Endless Space

 PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 566 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 345 out of 566
  2. Mixed: 151 out of 566
  3. Negative: 70 out of 566

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  1. Gotmilk
    Jul 5, 2012
    10
    What a fantastic game. Endless Space is a very well polished and smooth game. It's a great for anyone that likes strategy games, and it's similar to Civ. It's balanced with the factions you have to choose from, and also has custom factions where you can make your own. The community/website is great and the makers of the game listen to what the people say, because there is a voting typeWhat a fantastic game. Endless Space is a very well polished and smooth game. It's a great for anyone that likes strategy games, and it's similar to Civ. It's balanced with the factions you have to choose from, and also has custom factions where you can make your own. The community/website is great and the makers of the game listen to what the people say, because there is a voting type thing were you can choose what you like. You will have lots of hours of gameplay because of the variety and you can play multiplayer with up to 8 people. All I can say is this is an excellent game.… Expand
  2. LordMandalore
    Jul 5, 2012
    10
    This game is definitely my favorite 4x game, and though some people do not like the style of combat the game is presented with I actually enjoy it, as I usually prefer games like Sins of a Solar Empire for a more RTS style combat. There is a great variety of races and tech trees (more like tech forests honestly) and the gameplay is accommodated by great visuals, a nice sci-fi soundtrack,This game is definitely my favorite 4x game, and though some people do not like the style of combat the game is presented with I actually enjoy it, as I usually prefer games like Sins of a Solar Empire for a more RTS style combat. There is a great variety of races and tech trees (more like tech forests honestly) and the gameplay is accommodated by great visuals, a nice sci-fi soundtrack, and a really cool looking UI. It's the most fun I've had with a 4x since Galactic Civilizations!… Expand
  3. DMT
    Jul 7, 2012
    9
    I have been waiting on a game like this since Alpha Centauri. I played since Alpha version and enjoyed it back then and even more now. The game is really addictive, with over 100 hours already played that statement is confirmed with the numbers. Glad the dev team will be making large content releases in the next patches too and that this game will not fall away to the ether. The civs areI have been waiting on a game like this since Alpha Centauri. I played since Alpha version and enjoyed it back then and even more now. The game is really addictive, with over 100 hours already played that statement is confirmed with the numbers. Glad the dev team will be making large content releases in the next patches too and that this game will not fall away to the ether. The civs are great, tech is great. I must say late game can do with improvement but I have faith in the dev team :)… Expand
  4. Yazah
    Aug 15, 2012
    7
    I'd really like to give this game a 7.5.

    This is not the best 4x game I've played and it seems to be lacking in some areas (combat) and has generally low customizability (compared to Galactic Civilizations and others) and become rather boring at higher levels of game play. However, as a pre-order player, I was very impressed by the responsiveness of the developers which seems to    I'd really like to give this game a 7.5.

    This is not the best 4x game I've played and it seems to be lacking in some areas (combat) and has generally low customizability (compared to Galactic Civilizations and others) and become rather boring at higher levels of game play.

    However, as a pre-order player, I was very impressed by the responsiveness of the developers which seems to matter more and more. They are very dedicated to creating a quality experience and I'm sure it will get better with time.

