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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  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!!!!
  31. Rotar_Rocket
    Oct 17, 2013
    0
    Poor turn-based game that has a military focus. A hack copy of Master of Orion without any fun.

    This is another example of Steam taking peoples money for complete crap.
  32. Remainz
    Oct 10, 2012
    6
    Fun, but needs a lot more work to be worth the $30 I put into it. I guess we will see how the three major updates they promised change the game.
  33. rant
    Oct 15, 2012
    7
    It's a fun, straight-forward 4x space strategy game, with a great UI. The developers seem motivated to keep improving the game, too. Not a classic, and not a must-have, but also not a bad way to spend some time.
  34. Boltfrowah
    Feb 28, 2013
    7
    Played this game recently and it wasn't too bad. I agree that there is a bit of lacking in the depth area, both in content as well as the races. The combat system was a bit redundant in that I grew quickly tired of the same battle cutscenes time and time again. The tech tree is just all over the place. And the AI pose little to no threat on a consistent basis. While this game did have somePlayed this game recently and it wasn't too bad. I agree that there is a bit of lacking in the depth area, both in content as well as the races. The combat system was a bit redundant in that I grew quickly tired of the same battle cutscenes time and time again. The tech tree is just all over the place. And the AI pose little to no threat on a consistent basis. While this game did have some potential, it's replay-ability was pretty much in the shallow end.… Expand
  35. Cailore
    Jul 17, 2013
    5
    It is a pretty game, until it crashes, and it will.

    The "strategy" is next to non-existent as you try to out spread AI players in an endless slog of waiting after pushing the "end turn" button.

    So very much wasted potential, doesn't live up to the Master of Orion comparison.
  36. Triggerhappy
    Dec 1, 2012
    6
    The current installment is decent and fun to play. If you are looking to colonize space, research futuristic techs and design your own battleships, this is definitely worth the money. It has little to no storyline and very little "flavour", tho, and feels a bit too cold - I would say that it lacks a little grit that old masters like Alpha Centauri or Masters of Orion had. But it still hasThe current installment is decent and fun to play. If you are looking to colonize space, research futuristic techs and design your own battleships, this is definitely worth the money. It has little to no storyline and very little "flavour", tho, and feels a bit too cold - I would say that it lacks a little grit that old masters like Alpha Centauri or Masters of Orion had. But it still has good, distinct feel to it and a very decent soundtrack. Negatives include linear gameplay - there really is only one winning strategy, despite multiple "victory types", repetitivness of tasks (all systems colonized need to have nearly the same basic structures build, in the same order), pointless diplomacy options (all are worthless) and a lack of any voiceover. I can't help it, but I would love to have some narrative and voiceovers incorporated.… Expand
  37. vence
    Dec 23, 2013
    6
    Boring game, you are supposed to lead your civilization into the galactic age searching for some ancient race or something but everything is so abstract you just don't care anymore after a few turn and you just keep playing like a zombie, even fighting use a paper-rock-scissor system to resolve battles and you can not witness your mighty battle steeds clashing in glorious battle
  38. Ajdino
    Oct 22, 2012
    6
    As nice as the game is in looks, it's a very difficult game to enjoy. Even on the easiest difficulties, I find my race always in last place, eventually being wiped out. Nothing is more torturous than a game you can't win. Other then difficulty, it's an alright strategy game. The music is good, as well as the climatic battle scenes. The graphics are beautiful. If you've ever scene theAs nice as the game is in looks, it's a very difficult game to enjoy. Even on the easiest difficulties, I find my race always in last place, eventually being wiped out. Nothing is more torturous than a game you can't win. Other then difficulty, it's an alright strategy game. The music is good, as well as the climatic battle scenes. The graphics are beautiful. If you've ever scene the camera work for Battlestar Galactica, it's just like that. Multiplayer is a failed concept. Turn based multiplayer is an absolute bear.… Expand
  39. Slackerboy
    Oct 22, 2012
    7
    This game was so close to being a classic game but fell short on a number of bugs and lack of polish. I can not tell you how disappointing it can be to play a 20 hour long game and at long last when you win what happens? A simple pop-up that says y"You win!"

    That's it. It would have been worth at least 1 more point to have had something at the win/lose of a game beyond 2 words. The    This game was so close to being a classic game but fell short on a number of bugs and lack of polish. I can not tell you how disappointing it can be to play a 20 hour long game and at long last when you win what happens? A simple pop-up that says y"You win!"

    That's it. It would have been worth at least 1 more point to have had something at the win/lose of a game beyond 2 words.

    The other major issue was with the lack of information, too many parts of the game just had to be tried to find out what they did and many I still do not really understand despite having over 40 hours into the game.

