got upset randomly, its that your genetic modification of humans has led to a certain undercurrent of racism on Qualmar Prime, and this racism comes up again and again, with random events that build on each other on that planet, and respond to the policies you take to address the divide.

I have had a lot of fun with this game, and would strongly recommend it to people who love the 4x genre, or to people who are getting into the genre, and want a engaging introduction to the depth of strategy that Paradox games offer.