    I like this game and it had some neat ideas and implementations (resources, for example), but it is lacking in ways that reduce my desire to keep playing it and I've found myself returning to older classics instead.    … Expand
  5. komiker
    Jul 12, 2012
    10
    Totally enjoyable and engrossing. It manages all the relevant aspects of a 4X for me and makes sure to avoid the usual problems, like the tendency to micro-manage too much. I had my misgivings at first, but the combat really proves its worth in the sense that I can really focus on strategy and avoid tactics. The game is fiendishly attractive, the UI is a Godsend, seldom had I one which wasTotally enjoyable and engrossing. It manages all the relevant aspects of a 4X for me and makes sure to avoid the usual problems, like the tendency to micro-manage too much. I had my misgivings at first, but the combat really proves its worth in the sense that I can really focus on strategy and avoid tactics. The game is fiendishly attractive, the UI is a Godsend, seldom had I one which was so simply intuitive and enjoyable.
    Great work Amplitude, continue like that! :)    … Expand
  6. Coeco
    Jul 10, 2012
    3
    You want to play Civilization 5 Billy? No? How about some Rock-Paper-Scissor then? Not that either? Hmm. What about Eve Online? No? Well f*ck you billy. This is Endless Space and it has everything except real strategy elements in a RTS. I really tried to like this game, I did. But once I started to learn how things worked after getting over-run by excessively difficult AI's at normal, IYou want to play Civilization 5 Billy? No? How about some Rock-Paper-Scissor then? Not that either? Hmm. What about Eve Online? No? Well f*ck you billy. This is Endless Space and it has everything except real strategy elements in a RTS. I really tried to like this game, I did. But once I started to learn how things worked after getting over-run by excessively difficult AI's at normal, I realized that for all the different name-given technology trees, they are ultimately mixed together. Lets say you want to play offensively, military style. Sure, you can research better weapons and armor for your ships in the Galactic Warfare tree but unless you get better coordination technologies in the Diplomacy tree to have more units in a fleet, the AI/opponents will overwhelm you due to bigger numbers per group. Get bigger ship blueprints you say? Sure! Just spend over half the game's time researching technologies in the Exploration/Expansion tree! Yeah, lost an appetite for war already, didn't you. That's alright, we can try a scientific victory instead. Just start researching things in the tech tree and don't forget to get food for your people through the diplomatic tree. Oh, right. You'll need to inhabit planets to give people somewhere to stay as well. That's in the exploration tree, sorry. Short said, It is a MESS. It's like having four kinds of your favorite foods on separate plates just to have them slapped together in a mixer and then poured out all over again in piles of goo. Talking about feces, you think you can balance all that out by the same time while staying alive through constant blockades by 1 hp scouts, interrupting your research as pirates constantly swarm you? Have fun trying to learn anything from the intensive build-up of loading times. Let's say you want to research something useful, that'll be 30-50 rounds of waiting. Every round, the AI creates more units, increases their influence substantially and have war with each other which is constantly growing in scale. You WILL NEED to play the smallest map possible with as little opponents as you can. Anyone who played Civ 5 with 4-5+ players late in game will know what I'm talking about. But really, the moral of this review is: Try the game where you either can get a refund or not have to buy it at all doesn't matter. Make sure it both works and fits for you.… Expand
  7. Daymond
    Jul 11, 2012
    8