    Still it is a nice twist on the 4x games and was a lot of fun, with a little patching this game could be an easy 9.    … Expand
  40. Latrec
    Sep 13, 2012
    6
    An cap of a space rts game, if only to fall short on the mark.. This game features ruling ruling solar systems, space fleets, and heroes. Unfortunately the lack of random events, indepth diplomacy or strategic battleplay or actual planetary system management makes this game somewhat bland. You'll find urself ignoring food production or public happiness and seeking merely to boostAn cap of a space rts game, if only to fall short on the mark.. This game features ruling ruling solar systems, space fleets, and heroes. Unfortunately the lack of random events, indepth diplomacy or strategic battleplay or actual planetary system management makes this game somewhat bland. You'll find urself ignoring food production or public happiness and seeking merely to boost production/economic output. Your space battles will be fun at first, but will quickly turn to a repetitive "damn i have to sit through another one..." as it is purely cinematic, unskippeable and there is a lack of tactical mobility. You'll find yourself trying more to figure out/research your tech tree than actually playing an rts game. With a few patches this game could quite likely become something to talk about, but up to this point its not.… Expand
  41. Jintoss
    Oct 26, 2012
    6
    The card-based combat is an interesting idea that could have been executed much better. As it stands, there are two ways to approach combat. You can gamble with your fleets which is not a good idea because you will need them as AIs will get very aggressive as soon as your borders meet (the AI has a knack for suddenly exploding in military despite the most retarded planet managementThe card-based combat is an interesting idea that could have been executed much better. As it stands, there are two ways to approach combat. You can gamble with your fleets which is not a good idea because you will need them as AIs will get very aggressive as soon as your borders meet (the AI has a knack for suddenly exploding in military despite the most retarded planet management ever...), which they will always because you either expand or get overrun. Or the better choice is to just ignore the combat mechanic entirely and just focus on outnumbering (ships per fleet, not overall - that would be impossible) and just steamroll through fleet after fleet loosing only a few ships. Then switch your weapon tech when they adapt (AI is very slow at adapting). Almost trivial.

    In the end, all the components of a good 4x seem to be in place, but it just doesn't 'balance out' in the end. And the game becomes either trivial or frustrating. Still could be fixed with some balancing of techs, introducing some AI (I wouldn't call the current computer oppenents 'intelligent' at all, just abusive of difficulty bonuses - raw resources for them, and approval penalties for you, what joy!) and a rework of the combat.

    TLDR: Another promising 4X game that misses the mark entirely. You will either figure it out the game-breaking strategies quickly and grow bored, or will give up trying.    … Expand
  42. MannyUK
    Oct 14, 2012
    7
    A good modern remake of the classic game STARS! in my opinion. This is a typical 4X game (eXpand, eXplore, eXploit, eXterminate). Turn based games bring back the nostalgia of the 90's and so does this one, it made me dig out the original CD for STARS! and install it with dosbox to compare. They are both good but i think STARS! edges it with the extra depth. Good graphics, they remindA good modern remake of the classic game STARS! in my opinion. This is a typical 4X game (eXpand, eXplore, eXploit, eXterminate). Turn based games bring back the nostalgia of the 90's and so does this one, it made me dig out the original CD for STARS! and install it with dosbox to compare. They are both good but i think STARS! edges it with the extra depth. Good graphics, they remind me of the ships from EVE. Brilliant interface, very smooth and easy to work. Makes the learning curve a little less vertical.

    I would reccomend it to kill a few nights but not varied enough to make me go back for more. I got about 20 hours out of the game.    … Expand
  43. KingMob4313
    Aug 23, 2013
    7
    Possibly the best successor to Master of Orion 2, even better than Galactic Civilization 1.

    ...If it didn't completely fall apart in the last half of the game. The game is very easy to master and best even on the highest difficulties. The game is in serious need of balancing (Favors expansion far too much) and the tech tree provides too little bang for your buck. Still, if you're    Possibly the best successor to Master of Orion 2, even better than Galactic Civilization 1.

    ...If it didn't completely fall apart in the last half of the game. The game is very easy to master and best even on the highest difficulties. The game is in serious need of balancing (Favors expansion far too much) and the tech tree provides too little bang for your buck.

    Still, if you're looking for your x4 fix and you've completely exhausted MOO2 and you find the humor makes Galactic Civ 1 feel too lightweight for you, this might be your game.    … Expand
  44. suneater
    Dec 26, 2012
    7
    4X turn-based strategy with a focus on economy & tactics. The music is very immersive and changes based on where you are in the game (planetary view, shipyard, etc.). Combined with the crisp, clean visuals the devs have found a way to make the sterile menu navigation somehow not boring. Sadly this charm can only last so long since most of the game is spent digging through menus trying to4X turn-based strategy with a focus on economy & tactics. The music is very immersive and changes based on where you are in the game (planetary view, shipyard, etc.). Combined with the crisp, clean visuals the devs have found a way to make the sterile menu navigation somehow not boring. Sadly this charm can only last so long since most of the game is spent digging through menus trying to balance your empire on a see-saw. The biggest graphical disappointment is how "flat" the galaxy feels; there are eye-catching planetary views when zoomed into a star but from above it feels like playing a board game. Although there is combat, there is an "Auto" mode that lets you pre-load commands so many battles end up playing themselves. Even with the wealth of tooltips, many basic game features are hard to grasp, such as the seven victory conditions. The devs have been working hard to improve the game but the current tutorial is really barebones and is basically popup screenshots that explain things that the tooltips already show.

