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. kazi
    Jul 6, 2012
    8
    A great game, but there is a lack of depth when you reach high-level play. It's still a lot of fun though, I suggest purchasing it.

    This game is easy to learn, and easy to master. Don't get me wrong, it's amazingly fun to play. Even if you've never played a 4X game before, I can guarantee you will like this game. Nevertheless, once you grasp the basic mechanics, Endless space is not    A great game, but there is a lack of depth when you reach high-level play. It's still a lot of fun though, I suggest purchasing it.

    This game is easy to learn, and easy to master. Don't get me wrong, it's amazingly fun to play. Even if you've never played a 4X game before, I can guarantee you will like this game. Nevertheless, once you grasp the basic mechanics, Endless space is not quite as deep as it seems. Combat/ship design is rather rock/paper/scissors-ish. Upon colonizing a new system, I will always build the same improvements over and over again. Diplomacy is rather simple. There are very few ways to play this game, but somehow it's still very enjoyable. The GUI is amazing, and tooltips make the game very approachable. The game is actually quite beautiful. Whenever I start a game, it is very difficult to stop playing.

    This game is both enjoyable and addictive, although is very simple gameplay-wise. If you buy it, you won't regret it. Just don't expect deep strategies or tactics. You will use the same strategy EVERY TIME.    … Expand
  2. Major_Death
    Jul 6, 2012
    6
    I am surprised at the number of 10's this game is getting. It's not a bad 4X game, but its not an outstanding one either. The combat system is bit pot luck, and the lack of ingame info is very frustrating. I get the feeling we will see more features as the game gets patched.
  3. Vasot
    Apr 30, 2013
    5
    AWFUL BATTLE SYSTEM THAT COMPLETELY RUINS A MAJOR PART OF THE GAME The battles are pre-render boring cutscenes and you have to use cards in battles. Why they made the battle system into something like Yu-Gi-Oh is beyond me. Tthe battles are a complete turn-off from my point of view As for the rest of the game (economy, colonization etc) fortunately it is better but everything you do inAWFUL BATTLE SYSTEM THAT COMPLETELY RUINS A MAJOR PART OF THE GAME The battles are pre-render boring cutscenes and you have to use cards in battles. Why they made the battle system into something like Yu-Gi-Oh is beyond me. Tthe battles are a complete turn-off from my point of view As for the rest of the game (economy, colonization etc) fortunately it is better but everything you do in the game feels like a chore somehow. After playing some hours i got bored with the game. Does not have the same kind of addiction like MOO2 had it becomes "stale" after playing some hours with it… Expand
  4. clayesterling
    Jul 5, 2012
    9
    Space turn-based strategy.

    It hasn't been out long at this point but I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. It feels very clean and crisp (bug free - though I know the forums have reported at least one substantial bug). Yesterday I couldn't help but fall into a '1-more-turn' trap, similar to Civ of old. I found myself up until 4AM the day until I finally passed out at the keyboard. The    Space turn-based strategy.