    Trying to replace a true classic like Master of Orion 2 is certainly a massive challenge. Endless Space presents several elements that could clearly be considered on par with the Simtex-Microprose masterpiece. The phrase "diamond in the rough" fits perfectly. It is a diamond, but "still" in the rough. Luckily, the developers are listening to the gamers, and future patches promise an evenTrying to replace a true classic like Master of Orion 2 is certainly a massive challenge. Endless Space presents several elements that could clearly be considered on par with the Simtex-Microprose masterpiece. The phrase "diamond in the rough" fits perfectly. It is a diamond, but "still" in the rough. Luckily, the developers are listening to the gamers, and future patches promise an even more polished experience. The short answer is no, the game can't replace Master of Orion 2, but with enough patience, you'll see Endless Space stealing several days from you.… Expand
  8. Piata
    Jul 11, 2012
    9
    Great game. There's some performance issues and occasional bugs here and there, but it's a great 4x game in space. I especially love how the combat is decided through the decisions you make when building your ships. The late game is a little weaker than the rest but overall a fun game. You will easily lose afternoons playing this game.
  9. jackswift
    Jul 9, 2012
    9
    I really wanted to give Endless Space a perfect 10 out of 10 but there are still a couple - very small - issues once you've put a lot of hours into the game. First off though, this game and its developers deserves every bit of praise that comes its way. In this day and age of buggy releases and lackluster developer support, Amplitude has stepped up to the plate and delivered a smooth,I really wanted to give Endless Space a perfect 10 out of 10 but there are still a couple - very small - issues once you've put a lot of hours into the game. First off though, this game and its developers deserves every bit of praise that comes its way. In this day and age of buggy releases and lackluster developer support, Amplitude has stepped up to the plate and delivered a smooth, stable game on release that doesn't force players to sit around and wait for the next patch. With that out of the way, we can concentrate on the great things about ES: 1) The User Interface. This silky smooth UI makes late game tedium (almost) disappear. When you're not spending 5 minutes clicking through tons of menus to get where you want, the game is much more enjoyable. Helpful tooltips are available practically everywhere; you can hover your mouse over almost anything if you want to know more information about a specific item. Systems, planet and fleet info is all given in a very readable and efficient manner. Even late game turns with tons to do rarely take over 3 minutes. 2) Customized game options. Even if you don't like any of the game's 8 races, you can make your own. In the galaxy you want. Games play very differently when you change the shape, size and abundance of resources. The replayability of the game lies in the customization you can do to almost anything. Oh, and the developers made sure this game would be easily moddable. Extra fun. 3) "Just one more turn" factor. This game has it, even after putting in 100 hours. Now on to the critiques of this game: if you must have tactical control of your ships in battle then you will be disappointed by this game. If you want to focus on the strategy part and not tactics then you should have no problem. I've also heard that the game has no soul and it is essentially like playing a spreadsheet. People said that about GalCiv and yet it was very successful and a great game. If you liked GalCiv you'll like this. If you disliked GalCiv you will dislike this game. The bottom line is that Endless Space is good enough to mentioned in the same breath as all the addictive 4x classics and should only get better as time goes on.… Expand
  10. Hazephaelos
    Jul 10, 2012
    9
    I have been following this game for quite some time now, and the reason that it gets a 9 is because of the way it was made. The developers listened, and responded to the majority of advice/points that early players made. They had both the "games2gether" system which allowed you to vote on the looks of a ship, or decals, or what gameplay feature to work on next, but they also listened toI have been following this game for quite some time now, and the reason that it gets a 9 is because of the way it was made. The developers listened, and responded to the majority of advice/points that early players made. They had both the "games2gether" system which allowed you to vote on the looks of a ship, or decals, or what gameplay feature to work on next, but they also listened to people in the forums. When bugs were found, they were swiftly dealt with, and people were generally listened to.