    Endless Space is a highly customizable sandbox in space that offers you many unique ways to conquer the galaxy (or not at all; you can disable all victory conditions). A work in progress worth picking up if you can handle the difficulty and steep learning curve.    … Expand
  45. TacSmasher
    Oct 29, 2012
    6
    Endless Space is a dumbed down version of the strategy classic Galactic Civilisations II. You dont even get better graphics, compare the old graphics of 'GalCiv' with this and GalCiv wins every time. If you are one of those people scoring it a 10 then go get a copy of the aforementioned game (I think you can still get it as a digital download) and be prepared to be astounded by theEndless Space is a dumbed down version of the strategy classic Galactic Civilisations II. You dont even get better graphics, compare the old graphics of 'GalCiv' with this and GalCiv wins every time. If you are one of those people scoring it a 10 then go get a copy of the aforementioned game (I think you can still get it as a digital download) and be prepared to be astounded by the gameplay and combat cut scenes. (yeah more than a little has been taken by Endless Space from that old Classic - unfortunately not enough). I give Endless Space a score of 6 because its at least a step towards satisfying my desperate need for a good successor to GalCiv II.… Expand
  46. madmax55
    Nov 9, 2012
    5
    Wouf.
    Seemed to be a funny game. Amount of playing time won over the fun I had. Mysterious technology tree, mysterious conditions to win. Sometime you play for 10 hours and the computer suddenly annouce you that you have lost even if everythings was looking like if you were heading to win. At a moment I faced some agressive pirates and when I finally get rid of them, I had two planet and    Wouf.
    Seemed to be a funny game. Amount of playing time won over the fun I had. Mysterious technology tree, mysterious conditions to win. Sometime you play for 10 hours and the computer suddenly annouce you that you have lost even if everythings was looking like if you were heading to win. At a moment I faced some agressive pirates and when I finally get rid of them, I had two planet and my neighbours 20 ! another lost game and few suggestions to do better. If you choose an easy way, you will overcome and destroy any ennemy. If you choose the hard way, the ennemy arrive with unbeatable armada. I had like to find the middle way.    … Expand
  47. Efferkongen
    Nov 15, 2012
    6
    As much as the research is nice, the game is horribly slow. I have given it several chances because I really want to like the game, but it just has boring combat and a limited A.I system, plus the lack of story mode is to bad.
  48. super3588
    Dec 1, 2012
    0
    Nope. Not a game you want, whether or not it's a Steam Free Weekend this weekend (11/30/12-12/2/12). Yuck. It's like intergalactic Risk: It's slow, you can't figure out what to do, and basically, it's not a game I want in any way, shape, or form.
  49. kenobi87
    Nov 29, 2012
    3
    It must be in Spanish or another language.. It's only in English, If it had been free to play, I wouldn't have been disappointed. I like games based in the space
  50. shadywack
    Dec 21, 2012
    1
    This is just a virtual card game. Steam advertises this as some kind of RTS or action oriented game, when in reality you make a huge litany of small decisions in order to counteract the means by which the deck of cards hits you when you have to face other empires. The lack of ingame information is also infuriating. After spending a couple hours watching youtube tutorials, the faction IThis is just a virtual card game. Steam advertises this as some kind of RTS or action oriented game, when in reality you make a huge litany of small decisions in order to counteract the means by which the deck of cards hits you when you have to face other empires. The lack of ingame information is also infuriating. After spending a couple hours watching youtube tutorials, the faction I chose apparently didn't like missiles. No matter how large or how vast a fleet I made, I would just watch it get blasted to smithereens by two paltry and insignificant pirate ships. Space combat is entirely dictated by who draws a better card. If you try to employ any kind of strategy, logic, or common sense the card just smacks you in the face with "sorry about your luck, your vast armada just got blown to bits by a couple lowly pirates". This is by far one of the most regrettable purchases I have ever made on Steam.… Expand
  51. DonnGwuan
    May 23, 2013
    2
    Looks great and i'm sure i'd have a lot of fun, if it wouldn't freeze up.
    Which is a problem for many and has been for a reasonably long and extended time.
    A 2 for appearance.
  52. billybobdiddly
    Jul 19, 2013
    7
    Started off with a lot of potential. Felt a lot like a space-based Civ V, in a good way. I liked it. I was just getting into it when the battles started. That's when it began to unravel for me. The battle system for individual battles is OK, I get how it's supposed to work. But there isn't a way to defend your territory. Enemy ships get to blow by my fleet like it's not even there. So, IStarted off with a lot of potential. Felt a lot like a space-based Civ V, in a good way. I liked it. I was just getting into it when the battles started. That's when it began to unravel for me. The battle system for individual battles is OK, I get how it's supposed to work. But there isn't a way to defend your territory. Enemy ships get to blow by my fleet like it's not even there. So, I have to cover every one of my planets with large fleets to defend them, meanwhile endlessly chasing the enemy around? Lost me at that point.… Expand
  53. Vas
    Jun 30, 2014
    3
    This is even more disappointing than StarDrive. The reason? Because this actually had a lot more potential and looked a lot better and the videos were great.