    It hasn't been out long at this point but I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. It feels very clean and crisp (bug free - though I know the forums have reported at least one substantial bug). Yesterday I couldn't help but fall into a '1-more-turn' trap, similar to Civ of old. I found myself up until 4AM the day until I finally passed out at the keyboard. The planet/system improvements are well done, the technology trees are massive and interesting, the hero experience system is rewarding and fun. I really enjoy getting a new technology for weapon/armor upgrades and then retrofitting my fleet. The combat system leaves a little to be desired. You can select Auto or Manual whenever a battle is initiated. Auto - the computer sims the fight. Manual - You select 3 different actions that play out in order (some actions counter other actions, but overall this feels pretty random). This is minimal though, and can still be fun when you guess the right counter actions to your enemies actions. I recommend this one if you're in the mood for some turn-based strategy fun.    … Expand
  5. BlueAardvark
    Jul 14, 2012
    2
    The Steam video was impressive, lots of action, the promise of a really good space adventure comparable to Masters of Orion from years back. I bought the Deluxe version with the Dreadnaught and off I went to play... end turn... end turn... end turn... end turn... end turn... The strategy is limited to researching terraforming techniques to inhabit other systems in a land grab, thenThe Steam video was impressive, lots of action, the promise of a really good space adventure comparable to Masters of Orion from years back. I bought the Deluxe version with the Dreadnaught and off I went to play... end turn... end turn... end turn... end turn... end turn... The strategy is limited to researching terraforming techniques to inhabit other systems in a land grab, then building endless numbers of disposable ships to wage a 'rock, paper, scissor' battle where the resolution is painfully simplistic and offers little for interaction to the outcome. The races are somewhat different technically, but offer no real interaction that makes Amoeba's different from the Humans. No voice overs, no videos, very 1990's interaction. Shipbuilding is limited to an 'auto-upgrade' feature, anything less and you are not effectively utilizing the capacity/firepower ratio that ultimately determines victory or defeat. If you are looking for a fun space adventure game, keep looking. $34.99 wasted, I've seen better facebook games that do the same thing, for free.… Expand
  6. HARALD
    Jul 5, 2012
    10
    4x space strategy game for people who love strategy. This is the best sci fy 4x game since master of orion 2. For me find the combat a tad bit poorer then moo2 but this game deserves to be named in the same sentence. I played this game from alpha to beta and now as a release, and I have enjoyed playing the game from day one. The feeling that each game is unique makes you feel that you are4x space strategy game for people who love strategy. This is the best sci fy 4x game since master of orion 2. For me find the combat a tad bit poorer then moo2 but this game deserves to be named in the same sentence. I played this game from alpha to beta and now as a release, and I have enjoyed playing the game from day one. The feeling that each game is unique makes you feel that you are playing a new game eache time you play. The different races gives the game also different flavor which for makes hours and hours of fun. As if that was not enough to make you buy this game ill add something more. The game is working stabile and has very few bugs, and you don… Expand
  7. JranZu
    Jul 6, 2012
    3
    I found the game very inanimate, while the graphics are not bad, they are not great either. The game play is stagnate with only a minimal amount of feeling. There are other games out there that do everything this game does and more; I feel like the time and money I put into this were wasted.
  8. TsukasaHiiragi
    Jul 27, 2015
    4
    Unfortunately ES isn't a very good 4x strategy game, playing it more only reveals all the major flaws of the game, however one major aspect of any 4x game is decently programmed AI, and that is something Endless Space doesn't have at all, since the AI is poorly programmed and starts with more or less infinite bonuses and the ability to do things the player can't - the outcome of the gameUnfortunately ES isn't a very good 4x strategy game, playing it more only reveals all the major flaws of the game, however one major aspect of any 4x game is decently programmed AI, and that is something Endless Space doesn't have at all, since the AI is poorly programmed and starts with more or less infinite bonuses and the ability to do things the player can't - the outcome of the game almost always leans in favor of the A.I winning no matter the difficulty setting, unless the player has enough experience to know all the aspects of the game, knows the skill tree and how to get important research done first and of course, the player gets an almost legendary start.

    Even on the easiest of difficulty settings, the A.I can still easily beat a skilled human player because of the boosted AI stats. Not to mention, throwing almost endless high powered fleets of ships if war is declared against the player and to add further insult, knowing almost intimate information about the players empire so it can attack your weakest points at any time, like many 4x games - basically the AI is programmed to cheat since thats the easiest way to program an AI to give a human player a challenge, even on the newbie difficulty A.I difficulty makes me want to face palm. I'd like to know how its possible for an A.I player with a couple of planets to have nearly double the score I have sometimes when I have nearly triple the star systems, wonders and a large fleet of ships?

    Some would say its a "Smart A.I" but there is a difference between a proper smart A.I and one that has been programmed with cheap bonuses that more or less gives it a clear winning edge against the player. Also, I think the galaxy map isn't big enough, the so called "Huge" map feels quite small by comparison to other 4x space strategy games with maybe less than a 100 star systems without mods. Many of the good mods unfortunately break the game completely as they haven't been updated, these mods we're perhaps the saving grace of the game but now its more or less been abandoned.

    Like someone commented, this game seems to be better played co-op against A.I players. Single player just isn't worth your time, especially if your a 4x fan - ES seems to be more like a zerg rush than empire building, which weakens the gameplay considerably - so the title really should be changed to Endless Zerg or Endless Fleets.

    I think the premise of the game is fairly good, the graphics, sound - all that is fine. The problem really lies with the execution of the gameplay, thats where it falls down. I think a sequel that fixes all the major problems the original has would be a good contender for the top 4x space strategy title, but they need to fix a lot of problems and make sure they don't make the same mistakes.

    4x space strategy is about expansion, empire building - in a nutshell turtling out your empire, building fleets - defending choke points - exploring the galaxy. ES does this, but in such a way it all takes the back burner, the galaxy without 'working' mods is way too small - The AI cheats too much to make the game fun or interesting, so a sequel needs better programmed AI without infinite bonuses or other stupid stuff.

    Overall, 4/10
    Endless Space isn't 'terrible' per say, but AI does heavily let the game down. GalCiv remains the king of 4x space strategy games. I'm glad I got this from the Humble Bundle sale, I would never pay full price for this. I would like to see a sequel to see if they can improve the game.    … Expand
  9. Rylan
    Jul 8, 2012
    6
    A particularly unengaging turned based strategy game which fails to deliver. The menu's, whilst crisp and clean, are unhelpful and confusing and the labels shown on new research skills provide little help as to what each actually provides. The control interface is counterintuitive and sluggish.

    The most important thing is that, for a strategy game, it is completely devoid of that. For    A particularly unengaging turned based strategy game which fails to deliver. The menu's, whilst crisp and clean, are unhelpful and confusing and the labels shown on new research skills provide little help as to what each actually provides. The control interface is counterintuitive and sluggish.

