Recent reviews by soulmata

In typical Paradox fashion, Stellaris is a game that will not disappoint if you are in it for the long haul. It's not for the casual, with a steep learning curve, and feels a bit immature compared to the existing (and intimidating) Paradox lineup. I'll say with conviction Stellaris is the best 4x space sim that's ever been made. Not for any specific domain or aspect of the game, but for how it's all put together.

If you're an existing Paradox fan, you might feel a bit disillusioned at first, primarily because Stellaris doesn't yet have the depth that, say, Crusader Kings does. Diplomacy has little subtlety, for instance, and the AI tends to get super lethargic as the game drags on. However, combat is intricate and refined, the expansion mechanics are fun and rewarding, the challenge level is very flexible, and you see the roots of a lot more that Paradox has in store.

A lot of people are saying they're going to wait until Paradox pushes out a bunch of expansion packs or DLC or whatever. After having spent 100+ hours, I'm going to say don't wait. The game as-is is fantastic, worth the price of admission, and unlike many fire-and-forget developers, you know Paradox will come up with something every few months that keeps you interested. Play it for a few weekends, have a blast, get burned out, then come back and learn to love it all over again.

For a quick comparsion to other titles: Egosoft and the X series is the heavyweight champion of the space sandbox. Frontier and Elite take it home with the arcade combat and polish. Firaxis with the Civ series are examplary at engaging strategy. Stellaris is a game that combines all of those elements, and somehow actually make it work. It's surprising, and you won't be disappointed.