    The videos draw you in, show a lot of exciting combat. You know what happens when you play? Tedius research planning. End turn. End turn. End turn. End turn. End turn. Build one thing. End turn. End turn. End turn. End turn. End    This is even more disappointing than StarDrive. The reason? Because this actually had a lot more potential and looked a lot better and the videos were great.

    The videos draw you in, show a lot of exciting combat. You know what happens when you play?
    Tedius research planning. End turn. End turn. End turn. End turn. End turn. Build one thing. End turn. End turn. End turn. End turn. End turn. End turn. Build one more thing. End turn. (x10).

    Yep. You basically just end turn, a lot. The tutorial is terrible. It's a picture with text (Ok, an advanced picture with text). I lost my fleet because the tutorial came up and stopped me from clicking anything, I lost before I could finish reading the large volume of text information, and it canceled it's self so I couldn't finish learning battles. I tried a manual battle, it sucked. Auto is the way to go. Which kinda sucks too. There are only 3 ship classes you can use, this is after I researched 60% of the military research and 40% of everything else. It's a really long boring RTS with great graphics with misleading videos to get you to buy it.    … Expand
  54. Valaridan
    Jul 26, 2015
    10
    This is not master of orion you people shove that opinion this game has its own features and differs a lot from master of orion,whining its more like master of onion keep crying for nothing
  55. Fyrestorm3
    Dec 31, 2013
    5
    It's not a bad game, per se, but the learning curve is astronomical (pun intended). There's also a distinct lack of in-game information; the tutorials do a good job of explaining what all the buttons do, but leave out so many crucial pieces of information that you'll constantly find yourself Googling what should be basic questions about the game. It would have been nice to know that theIt's not a bad game, per se, but the learning curve is astronomical (pun intended). There's also a distinct lack of in-game information; the tutorials do a good job of explaining what all the buttons do, but leave out so many crucial pieces of information that you'll constantly find yourself Googling what should be basic questions about the game. It would have been nice to know that the "wavy" planetary connections are wormholes, and require advanced technology to navigate, or that ships only repair themselves when in combat or in friendly territory.

    The in-game notifications and tooltips don't help much, either. It's so hard to determine exactly what you'll unlock when choosing what new technologies to research; the tech tree explains what things are just fine, but it has serious trouble telling you what they do. This extends to all facets of the game. Nothing seems intuitive; instead, it all seems designed for someone already familiar with the gameplay. This is a major problem, because the game has so much to do, and so much to understand, that new players absolutely need their hands held during their first few games. It's primarily for this reason that I found myself absolutely unable to get into the game.

    There's some minor gameplay issues as well (the combat is fairly unimaginative), but overall, it plays fine... if you know what you're doing. Exploring the galaxy is plenty of fun, but be prepared for some serious trial-and-error and many moments that will leave you scratching your head and/or Googling for an answer. If you're looking for this kind of strategy game, I'd recommend Civilization V instead.    … Expand
  56. timujin
    Mar 10, 2014
    7
    Bottom Line:
    if you are looking for a game that has a beautiful package you will enjoy this title.
    if you are looking for a game with depth / challenge this one is not for you. p.s. there is the multiplayer option i hadn't played Pros: -Graphics -Plenty of options to randomize the generated universe or your race -Replay-ability -GUI is fluent and of great design Cons    Bottom Line:
    if you are looking for a game that has a beautiful package you will enjoy this title.
    if you are looking for a game with depth / challenge this one is not for you.

    p.s. there is the multiplayer option i hadn't played

    Pros:

    -Graphics
    -Plenty of options to randomize the generated universe or your race
    -Replay-ability
    -GUI is fluent and of great design

    Cons
    -Unsatisfying combat
    -After 10 hours of game-play the O.S.T might annoy you.
    -Poor AI
    -Poor Balance, some tactics / weapons etc.. much more powerful / useful then others
    -You will not feel much room for decisions. some times you will find yourself just clicking end turn button until you win.