    The most important thing is that, for a strategy game, it is completely devoid of that. For the first 60 turns the only option is to colonize everything in site and the next 60 turns is spent building as many ships as you can to steamroll your opponents employing any other tactic.

    The space combat is dull and the camera spins around with little to no focus on what is actually happening and the Rock Paper Scissors gameplay adds little to the zergfest. Whoever has the most ships wins in almost all cases.

    Perhaps with much more content added this game will make something of itself but right now it's too much "End Turn" and not enough gameplay.    … Expand
  10. Leonius
    Jul 9, 2012
    6
    This game is way too simple and the tech tree needs some balancing too, whit some tech pretty much useless. I did liked it, but after the first game it gets boring really fast. What really left me disappointed were the "battles". You can "control" your ships choosing a battle card that has almost none impact on the battle, you can' t really control anything. The battles are slow, boring,This game is way too simple and the tech tree needs some balancing too, whit some tech pretty much useless. I did liked it, but after the first game it gets boring really fast. What really left me disappointed were the "battles". You can "control" your ships choosing a battle card that has almost none impact on the battle, you can' t really control anything. The battles are slow, boring, and you don' t really have time to choose the best card, you have to pick one, hoping. Yes, the game has pretty good graphics, and it' s one of the few games with a turn-based gameplay, but the combat is unbalanced (lasers are OP, along with missiles) and you can' t really customize your ships, it' s all about putting your best techs. When I played, let' s see, in MoO2, I customized my ships in order to give a role to every ship, but in endless space support ships go front line, exploding after few shots. Also the planet management is quite a mess, and you don' t know what will happen unless you do it. Also I have seen many people comparing this game to MoO2, and I can assure you that Master of Orion is on a higer level. The best part about this game is its price.… Expand
  11. Bobchillingwort
    Jun 29, 2013
    4
    Purchased the game on Steam sale recently after hearing a lot of hype. Endless Space looks pretty- the graphics a good for an indie title, and the menus have a pleasingly clear aesthetic. Unfortunately this title fails in some fairly basic areas of the 4X genre.

    First of all, the game does a poor job of explaining game mechanics to you, optional tutorial notwithstanding. It is    Purchased the game on Steam sale recently after hearing a lot of hype. Endless Space looks pretty- the graphics a good for an indie title, and the menus have a pleasingly clear aesthetic. Unfortunately this title fails in some fairly basic areas of the 4X genre.

    First of all, the game does a poor job of explaining game mechanics to you, optional tutorial notwithstanding. It is difficult to tell how much food you need to a planet to add a new population point, or when your borders will expand (and by how much), or even how missile weapons actually work (the game's description is misleading). There is no in-game 'Pedia, but rather a link to the fan-made Wikia, which is out-of-date on some topics and useless on others.

    Second, the combat system is awful. As many people have commented here, a lot of it comes down to guessing the correct cards to counter the AI and loading your fleets with energy weapons and heroes. There is some strategy in the form of ship load-outs, but even that basically boils down to "lots of lasers & some defensive modules". Invading planets is a hideously boring affair, where you camp above AI worlds for potentially dozens of turns (and at least four), fending off the disposable fleets the computer pulls from its ass. Far too much is automated, leaving the player with little to actually control. Apparently the new expansion pack (from a different studio) resolves some of these issues, but I am not particularly inclined to invest 10 more bucks to make the combat system enjoyable.

    Finally and most egregiously, there just isn't a whole lot to do in the game. Even on a large map you'll expand to a half-dozen or so systems and then find your only options are to sit around teching for eternity or build up enormous fleets to take on an AI which hates to make peace, gradually wiping out one faction after another. If battles were more enjoyable to fight you might want to go after other empires for the sake of combat, but it's a mostly joyless affair. There's nothing much to explore once you've colonized your core systems and met your neighbors. Really, it ought to be called "Empty Space".    … Expand
  12. Osmium
    Jul 29, 2013
    4
    As much as I want myself to actually like this game, I just cannot really get myself to give it another go. Being a big fan of space strategy (or 4x) games and having played for around 30 hours, I find the game mediocre at best. The start is extremely slow and tedious. The starting position in this strategy game and the first hour of gameplay basically defines if you will have a chance toAs much as I want myself to actually like this game, I just cannot really get myself to give it another go. Being a big fan of space strategy (or 4x) games and having played for around 30 hours, I find the game mediocre at best. The start is extremely slow and tedious. The starting position in this strategy game and the first hour of gameplay basically defines if you will have a chance to prosper or fail miserably. Also, I found yourself confronted with an AI that clearly cheats so hard in this game (starting from "normal" difficulty, everything below is pointlessly easy) it makes you feel absolutely incompetent. Fighting and invading usually comes down to who has the bigger fleet, which in turn comes down to who has the bigger empire. The slow pace, the weird balance due to AI cheating, the boring combat system, and the somehow lifeless and uninspired presentation made this game a disappointment to me.… Expand
  13. Flatroy
    May 19, 2014
    9
    This game like Civilization 4 in space. Beautiful graphic, good game play; at first glance difficult, but not really, with the constructor of ships, and with lots of technologies and capabilities to win...
  14. krkbomb
    Jul 14, 2012
    5
    It wasn't terrible. Neither was it very good. The "simultaneous turn-based" gameplay makes absolutely no sense. I cannot imagine the clusterF*** that is in multiplayer. Pick one or the other, please. The interface is clean and good-looking, but cumbersome to use for repetitive tasks. Also some very weird design choices, like severely penalizing expansion... Isn't expansion the POINTIt wasn't terrible. Neither was it very good. The "simultaneous turn-based" gameplay makes absolutely no sense. I cannot imagine the clusterF*** that is in multiplayer. Pick one or the other, please. The interface is clean and good-looking, but cumbersome to use for repetitive tasks. Also some very weird design choices, like severely penalizing expansion... Isn't expansion the POINT of these games? 0.o