    I do not think that the "retail" version of the game should be judged on its current quality alone. The game is a pretty standard 4x strategy game, that is missing a lot of things. I would normally give it a 7. But the devs still have a lot they are talking about adding to the game, for free, and are still taking player input.

    What that means to me is that this game will continue to grow until it reaches a point where i could be proud to give it a 10.    … Expand
  11. Hylus
    Jul 10, 2012
    10
    This was the very first of this genre that I have ever played. So far I've really enjoyed it. I don't even play the game to win anymore. I love setting up a huge map and just seeing how the galaxy evolves as factions squabble over territory and resources, make and break alliances, and deal in trade with one another.
  12. phatlubei
    Jul 12, 2012
    9
    Value, Value Value! I think most people can get off their high horse and admit this is an excellent game for $30. I'd consider this an excellent game at $60 considering the huge recent let downs from the money grubbers at Blizzard, Bioware, and EA. Is it perfect...show me a perfect game! I was on the fence, but I gave them a chance and its every bit as fun as was playing MOO1 and MOO2.Value, Value Value! I think most people can get off their high horse and admit this is an excellent game for $30. I'd consider this an excellent game at $60 considering the huge recent let downs from the money grubbers at Blizzard, Bioware, and EA. Is it perfect...show me a perfect game! I was on the fence, but I gave them a chance and its every bit as fun as was playing MOO1 and MOO2. Thank you for a SPACE 4X and not another shooter or RPG, I can't wait to see what they do next!… Expand
  13. SpaceAngel
    Jul 19, 2012
    9
    I think Endless Space is a great 4X strategy game! Highly addictive, it's been a while since I have been sucked into such a game, playing one more turn at 3am...
    You can't really compare this game with SoaSE, it's more grand strategy oriented like a Civ, a Moo, or a GalCiv, while Sins is more action oriented. The MP mode is also really cool to play, turns flying by quite quickly even for    I think Endless Space is a great 4X strategy game! Highly addictive, it's been a while since I have been sucked into such a game, playing one more turn at 3am...
    You can't really compare this game with SoaSE, it's more grand strategy oriented like a Civ, a Moo, or a GalCiv, while Sins is more action oriented. The MP mode is also really cool to play, turns flying by quite quickly even for a TBS game.
    The interface is very simple to understand which makes the whole experience really fantastic. Sure there might still be some small bugs and stuff that could be improved, but the dev team (and the community) is still working on the game even after release, which can only be positive for the game's lasting appeal. I recommend this for 4X newcomers and old school players. It could become a classic!    … Expand
  14. Executus
    Jul 5, 2012
    10
    Endless Space is an amazing game, and the pinnacle of the modern 4X genre. Almost all of the features present in the game are executed flawlessly, and those that aren't still do not disappoint.
  15. evild4ve
    Dec 27, 2013
    3
    Endless Space has all the problems normally associated with 4x strategy games, but few of the fun parts. The tech-tree is large, convoluted, and the discoveries don't correspond at all with the effect on gameplay. Want to colonize a lava planet? That requires graviton thingummy-jiggies on tech tree #4. Research can't be queued. Diplomacy against the AI either includes no optionsEndless Space has all the problems normally associated with 4x strategy games, but few of the fun parts. The tech-tree is large, convoluted, and the discoveries don't correspond at all with the effect on gameplay. Want to colonize a lava planet? That requires graviton thingummy-jiggies on tech tree #4. Research can't be queued. Diplomacy against the AI either includes no options whatsoever, or they get switched on by some obscure discovery.

    Balance is everything with these games, and when each system takes 150-200 turns to conquer and the tech tree is a complicated limiting factor, even on Easy difficulty (which is boring) it's very possible to build your empire "wrongly" and reach a stage where you can't make further progress against AI opponents who only have 3 stars but chose the "right" kinetic weapons oojahmahflip from tech tree #2 50 turns previously.

    Combat is always between two fleets of up to 12 "command points" (1=gunship, 2=cruiser, 4=battleship). In practice, most battles are between maxed-out fleets and victory is determined by tech. Tactics and ship customisation will not change the outcome against an opponent with an extra point in beam weapons. A fleet with an extra point in beam weapons and an extra point in deflector shields will chew up an infinite number of weaker fleets suffering virtually no attrition in the process (due to insta-repair during the opponent's turn). This means the economic weight of a galactic empire during the end-game isn't an advantage, making the end-game take even longer. They have actually found a way to make the 4x formula's classic problems even worse.

    The ship customisation is so limited that they might as well have kept it to templates. Choose from little, medium or big and lasers, machine guns and missiles. There are also carriers, but this is a bad use of "command points", and also ground bombardment and ground invasion options. Ground invasion could have been quite an interesting idea, but there are no significant fixed defences to bombard, and no garrisons to attack. Sieges take 20-30 turns, or you can send in a single unit of infantry for instant conquest.

    Sins of a Solar Empire also came out recently as an easier-on-the-eye, slightly "liter" 4x strategy game, and it's much better at the things listed above with few if any drawbacks. The one thing Endless Space does get right by comparison is that its map consists of stars and their orbiting planets, rather than the peculiar free-floating planets of SoaSE. Upgrading planets in Endless Space makes as little sense as the tech tree, but it does at least give the impression of there being a solar system whose local planets co-operate with each other to build stuff. Planets can be: barren, arid, desert, tundra, terran, jungle, asteroid belt, lava, arctic, gas giant (hydrogen, methane or helium), and they can be tiny, small, medium or huge. The differences aren't as noticeable as they should be so long as you choose advanced intergalactic bobbins on tech tree #3 (left branch), they are all equally easy to settle and look after.