    On normal difficulty level, i won several times just by building the right building according to the planet / system researching the cheapest tech each time and attacking the weakest AI neighbour. Basically the AI is so bad, and there is so little strategic depth to this game that by following several rules of a thumb a cat can beat the AI.

    On higher difficulty level, AI gets bonuses, to overcame them you will need to look for the OP weapons / techs / race bonuses to win. Meaning your choice of tactics narrows to 20% of the OP things out of all what the game has to offer.    … Expand
  57. snowbert87
    Dec 12, 2014
    7
    Endless Space is a capable turn based strategy and civilization game that suffers from late game boredom. Every time I come back to this game and get started I'm excited about my racial features and exploration. mapping the galaxy, forming new colonies and growing in the different development trees is fun. The game boasts enough complexity to make my choices matter, without being soEndless Space is a capable turn based strategy and civilization game that suffers from late game boredom. Every time I come back to this game and get started I'm excited about my racial features and exploration. mapping the galaxy, forming new colonies and growing in the different development trees is fun. The game boasts enough complexity to make my choices matter, without being so confusing that I spend all my time looking stuff up on forums and wikis.

    The goal of the game is to achieve victory through, economic, exploration, population, diplomatic, militaristic or natural wonder conditions. Different species are more suited to different victory conditions and have strengths and drawbacks that give depth and meaning to my choices. These victories all center on reaching new star systems and colonizing planets. Each planet based on it's planet type and what each player constructs on it will support the empire differently. There are about 10 types of planets and some planets have positive or negative attributes associated with them. For instance a planet might have acid rain which decreases food production or it might be mineral rich increasing money generated from factories on the planet. I have also been excited to find some rare specific planets that have wonders on them like a giant living tree or a polar workshop. These special planets are rare and most galaxy's (game boards) only have 1 of each type. The exploration and colonization of galaxies is definitely the game's, strongest and for me, most enjoyable aspect.

    Endless Space looks pretty good however the graphics are primarily a 2D game board with ships moving like pieces on it. The star system and planet UI is straight forward and accessible to use. The ship battle cut scenes are out of place. they felt unnecessary and too drawn out for my taste. In ship to ship combat you can pre-select orders for each of the 3 battle phases and then see the results which skips the cut-scenes. It was rare that my choices during ship battles felt very meaningful. I either had a lone colonization or explorer ship that I immediately retreated with, or I had a bunch of warships that defeated whatever they came across. Perhaps I didn't draw enough militaristic enemies in my different play-throughs of the game, but other ships never changed how I played my games.

    My biggest concern with the game is that one victory condition seems to be more easily attainable than all the others. The economic victory is a simple matter of achieving X gold based on how big the galaxy is and how many players there are. Other victories force players to endure the long task of completing entire discovery trees, or the slow monotonous over taking of the galaxy which requires tens of turns per star system to do. The diplomatic, scientific, wonder and expansion victories are all much harder to complete than the economic or supremacy victory.

    Endless Space did allow me to tailor each game to only allow for certain types of victories to actually count. In fact I can customize almost every part of the game before it starts. There was a little piece of me that really didn't want to change how victory came because I felt like it was a way of turning the difficulty down. I won't say that this issue ruined the game for me, but ti took me a while to get over and is why I think this game is more of a 7 and less of a 9.    … Expand
  58. Taram
    Dec 20, 2014
    4
    While the game seems well laid out the tutorial is downright awful and the game is not intuitive at all unless you're a 4x veteran. Unfortunately the 4x Genre seems to be hell bent on making games as complicated as possible.

    What I wouldn't give for a "Civilization" in space game that has simple controls and easy to understand tutorials.
  59. Vorpal_SF
    Dec 29, 2014
    7
    I had high hopes for Endless Space, since the space-based 4X genre is my favorite. The game ended up leaving me a bit disappointed. It's good, I guess, but really feels limited. It marries a well-executed strategic empire management game to a paper-thin tactical space combat engine. To be honest, the space combat seems like an idea that just didn't succeed, so the developers threw in theI had high hopes for Endless Space, since the space-based 4X genre is my favorite. The game ended up leaving me a bit disappointed. It's good, I guess, but really feels limited. It marries a well-executed strategic empire management game to a paper-thin tactical space combat engine. To be honest, the space combat seems like an idea that just didn't succeed, so the developers threw in the visuals because they'd already done the work. If this was the space combat they envisioned from the start, I really wonder why they bothered. The "manual" combat mode leaves you basically as an observer with almost no control over the battle once it's begun (other than ordering a retreat that, due to the mechanics of the game, would almost certainly come too late to be useful). The combat mechanics are disappointing as well. While you get to design your ships (a must for any game in this genre, IMO) the design choices are really only reflected in the power ratings for your ships, So, all your research basically just increases the numbers a ship has, but not its play style or tactics. The tactics themselves are basically a set of rock-scissors-paper decisions (beam-projectile-missile and long-medium-short range). They only play into the game pre-battle, when you pick tactics. So, the tactical combat basically just ends up being empires throwind ever-larger stacks of ships against each other to compare numbers and have one side win.