    No campaign to speak of (yet?). Complete fail for me personally. I'm sure a lot of bored 4X addicts will be interested for two hours before some flaw pisses them off.    … Expand
  15. Shadowbane
    Dec 3, 2012
    5
    This review is only of Single Player.

    I am going to start this review off by simply going through a match adding in the ups and downs. You begin by going through and either picking a race to play or creating your own. I found the premade races to be a bit generic, with only a few fresh races. Upon creating m own race I ran into m first few disappointments. 1st: Your race will have the    This review is only of Single Player.

    I am going to start this review off by simply going through a match adding in the ups and downs. You begin by going through and either picking a race to play or creating your own. I found the premade races to be a bit generic, with only a few fresh races. Upon creating m own race I ran into m first few disappointments. 1st: Your race will have the generic ship look of one of the premade races of your choice. You will not get to customize your races ships past conforming to a premade race style. Also your picture/portrait will also have to be a premade races portrait. Both of these things slightly irritated me from the start as my United Federation of Planets had no style of it's own. Moving on during race creation there is a ton of traits/skills/cultural things you can add to your race or take away. You can also use this system to give advantages or disadvantages to your home planet. I found this system to be very creative and well though up. You can even going into the negative in some aspects to get a higher bonus in others. Getting into the game I noticed the GFX were ok, the menu system and interface was easy enough to use as well. The tutorial while somewhat bland did indeed show me the basic ins and outs of the game systems. I will also add that the story line was non-existent. You just in a galaxy with a whole bunch of races who apparently just want to beat the other race or something. You then start playing with a couple ships to colonize and scout other systems out. One of the first positive things I found was that if you had a colony in a system you could use that planet to colonize other planets in the same system this is a boon as I would not have to build a ship for each planet. Early phase of the game is basically a scramble to colonize as many systems as you can, and to explore as much of the galaxy as possible. Each solar system that has not been explored by any factions has some sort of exploration event. These events tended to bore me as I seemed to always get the same one aka finding another scout ship out of magic land. Also it is worth noting when you meet another race early on you start as cold war status. This basically means they kill every ship of yours they see until you or them research peace through the research trees. Some reason every1 is just out to kill each other in this galaxy for no reason. During the mid game you will be focusing on upgrading solar systems and planets. Every planet can be exploited in one way be it for food (farms) labor (factory) money (called dust, and you never get a good explanation of exactly what it is) or science. Solar systems get a large amount of upgrades that require money, and labor. You can unlock better planet exploits and better solar system upgrades through the research trees. During mid game you are bound to get into combat. There is always one race that hates you no matter what, and you will be forced to smash their face or give them something for peace (even if your stronger) First off let me tell you there are only 6 ship visual designs per race. There is absolutely no ship visual custom designs. So no matter what you watch the same 6 ships no matter what weapons or armor you put on them. During combat you can see the different weapons in action, but this only amounts to a different color missile or a blue laser instead of a green. The combat is visually appealing, but slow and tedious. When you go to war and you have 4+ battles each turn you will quickly learn to hit the auto button (Might I add the auto fight still takes about 45 seconds of watching a blue bar fill). The combat system used cards to attacks/def bonuses. You opponent can counter your cards with their own. You start with about 6 cards and more can be researched through the tech tree. This system while original is utter horse **** So many times I went into a fight with a superior force only to be countered every time by the computers cards and loose my fleets. Also you only have 30-45 seconds to pick your first card, you don't have enough time to make a correct choice before the battle begins and you miss out. It boils down to pick as fast as you can and prey. The research trees are my next topic. To be frank it blows. Research is all over the map. If you want better weapons do down the combat tree, if you want bigger ships you gotta go down the exploration tree. If you want more ships in a fleet to kill your enemy with number you gotta go down the diplomacy tree..... What this amounts 2 is you either balance you tech out and play the same way every game of you get stomped. If you focus your combat weapons and def you will get destroyed by bigger ships in larger fleets. If you focus on big ships, you will be destroyed by larger fleets of ships with better weapons. If you just want large fleets then you will die to bigger ships with better guns.    … Expand
  16. 7_12
    Jul 8, 2012
    8
    This game has a great interface which makes it very accessible, clear-looking and easy to play. Good graphics and design choices also add to it's charm. There's plenty of room for strategic and tactical thinking in this game. On the downside, I would mention the lack of personality in terms of in-game lore and flavour stuff like videos or even text. This doesn't help one get attached toThis game has a great interface which makes it very accessible, clear-looking and easy to play. Good graphics and design choices also add to it's charm. There's plenty of room for strategic and tactical thinking in this game. On the downside, I would mention the lack of personality in terms of in-game lore and flavour stuff like videos or even text. This doesn't help one get attached to the game universe. Minus for this and minus for rock-paper-scissors too fast-paced combat. Still, one has to remember Amplitude Studios is not a major developer and this is their first project. Considering this, and their approach to the game's development and interaction with fans and feedback, I can only applaud and praise them.… Expand
  17. AngleWyrm
    Jul 30, 2012
    6
    A goat in a pretty dress. GUI: In the trade screen items are listed for trade. But clicking on them often brings up an error message "trade refused. Reason is it contains an item you clicked". AI: The computer player frequently loses without any assistance, suffocating under the financial burden of many planetary upgrades that have no value or relevance to the planets they were put on.A goat in a pretty dress. GUI: In the trade screen items are listed for trade. But clicking on them often brings up an error message "trade refused. Reason is it contains an item you clicked". AI: The computer player frequently loses without any assistance, suffocating under the financial burden of many planetary upgrades that have no value or relevance to the planets they were put on. There is also no visible reaction or interaction with the player, it simply goes about it's private business of expanding and conquering worlds. So designing a rock-paper-scissors ship to defeat an opponent is a one-shot affair, with no counters forthcoming. Ships can be revamped at any colony shipyard; there's some needless restrictions on the number and naming of ship classes, which doesn't change the game play at all. The game is over after 20-30 turns, when it has become clear that you have completely outclassed all enemies. Then the rest of the time is spent on a long and dreary mop-up. Some bizarre penalty structure is applied to the player for early expansion because it is the winning strategy, which fails to alter the winning strategy. Overall, it can be enjoyed as a learning experience, an exploration of a new game for 10-20 hours. But I don't see any reason to play it again.… Expand
  18. Darvon
    Jul 11, 2012
    6
    It's fun for a while, but has very little staying power compared to other 4x games. Feels like playing a beta test with a untenably unworkable AI. The hardest difficulty in the game can be thoroughly beaten after only a few games due to poor AI choices, and multilayer synchronous turns and lack of cheat protection mean that it is a poor substitute for single player.