    The graphics and artwork are mediocre. Planets of the same type look the same as each other, each faction only has six ship graphics and I defy anyone to actually tell them apart either at the strategic scale or in the close-up battle sequences. The auto-resolve battles (with added rock/paper/scissors) aren't as annoying as others have made out I had been watching them to try and better understand the combat mechanics. The problem is that you can tell who is going to win by adding up the tech levels of each gun in their fleets. Graphically, they impressed me less than Gratuitous Space Battles, as well as tactically.

    I got this on Steam for a single-digit sum of money and was bored within 8 hours. Get a fan-mod of Empire of the Fading Suns, or even a copy of Supremacy (1990) instead for "4x lite" done well. Don't get this.    … Expand
  16. alienrenegade
    Jul 6, 2012
    8
    This game is truely what a perfect space strategy game should be. It's Flawless !
    Simply said - it's THE best 4X space game since Master of Orion 2. Period.
  17. Broadnick
    Oct 8, 2012
    4
    I played many 4x games before and this one is the greater deception of all games I tried. Endless Space looks promising and is a nice production, but the game play is so boring than I give up after only two or tree hours of playing. I gave the game a second chance some days later...same sleepy effect! Research system is well developed but return no real feeling of some advantage; combatsI played many 4x games before and this one is the greater deception of all games I tried. Endless Space looks promising and is a nice production, but the game play is so boring than I give up after only two or tree hours of playing. I gave the game a second chance some days later...same sleepy effect! Research system is well developed but return no real feeling of some advantage; combats are boring and need absolutely no strategy; Commercial exchange are frustrating because of the balancing value mechanism.

    Don't spend your money on it.    … Expand
  18. Ananisapta
    Jul 7, 2012
    2
    I'm a veteran Civilization player and I was disappointed in Endless Space. There's a lot of tiny print involved in managing a large number of units over a 2D empire that I couldn't get emotionally involved with. CIV FTW!
  19. BBHill
    Jul 21, 2012
    3
    I got this game because it was rated so highly and everyone seemed to have great things to say about it. This game is really not that great. It is at best a mediocre 4X Turn-Based game and at worst terribly boring and frustrating. It seems to be trying to combine Civilization with Sins of a Solar Empire but it really never seems to come close to either game.

    My first complaint is the    I got this game because it was rated so highly and everyone seemed to have great things to say about it. This game is really not that great. It is at best a mediocre 4X Turn-Based game and at worst terribly boring and frustrating. It seems to be trying to combine Civilization with Sins of a Solar Empire but it really never seems to come close to either game.

    My first complaint is the combat system. It seems like it was originally intended to be somewhat like either Sins or Total War but they scrapped that and just decided some cheap Rock, Paper, Scissors card game, where you have next to no control over your fleet, was better. It really isn't and you are better off just hitting auto resolve, the result is pretty much the same anyway. If they were just going to make something that is essentially random then they should have just stuck with what Civ does and have them duke it out on the galaxy map instead of wasting the player's time loading up a separate screen.

    My second complaint is that the game seems to be a mess of poor and annoying design choices. For instance you will be penalized for over-expanding early on in the game which is fine, it happens in Civ too. The problem comes when the only way to offset these penalties is to go deep into the tech tree, pray you find a hero that has some approval bonuses available on level up, or just not expand at all because if you keep going you'll pretty quickly find yourself with a revolt on your hands. If you stop expanding, you better hope you have some defensive fleets keeping the AI at bay because anything that you leave unguarded they'll colonize because they seem to suffer no penalties from over-expansion, they just keep going until there is nothing left to take. You'd also think that the race that is supposed to expand quickly, because they are essentially locusts, would not suffer this over-expansion penalty but you'd be wrong. If anything the game I played as them the penalty actually seemed worse than in any I'd previously played.