    The strategic game is better, but except for the setting (a universe in which a powerful elder race came before you and left ruined wonders) it's basically like every other space game. The developers seemed to want to create variety through many different playable races, but they all basically play the same, so it doesn't work.

    All in all, it scratched my sci-fi 4X itch for a while, though not particularly satisfyingly. The 7 I'm giving it is pretty soft, but I did play through several times on escalating difficulty levels, hoping for more depth and challenge (I never found it). It treads the same path as Master of Orion, though not quite as well. For my money, if you want a space-based 4X game, the gold standard is the indie series "Space Empires". SE is not a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination, but it's the best combination of a strong strategic game with a functional tactical one.    … Expand
  60. Winters
    May 31, 2017
    3
    The best way to define Endless Space would be to combine the Civilisation series with the space-stage of Spore, then remove the voice acting, dialogue, content and finally suck out all of the fun.

    The combat options are "Auto" which just shows the combat results, or "Manual" which allows you to pick a battle tactic for long range, medium range and melee range, then watch it played out.    The best way to define Endless Space would be to combine the Civilisation series with the space-stage of Spore, then remove the voice acting, dialogue, content and finally suck out all of the fun.

    The combat options are "Auto" which just shows the combat results, or "Manual" which allows you to pick a battle tactic for long range, medium range and melee range, then watch it played out. Not sure where the manual part comes in to play there.

    The Pirates, which if you are familiar with other games of this genre, are the random, pain in the arse element. They would be fine and an enjoyable part of the game, except that while you are still trying to develop ships bigger than a scout-class, they show up with three cruisers and wipe out your civilisation. You literally have to prepare for and take preventative measures from turn 1 to have a chance of dealing with a random pirate attack.

    I really can't think of any balancing points. There are much better space-based games of this genre out there, from 10 years ago, with the same level of graphics, with far more attention to detail and immersion.

    Endless Space will drive your average gamer to tears through boredom. Only a hardcore genre fan will complete it and almost no one will play it through more than once. The game is not awful but it is trying very hard to be.    … Expand
  61. GolovA
    Jun 19, 2018
    7
    Good 4X.

    Although if you are not waging war, gameplay becomes somewhat boring, since you cannot overtake Star System any other way, such as through influence.

    Good 4X.
  62. dinin70
    Feb 10, 2016
    7
    Oh my god... I decided to step in after reading so many negative reviews of people losing in Medium Difficulty (go back to Civilization 5 pleaaase) or playing in Easy (do you really excpect challenge in easy?)

    The game is for me a 7. Pros: I've never seen a game providing you such a wonderful user friendly interface. It's is incredibly well done. Even with 30 systems, and LOADS of    Oh my god... I decided to step in after reading so many negative reviews of people losing in Medium Difficulty (go back to Civilization 5 pleaaase) or playing in Easy (do you really excpect challenge in easy?)

    The game is for me a 7.

    Pros: I've never seen a game providing you such a wonderful user friendly interface. It's is incredibly well done. Even with 30 systems, and LOADS of armies, you can quickly see everything that is going on and plan you moves according to the situation. This is where it clearly crushes Galactic Civilization in which, at later game stages, you were completely overrun by a ridiculously high number of armies and systems to manage in an unfriendly manner. A bit like in Civilization IV, where at later stage, you have TOO MUCH of everything.

    This is really where Endless Space excels: the interface, I repeat myself I know, is well made that you could have 100 systems and 100 fleets, and even if you are overwhelmed of information, you can quickly figure out what to do, and, most importantly, you do it quickly and easily.

    But make no mistake, this is NOT an easy game and requires you a very high degree of thinking.

    The game however falls TOO short in two aspects:

    1. combat is just awful. You can customize your ships very easily and create armies based on the strategy you want to follow and it's GREAT on that side. But once the battle starts, it's really a rock-paper-scissors that anyway has a few impact on battle... Pitty... It's better no doing anything, engaging the battle and see how it goes (like in Civilization). Anyway in Endless Space 2, combat system looks GREAT.

    2. this is the worse part: IMMERSION is ZERO!!! While Endless Legend provides a great immersion, one of the best I ever saw side by side with Dominions, Endless Space looks completely empty... You don't feel in ANY way connected to your empire. As Total Biscuit says, the game is well made it is fade... What do I mean: you pick up a Race, you play a certain strategy and all races are different enough and provide a different gameplay experience. The "Play" is different, yes, but the "Feel" is non existent... No images; no architecture whatsoever, ships barely different on Map (in battle you don't really care)...