    Worth picking up    It's fun for a while, but has very little staying power compared to other 4x games. Feels like playing a beta test with a untenably unworkable AI. The hardest difficulty in the game can be thoroughly beaten after only a few games due to poor AI choices, and multilayer synchronous turns and lack of cheat protection mean that it is a poor substitute for single player.

    Worth picking up if you like Space 4x games, but don't expect more than 30 hours game play out of it.    … Expand
  19. anagain
    Jul 14, 2012
    5
    Endless Space is fun for a time but it lacks that final punch and most of this is down to depth. There's really not enough of it. The galaxy is small, even on the huge setting, and the tech tree, whilst looking large, is more often filled up with technical babble. You can fill the whole tree without a lot of effort. Just to emphasise my point about the galaxy size, I was quite surprised toEndless Space is fun for a time but it lacks that final punch and most of this is down to depth. There's really not enough of it. The galaxy is small, even on the huge setting, and the tech tree, whilst looking large, is more often filled up with technical babble. You can fill the whole tree without a lot of effort. Just to emphasise my point about the galaxy size, I was quite surprised to find, in my latest game, that I had explored almost the entire galaxy and found little more, if indeed, than 24 planets. I'd recommend Endless Space to those fans of 4X that like their games quick; those games where you don't have to trundle through turn after turn before you get to the middle game meat. There's a lot of promise here but it's just not deep enough. I'd actually lump this game in as a crossover between turn based 4X and a puzzler. You have to pick your expoansion path carefully and can block other empires if you get it right.… Expand
  20. xian
    Jul 17, 2012
    5
    Ascendancy - I was looking for a 4X game like that classic from 1995 when I bought Endless Space. Now I'm somewhat dissappointed.
    The interface is crisp in Endless Space. Clear cut information, good tool-tips, self-explaining symbols and most of the time a good layout. Feels like a fresh, well though out game that is easy to get into and not easy to get out of because like in every    Ascendancy - I was looking for a 4X game like that classic from 1995 when I bought Endless Space. Now I'm somewhat dissappointed.
    The interface is crisp in Endless Space. Clear cut information, good tool-tips, self-explaining symbols and most of the time a good layout. Feels like a fresh, well though out game that is easy to get into and not easy to get out of because like in every turn-based 4X you can settle just one more system and research just one more tech. But after a while you notice this smell and you start the wonder why you are playing this. The rotten parts of the game come to your attention: Huge tech-tree? Missle1, Missle2...Shield1, Shield2... The numbers go up, the gameplay and even the graphics stay the same. There is no satisfaction in building your new ship with fancy weapons when it looks and fights just as the old one. Are the fights nail-biting and challenging? I set them to auto-resolve 15min into the game - boring card drawing system that takes forever. The boring fighting system is a huge turn-down because in SP you will have to grind through endless amounts of ai fleets that like to suicide into your fleets. That turns out to be a problem because there's only enough space for one fleet at a time to attack in "Endless Space". The highest ai difficulty is called "Endless". That probably stands for 'endless' amounts of metal they can send into your meat grinder and still not win because you can still outexpand, outtech and outsmart them. You spent 5min clicking on auto-resolve when playing against the ai at higher levels. Multiplayer is a little better but still not good. Don't attack the host. When he leaves the others have to remake the game. I didn't encounter crashes or major bugs in my game. That's what pulls up the rating for me a little. You can't expect that anymore at release nowadays.
    Endless Space is not a bad game but there is no way this is a 10 like many people here rate it. Only buy it if you're desperate for a 4X game and don't expect too much complexity.    … Expand
  21. Calico01
    Jul 6, 2012
    6
    Although ES has some promising features, it also lacks a lot in several departments. Balancing, AI, some Bugs and Ingame-Help haven't been finished until release, which makes this a rushed release. The general "feel" is that has a clean look, graphics are good and the game is fun to play.... for some time. Don't expect to much of it, it's ok for it's price. But it's no AAA title and likelyAlthough ES has some promising features, it also lacks a lot in several departments. Balancing, AI, some Bugs and Ingame-Help haven't been finished until release, which makes this a rushed release. The general "feel" is that has a clean look, graphics are good and the game is fun to play.... for some time. Don't expect to much of it, it's ok for it's price. But it's no AAA title and likely will never be one, even when Amplitude continues the development for some months.