    Another annoying design choice seems to be the AI's lack of ability to do anything but expand. Diplomacy is basically finding them, waiting a bit for them to warm up to you a little, and then asking for a peace treaty which won't ever be refused. Declare war on them and they do nothing about it except occasionally harass your fleets as you try to take their systems, never once did they send fleets to attack any of my systems. In fact the only thing that ever actually attacked me were some pirate fleets that were completely unkillable at my tech level. The fleet attacking my system had an attack score of over 4000 when the best the AI or I could seem to field at the time was just over 1000. Went in and tried to win manually, which like I said is a waste of time, and their first barrage wiped my entire fleet out and I barely even dented them. Didn't even bother attacking with my second or third fleets that had arrived because it wasn't even worth the effort of hitting auto resolve.

    The concept of the game seems to be interesting and it could have been good but there is just so much wrong with the way this game works that it really isn't worth playing. I guess for a first game in the genre it isn't awful for the company and hopefully their future games will have a little more playability. As it stands you are better off playing Civilization or Sins instead since they are a lot more enjoyable and better designed.    … Expand
  20. KHAAANNN
    Jul 17, 2012
    7
    This was an enjoyable game, but I agree with other reviewers that it lacks depth or much replay-ability. The designers did an amazing job creating an intuitive interface that streamlines much of the micromanagement that inevitably is necessary in these types of games and I was able to pick up the fundamentals quickly based on past experience with "4x" games. The developers suggest thatThis was an enjoyable game, but I agree with other reviewers that it lacks depth or much replay-ability. The designers did an amazing job creating an intuitive interface that streamlines much of the micromanagement that inevitably is necessary in these types of games and I was able to pick up the fundamentals quickly based on past experience with "4x" games. The developers suggest that additional updates will provide new features, so perhaps soon then we'll finally have a worthy successor to Master of Orion. Until then, you'll get a few great hours of enjoyment with this one.. well worth the $30 or so.… Expand
  21. Vorlo
    Jul 30, 2012
    8
    Description:

    There is something that everyone should know about Endless Space and that is that it is hard, it is going to be confusing the first few games, and you will lose. I'm going to use the combat system just to show you how complex the game can be. Combat in Endless Space can best be described as a Rock, Paper, Scissors game within Rock, Paper, Scissors within Rock, Paper,    Description:

    There is something that everyone should know about Endless Space and that is that it is hard, it is going to be confusing the first few games, and you will lose. I'm going to use the combat system just to show you how complex the game can be.

    Combat in Endless Space can best be described as a Rock, Paper, Scissors game within Rock, Paper, Scissors within Rock, Paper, Scissors . Choosing between Ballistics(kinetics), Lasers, and Rockets and then the proper defense systems against each of those weapons and then a semi-R.P.S. card battle system. Then there's the max weight of your ships(how much you can equip them with), researching the tech for the weapons, defense systems, and ship chassis. And assigning proper commanders to your fleets. Now this is one of the easiest parts of the game and I didn't even describe all of it because that would take a whole review on JUST talking about combat to do that. Oh and did I mention that there are 7 ways to win this game so it's not all about the combat. You have to focus on not just Combat but Economy, Expansion, Tech Building, and Diplomacy.

    So if your the kind of person that enjoys this level of complexity then this game is probably for you. The Good:

    The interface is super clean. For how the complex the game is the interface really helps in making it "easier" to manage your colonies, fleets, etc. The combat looks like a scene straight out of Battlestar Galactica it's a super fun event to watch in fact I've forgotten to play cards because I was too busy watching the combat. It's a beautiful part of the game end of story.

    Colonizing, choosing what each planet should pull it's resources to, governing, and terra-forming, ect definitely give you full control over what's going on in your empire and better yet if you get so many colonies that you don't know what to do with them you can assign an AI to take care of that star-system for you. So that's really handy for when your busy conquering or doing whatever and you don't have time to deal with the 20 colonies you own. Customizable Factions means you get to play your way!

    The Bad:

    There is no play by email which is really disappointing because this game is LONG. And if you're playing multiplayer it is going to take a while to finish. I'm unaware if Amplitude plans to add this one day but it doesn't look like it.
    -There is some saving grace in this situation though because if you're in a match against a person and they drop out of the game then the AI will take them over. Now this can be a good or bad thing itself because what if they just had to leave to go to work and they come back and the AI completely ruined their strategy or an entirely different person joins and then they haven't been there the whole game so they don't really know what's going on for that session. So multiplayer definitively needs a little more work, mainly the option to choose to play by email.