    PLEASE ADD SOME FEELING!!    … Expand
  63. Klewer
    Jun 17, 2016
    8
    A very good space exploration and management game, with economy and fleet management. A fan for the strategists with so much to do and take note of, still quite tough on the easiest of difficulties and not for those who don't want to put the time in.
  64. NathanAllen
    Mar 13, 2015
    5
    It's not terrible, it's not good. That basically sums it up. Three years later and some basic features still not implemented . Influence is just there so you can waste research points until you figure out there's no real need for it. No real espionage. There are still typos in some descriptions and the tutorial. Just doesn't seem like a fleshed out 4X. It's enjoyable only because IIt's not terrible, it's not good. That basically sums it up. Three years later and some basic features still not implemented . Influence is just there so you can waste research points until you figure out there's no real need for it. No real espionage. There are still typos in some descriptions and the tutorial. Just doesn't seem like a fleshed out 4X. It's enjoyable only because I got it cheap.… Expand
  65. Hecatone
    Sep 27, 2015
    9
    The game is a bit complex, but once you get past the learning curve, it's great. The AI is some of the best I have seen in any game... ever. You can play and win in any way you like and the artwork is amazing.
  66. Greywolf2001ca
    Apr 17, 2015
    9
    This is what Master of Orion 3 should have looked like. Luckily, even though we had to wait a long time, someone somewhere decided to make that MOO3 possible... minus the name.
    Everything is good in the game, especially in the patched base game. Its expansion changes stuff and it's not pleasant changes for everyone. I really liked the base game, the expansion, meh, I don't know...
    To    This is what Master of Orion 3 should have looked like. Luckily, even though we had to wait a long time, someone somewhere decided to make that MOO3 possible... minus the name.
    Everything is good in the game, especially in the patched base game. Its expansion changes stuff and it's not pleasant changes for everyone. I really liked the base game, the expansion, meh, I don't know...

    To buy for all Master of Orion true fans (not the fans of MOO3).    … Expand
  67. zombiechan
    Feb 11, 2015
    7
    I find it to be a good turn based space strategy game. Though I couldn't get most of my friends to pick it up, I did enjoy playing against the AI.

    The combat mechanics are interesting, but can't say I'm a huge fan of it. I wish this game had the same combat as Endless Legends.
  68. Muramas
    Oct 13, 2015
    5
    Good intentions but a bad game.

    The game looks pretty but certain UI elements work against itself with ships not being clickable at times or unresponsive. The AI is pretty aggressive and can do stuff that you cant such as move ships in your area but you can't do the same (no notice of war prior to move) and high levels of micromanagement that doesn't give much feedback than the popup    Good intentions but a bad game.

    The game looks pretty but certain UI elements work against itself with ships not being clickable at times or unresponsive. The AI is pretty aggressive and can do stuff that you cant such as move ships in your area but you can't do the same (no notice of war prior to move) and high levels of micromanagement that doesn't give much feedback than the popup notifications at end of turn.

    The Bad
    -Combat falls on its face with a interface that has good intentions but ends up being difficult to use, best fleet trumps all type of battle style.
    -Needing to go into each planet to change its custom setting, change planet type or remove negative traits.
    -When research or building is done and queue is empty the game will not do anything to notify you.
    -Moons are mostly useless
    -Influence is useless
    -Luxury Resources are a bit confusing
    -Mood (purple buildings) have such a huge impact on the production, either they are building slow or everyone is 100% happy. This needs more of a happy medium.

    The good:
    -Being able to remove negative planet traits was nifty idea.    … Expand
  69. rd1349
    Jun 26, 2015
    8
    I understand that this game is old already by the time I am reviewing it but with the recent Civilization starships and Beyond Earth being a rather unsavory experiences I wanted to write a review for a game that did all the same things with one exception. It did them right.

    First things first this game plays as if someone ported the civilization series to space and gave them a rather    I understand that this game is old already by the time I am reviewing it but with the recent Civilization starships and Beyond Earth being a rather unsavory experiences I wanted to write a review for a game that did all the same things with one exception. It did them right.

    First things first this game plays as if someone ported the civilization series to space and gave them a rather good backstory. You build, you buy, you coerce and then you destroy, the typical 4X game in a nutshell. Where it differs from the civ games though is in it's lack of a hex system and it's surprisingly asymmetrical play.

    Each of the games factions has a series of traits good and bad aswell as an overarching main faction trait.
    These traits drastically alter each faction style of play with one having to rush the game before it collapses on its own economy and another trying to outlast the rest of the factions by stripping planets of resources and making them undisireable and eventually even stupid to invade.
    These assemetric factions all mesh very nicely into eachother and make for an interesting game that is quite fun to learn. The game much like it's spinoff endless legend (which is also pretty good) lets you create custom factions with all the bonuses and tradeoffs you like.