    It lacks the one distinctive feature that can make a Indie Game a huge hit: serious Innovation.    … Expand
  22. TotalBiscuitXXX
    Jul 7, 2012
    8
    Surprising refreshment of the genre in what was a slow previous year for 4x games. Pros
    * A smart game. Non-cumbersome user interface. * Visually attractive solar system & seemless graphics. * Fairly unique to the genre battle system. * Wide range of game options. Disadvantages * Diplomacy is a slight pushover (i need to look this up as its likely my perception or difficulty settings or    Surprising refreshment of the genre in what was a slow previous year for 4x games. Pros
    * A smart game. Non-cumbersome user interface. * Visually attractive solar system & seemless graphics. * Fairly unique to the genre battle system. * Wide range of game options. Disadvantages * Diplomacy is a slight pushover (i need to look this up as its likely my perception or difficulty settings or settings in general) * Spammy fleets (i think i'll get used to its style) >>>>>>> *!* When I say disadvantages its just something that springs to mind, as I know amplitude will change, as they are puring 1000x of themselves into this game. *!*    … Expand
  23. Sigmar2408
    Jul 6, 2012
    9
    There has been a lot talked about the disappearance of the 4X-genre especially in round based space games. The genre-kings on which most people would agree were Ascendancy and Master of Orion 2 back in 1995 and '96 and a lot of "heirs to the throne" showed up afterwards. But as most of these follow-ups like the Galactic Civilization Series, Imperium Galactica or Sins of a Solar Empire wereThere has been a lot talked about the disappearance of the 4X-genre especially in round based space games. The genre-kings on which most people would agree were Ascendancy and Master of Orion 2 back in 1995 and '96 and a lot of "heirs to the throne" showed up afterwards. But as most of these follow-ups like the Galactic Civilization Series, Imperium Galactica or Sins of a Solar Empire were great games of their own, nothing feels more like a "true" descendant to especially Master of Orion 2 as Endless Space. Of course, different aspects as the interface or the space battles added with action cards can't be count towards the classic points that made the genre so addictive, but they are both great new introductions to a new game feeling in the genre. Endless Space has a lot of things it does quite good and some things that could be made slightly better as well. Starting with the negative points, the AI has its flaws every now and then (although just according to some weird tactics, to that the player sometimes just has to adapt to), the micro-managing in fleet structure could be optimized and some translation fixes are still to be done.
    After all, the game as it was still in alpha and beta status looked polished and more finished even before release than some games don't do after months. When you watch the forum, you see a lot of ideas developer's take from the community, you have votes about new game features and permanent communication about problems or things that could be added into the game.
    The strength of the game is its motivational curve (with that well-known "just one more round"-feeling), the replayability with 8 races and the option for development of your own race as well, the perfect systems- and colony management, a great UI with its possibilitiy to have a complete overview of what's going on just one mouse-click away, a tech-tree with lots of different ways to play the race the way you want (through warfare, technological superiority, extremely fast expansion or just economical dominance) and so on...
    So after all Endless Space is just a classic (nonetheless modern), fun and deep game for all you 4x-nerds out there...and all others who just enjoy well designed games!    … Expand
  24. yourwhitenoise
    Jul 6, 2012
    9
    Endless Space harkens back to classic 4x strategy games such as Master of Orion and the Civ series. In many ways, it is a love letter to 4x fans--its development was directly influenced by them! From start to finish, it is obvious the game was crafted with a lot of love both by the devs and the community. Is it the greatest 4x game ever made? Not yet. If its initial development was anyEndless Space harkens back to classic 4x strategy games such as Master of Orion and the Civ series. In many ways, it is a love letter to 4x fans--its development was directly influenced by them! From start to finish, it is obvious the game was crafted with a lot of love both by the devs and the community. Is it the greatest 4x game ever made? Not yet. If its initial development was any indication, however, it has a bright future of content additions ahead of it.… Expand