    The combat is not very dynamic it is essentially the same thing over and over and while it drop dead gorgeous it is extremely repetitive.

    Pirates are OP and there are too many pirate fleets and the strength of the fleets is too high for how early they can show up and you could lose the game before you even encounter other factions. If you choose to enable pirates(which I suggest you don't unless you want to have a rage induced brain aneurysm) Pirates are broke in all the wrong ways. Space Pirates should be a nuisance with maybe one really strong Black-Beard fleet once in while not a whole faction that can spawn 5 battle cruiser sized fleets any where on the map on every turn one right after another non stop. You lose half of an early game fleet for every pirate fleet you destroy but guess what! After that pirate fleet is dead there's three more that are even stronger that JUST spawned in the system right next to your nearly ruined fleet.
    - Now since Pirates are optional I'm not going to let this effect my rating

    The biggest problem for me however is the lack of story and lore in the game. If the lore of the factions was measured in the deepness of a pool we're swimming in a bathtub, with the drain unplugged. There's not a whole lot there and the game generally lacks personality. The immersion is not there. I don't have any other reason to like a faction other than their stats and the style of their ships. Which is why I made my own so I could have some form of an actual story or motivation to conquer the galaxy or the befriend or smite a particular faction other than to just do it for the sake of winning.

    And that is the reason why I can't give it a 10/10. If it had Story and Immersion then yeah 9/10 and if the combat was more dynamic 10/10 but since it doesn't I have to give it a solid 8/10. Bottom line: excellent game, terrible story.

    Anyway I hope my review was helpful to you.

    Happy Gaming!
    Vorlo    … Expand
  22. Necrotaur
    Dec 19, 2012
    6
    I came into Endless Space expecting something like Civilization meets Sins of a Solar Empire, and... well, I don't know what I got. It plays very similarly to Civ in that it's turn based, has a tech tree, and you direct your 'civ' through their first steps into colonizing other planets, but that's about where the similarities end. The biggest surprise for me was finding battles are foughtI came into Endless Space expecting something like Civilization meets Sins of a Solar Empire, and... well, I don't know what I got. It plays very similarly to Civ in that it's turn based, has a tech tree, and you direct your 'civ' through their first steps into colonizing other planets, but that's about where the similarities end. The biggest surprise for me was finding battles are fought through a 'card' system as opposed to something more tactical. Perhaps it was a bad assumption on my part, but it's not mentioned in the game description and the screenshots seem to indicate otherwise, so it's something to be aware of. The rest of the game (tech tree, economy, even ship designing) is pretty shallow once you get past the technobabble. Researching Xenobiology sounds cool the first time, but soon you'll realize about 3/4 of the entire tech tree just give +1 to a particular stat in a star system, and research loses a lot of shine. The biggest disappointment: 90% of the game is spent staring at the galaxy map clicking 'end turn'. On the plus side, graphics during the combat portion are pretty nice, and I enjoyed the random events which pop up from time to time. So, I don't know, Endless Space isn't bad, but then again, it's not all that great, either.… Expand
  23. UnDeAdOvErLoRd
    Aug 21, 2012
    6
    So when i first played this game i was lost with no idea what to do very little in terms of a tutorial. First game i thought i was doing good then when i went to the score screen i was in last place on normal difficulty. So i looked up on-line to find some techniques to help me out and after implementing them it seems this game only has one real way to play it successfully. Other ReviewersSo when i first played this game i was lost with no idea what to do very little in terms of a tutorial. First game i thought i was doing good then when i went to the score screen i was in last place on normal difficulty. So i looked up on-line to find some techniques to help me out and after implementing them it seems this game only has one real way to play it successfully. Other Reviewers don't like the Rock Paper Scissors aspect of the combat it was a nice break at first but after many battles it was whoever had the better research. A really powerful pair of scissors can cut through rocks and so on. I did like this game but i know there is better out there somewhere.… Expand
  24. omniste
    Aug 20, 2012
    7
    Given the proliferation of bug ridden 4x strategies recently, Endless Space is worthy of commendation. The game represents a smooth, polished example of the genre. First impressions reveal a well built game with ample humor and character in the tool tips and design choices. Sadly, this experience does not continue throughout the game. Ship design is limited, with little real freedom otherGiven the proliferation of bug ridden 4x strategies recently, Endless Space is worthy of commendation. The game represents a smooth, polished example of the genre. First impressions reveal a well built game with ample humor and character in the tool tips and design choices. Sadly, this experience does not continue throughout the game. Ship design is limited, with little real freedom other than equipping lots of the most recent module. The combat likewise is limited. Although employing an innovative 'cards' system which allows bonuses and counter reactions, combat is automated and largely a case of the biggest, best armed ships winning regardless of strategy. Repeated playthroughs will find little real character or differentiation in this game. Overall an enjoyable but bland game which bears future potential dependent on post launch added features.… Expand
  25. NichG
    Apr 30, 2013
    8
    Endless Space is what Master of Orion 3 should have been. That said, its main problem may be that it can best be described in relation to other games, and not so much on its own. It has a sprawling tech tree, planetary systems to develop, space battles, alien empires, powerful commanders: basically the whole mess that we have learned to associate with the 4X genre and love it for. But IEndless Space is what Master of Orion 3 should have been. That said, its main problem may be that it can best be described in relation to other games, and not so much on its own. It has a sprawling tech tree, planetary systems to develop, space battles, alien empires, powerful commanders: basically the whole mess that we have learned to associate with the 4X genre and love it for. But I have a hard time pinpointing what it does that goes beyond this point. It feels like its searching for its own niche with the interesting idea of the sentient currency that is Dust, but this fluff isn't matched to game mechanics that explore it; if I called it Credits, the game wouldn't really be all that different. I really want to see Endless Space create its own mark on the genre, something unique to it. The good news is that the developers have been expanding it constantly since release, with four free expansions out so far (though so far these are more 'additional content' and less 'gameplay changing'). So hopefully this uniqueness is something it will achieve in the near future.… Expand
  26. refdxf
    Jul 10, 2012
    5
    Another title claiming to be the heir to Master of Orion 2. I buy every title that claims to be that heir. I guess it's my fault, I should just go play that game.
  27. Eyse
    Jul 8, 2012
    0
    Mind-numbing waiting between turns, cumbersome technology tree, stupid combat system, disappointing graphics - this game has it all! "Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion" makes this production look amateurish.
  28. wastedmymoney
    Aug 9, 2012
    2
    no storyline, no real tutorial, no real backbone.
    You shouldn't have to research how to play a game on google.

    I Wish i spent my 35$ on a bag of dope.
  29. Chomag
    Dec 3, 2012
    7
    It's an indie game. Ofcourse it has little to no voice-overs or amateuristically done at best and the quality is low to mediocre. I wish people would stop buying indie games only to whine about the lack of depth and quality.
  30. dplehwalder
    Aug 28, 2012
    1
    Looks so good, but is really a very bad game. Combat is horrid! You cant auto resolve combat unless you have at least two times the force they have or you will always lose. Once I attacked with three times the force and still lost. STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME!!!!
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Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Best PC Game of 2012
36
#36 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
60
#60 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 36
  3. Negative: 1 out of 36
  1. GameOver.gr
    Feb 12, 2013
    70
    What it lacks in storytelling and script it gains in gameplay and in the way it can get awfully addictive.
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  2. Gamer.no
    Oct 27, 2012
    80
    This is a fun and addictive space strategy game. It doesn't quite have the character of Master of Orion 2, but it offers intelligent gameplay, smart opponents and plenty of fun while you build your interplanetary empire. Well worth trying, for both hardcore and casual strategy gamers.
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  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 14, 2012
    83
    Master of Orion still retains its throne, but Endless Space with its enticing atmosphere and fluid gameplay is one of the best 4X games in recent years. [Sept 2012]
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