  25. Kanazawa
    Jan 27, 2013
    5
    It's okay. Really there's just not anything special about this 4X game. I wanted to enjoy it, but it ended up being really repetitive once I got the hang of the game. The same strategies are usually used to win every game, and there's not much difference. The maps are too small even at the largest size. I wish it were more entertaining, but it feels like it's missing too much.
  26. kgsodie
    Jul 10, 2012
    9
    This is a great game, make no mistake. It is not perfect, as very few games are, but it gets many, many things right. First, the bad: I've been a strategy board gamer since the Avalon Hill days and the combat system in Endless Space just isn't quite Gold Standard. In a complex game, the combat needs to be lively. It doesn't need to be complex, but there should be a greater degree ofThis is a great game, make no mistake. It is not perfect, as very few games are, but it gets many, many things right. First, the bad: I've been a strategy board gamer since the Avalon Hill days and the combat system in Endless Space just isn't quite Gold Standard. In a complex game, the combat needs to be lively. It doesn't need to be complex, but there should be a greater degree of strategy and tactics than long/medium/short range battle selections between 2 individual fleets. I understand the desire to simplify, but this goes too far. It's not as horrible as other reviews state, it's simply, well, too simple. To be fair, this isn't a straight war-game, it's much more an empire building game for which the designers elected to go with simplified combat. Fair enough, doesn't break the game by any stretch. I do wish you could speed up the combat results, once the cards are selected. A choice between the provided full-auto and full-manual selections. As good as the intuitive interface is (more on that later) some things are missing. Browsing through the wiki clears most questions up, and I hope elements so of the wiki make it into the game. It's nice to peruse the tech tree and see a tech that opens up a class of ship, but it would be even nicer to know what the class of ship is before you research the tech. And now the good: Addicting gameplay. Intuitive interface that is just the right way to do it. Pop-up help everywhere, links to what is going on in the game pop-up as event happen, etc. Replayability is excellent - try the different races, experiment with different victory conditions, try different galaxy sizes and civ mixes. It just goes on and on. Knowing what to research and in what order, how to improve a star system, which ships to build and how to outfit them - these are all decisions you can tailor to your specific play style. Lots of different builds work, and very few decisions you make are game-enders. Some players may not like this, as they may prefer a 'perfect' order for things, but I think it is a strength. The 'perfect' order is for you to decide, out in the endless space.… Expand
  27. Tridus
    Aug 15, 2012
    8
    I wouldn't give this game a 10, but I understand why some people are. The 4X genre is starved for good games, and most recent entrants have been half-baked buggy disasters. Endless Space is polished and plays well. Gameplay wise, Endless Space is really a game about two phases of play. The early game is great. Exploration is tricky. Some planets are hard to colonize. Keeping people happyI wouldn't give this game a 10, but I understand why some people are. The 4X genre is starved for good games, and most recent entrants have been half-baked buggy disasters. Endless Space is polished and plays well. Gameplay wise, Endless Space is really a game about two phases of play. The early game is great. Exploration is tricky. Some planets are hard to colonize. Keeping people happy on a budget matters. You don't want to lose ships. Leaders are highly valuable. In the late game a lot of that changes, however. Colonization is cheap. It's dirt easy to keep everyone happy. Resources flow freely, even at low tax rates. Production rates get so high on good systems that fleet spam becomes a huge problem. Ship design at that point also becomes about glass cannons or guessing games between which weapon he's using right now, and picking the right defense for it.

    That said, those are balance issues and the core game here is fun. It needs some tweaks to become "great", but is already "good" today.    … Expand
  28. Quellor
    Mar 18, 2013
    5
    I've purchased the game, based on some user reviews and the video content of game play. From what I see, it's a turn based game similar to Civilization 3. No graphic display of combat. I'm a bit disappointed and I feel a bit mislead by the video with regards to fleet combat. Combat is a bit like some card based game, use hero cards mixed with action cards and boom, win or lose after aI've purchased the game, based on some user reviews and the video content of game play. From what I see, it's a turn based game similar to Civilization 3. No graphic display of combat. I'm a bit disappointed and I feel a bit mislead by the video with regards to fleet combat. Combat is a bit like some card based game, use hero cards mixed with action cards and boom, win or lose after a click. Some of the game shows polish with art and concept, but there is no game beyond micro managing star systems and Pokimon style combat. I choose you Defence Frigate, use tactic 1 for +10% combat strength and use Captain card for a +15% bonus. Lets see, looks good, click and lose... Just glad it was on sale.… Expand
  29. karmasleeper
    Aug 14, 2012
    7
    As a gamer fairly new to the 4x genre, I found Endless Space a great introduction. The mechanics are easy to grasp and the game becomes less intimidating the more you play. Unfortunately, a couple annoying flaws prevent it from standing out. The developer has admitted the game is not a finished product and I can only hope they dedicate themselves to continued improvement of a promisingAs a gamer fairly new to the 4x genre, I found Endless Space a great introduction. The mechanics are easy to grasp and the game becomes less intimidating the more you play. Unfortunately, a couple annoying flaws prevent it from standing out. The developer has admitted the game is not a finished product and I can only hope they dedicate themselves to continued improvement of a promising title. One flaw is the enemy AI. It will frequently amass huge fleets in one or two systems and do nothing with them. The AI does not actively challenge the player as he or she grows an empire across the galaxy map. The more your empire expands, the more your populace becomes unhappy. Even if you are playing an expansionist or militarist faction, you suffer an enormous approval penalty for growing your empire too quickly. Many people have complained about fleet combat because players have very limited control over it. Once you engage an enemy fleet with one of your own, your fleet attacks on its own. You have three rounds of combat to play a tactics card that gives you bonuses and rock paper scissors counters to other cards. You have no direct control over fleet movement or attack during combat. Personally, I don't mind this as it simulates managing an empire from afar and leaving the dirty work to the admirals. You can customize ships with technology that forms another rock paper scissors mechanic. Admittedly, I have not played multiplayer, but I am thinking it is probably a lot more rewarding than playing against the AI. If you're new to 4x games, I would recommend Endless Space. If you're a veteran looking for a new, engrossing experience, you might not find what you're looking for. The game is a good amount of fun, rewarding (if only for a while), and a nice segway into games like EU3, GalCiv2, and Victoria.… Expand
  30. jmc8888
    Aug 5, 2012
    10
    There are different types of 4x games. Some are turn based. Many where you control the ships in combat. All of this is great. But haven't you ever wanted to build your empire and ships, and watch the battles instead of feverishly clicking around with your mouse? There has to be a game that eventually comes out like that right?

    Well now there has. Endless Space is a cinematic 4x    There are different types of 4x games. Some are turn based. Many where you control the ships in combat. All of this is great. But haven't you ever wanted to build your empire and ships, and watch the battles instead of feverishly clicking around with your mouse? There has to be a game that eventually comes out like that right?

    Well now there has. Endless Space is a cinematic 4x empire builder. The ship customization is pretty good as you get to choose what type of weapons, defenses, etc that you earlier researched to put on your ship (classes also researched). Also fleet size can be upgraded. So you start off with small ships with a few weapons, and can end up with lots of ships and more weapons (or a ton of crappy weapons if you want to see a venerable light show). The angles of the cinematic battles is pretty good. They could of botched this badly, but they did it quite well. Could be a little better, but still does well. They could patch in more cinematic screens or make it better for a sequel. But for now, it is quite fun to watch. Needs a little more variety, but they can add on to this later.

    This is a new type of 4x, and the point is, as it's patched and/or the series progresses, this new sub-genre will get better. I like variety in my 4x games. I don't want them all being clones of each other. This accomplishes that, and lays the ground work for a branch of the 4x genre.

    The upgrade tree is vast. Don't grow too fast in the game empire wise. There are techs to upgrade to mitigate the 'empire expansion' disapproval factor. You don't need to colonize everything first. Get the bigger solar systems with five planets, and/or the ones with extreme resources. I think this is a great game. A fresh and needed look at the 4x genre. Seriously I've been waiting for a cinematic space battler for a looooooonnnnnggg time. Finally one is out there. Buy it and enjoy a new sub-genre. You'll have your Sins. You'll have your Galactic Civ. You'll have your other. Now you'll also have your cinematic 4x in Endless Space.    … Expand
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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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