    The graphics are nothing spectacular but have aged quite well all things considered. The combat while more complex than in Civ games is still rather simple. There's your fleets, their fleets, and a whole lot of explosions and space opera in the fully animated battles.

    The problem with this game is acctually is simplicity. In high level play you'll notice that there are only a few strategies that work well. leaving the late game experience a little dry and stale.

    Final verdict: 7.5 out of 10 (rounded up to 8 (blame metacritic))
    Dispite my greivences with the games lategame it holds up brilliantly until then with the first half probably getting a higher rating then the final verdict. It's a very nice game that manages to induce that one more turn symdrone. It holds up even today and I think that anyone who is a hardcore fan of 4X should try and pick it up since by now it's pretty cheap.    … Expand
  70. gingerninja11
    Apr 14, 2017
    4
    Bad out-of-digital-box experience with too many options and aspects of the game presented with no campaign storyline and a ton of instuctions to get started. No mini tutorial campaign that teaches the ropes in a fun way to provide basic guidance on how to leverage advantages from skill and build combos. Some techs are absolutely useless (IE, researching tier 3 siege only to find out maxingBad out-of-digital-box experience with too many options and aspects of the game presented with no campaign storyline and a ton of instuctions to get started. No mini tutorial campaign that teaches the ropes in a fun way to provide basic guidance on how to leverage advantages from skill and build combos. Some techs are absolutely useless (IE, researching tier 3 siege only to find out maxing out tier 2 siege is better). Extremely exploitable strategy where you can stack a few space fleets on a system for "offensive attack" where your enemy has a large amount of their ships stacked, and then run away from battle every time so that the enemy can never fly their ships elsewhere while you're blockading the system. Even if the defender has faster space ships. This makes no sense: if they run from battle, you shouldn't still be blocked from leaving the system.

    Combat isn't very interactive, tech trees are really not fun to dig around, and there's no explanation of precisely how influence works, anywhere in the game or online.

    Off to find a better 4k.    … Expand
  71. JinReview
    May 17, 2017
    8
    With the release of the Endless Space 2 later this month I decided to revise and review its predecessor. It has been almost 5 years since the release of the first Endless Space and it's remarkable how the game can still hold up as a great game even so many years later. The gameplay is very addicting and although it might not have a tutorial level or scenario it displays all the informationWith the release of the Endless Space 2 later this month I decided to revise and review its predecessor. It has been almost 5 years since the release of the first Endless Space and it's remarkable how the game can still hold up as a great game even so many years later. The gameplay is very addicting and although it might not have a tutorial level or scenario it displays all the information that the player needs, when the player needs. If you never played a game of this magnitude you might feel lost at first because there is so much to manage, so many options and so much strategic depth but learning and discovering all the little things and systems that this game has to offers is part of its fun.

    Taking the 4X turn-based strategy to outer space, Endless Space expands on the genre's recipe and with its 8 different victory conditions the game really incites the player to try multiple strategies and approaches. The battle system is very simplified but it has a good depth to it. Most of the strategy here comes before the battle itself from optimizing your ships depending on the resources you have and trying to predict your opponent's strategies and weapons.

    In terms of civilizations Endless Space offers a good variety. Some are human-like, others mechanical and others more alien. And they all play differently, with unique differences like the ability to colonize all planets right from the start or the ability to leave your system and migrate to other planets. A nice touch is that each civilization has it's own ship designs. In the overworld there isn't much to speak off in terms of graphics since the game aim for a simplistic "holographic style". The plot is quite absent but Endless Space does offer unique lore to each of the civilizations. This lore is delivered through a little cinematic that install the right mood and mindset for understanding that species backstory and playstyle.

    • Last Thoughts

    Even today Endless Space is a game that can hold up as the simplistic graphic style doesn’t show its age and the strong gameplay provides for many hours of engagement and entertainment. The unique concepts, the great array of available and uncommon civilizations and the multiple victory conditions make replaying the game feel non-repetitive and that’s something that Endless Space really relies on since it doesn’t have a campaign or story mode. This is one of my favorite 4X games until now and I’ll be looking forward to the release of Endless Space 2 later this month.    … Expand
  72. MatikTheSeventh
    Oct 11, 2020
    9
    One of my favourite experiences of the 4X strategy genre. The exploration of space and conquest of the galaxy is very appealing to me.
  73. DuhDude
    Mar 29, 2019
    6
    One problem with this game that I never see mentioned is the OP human v. AI when it comes to battles. You somewhat get to pick which of the AI ships you want your ships to target, which is great, but you also get to pick which of your ships you want the AI to target, which is weird and completely unfair. You can just have 2-3 tank ships in every fleet that are loaded with nothing but hitOne problem with this game that I never see mentioned is the OP human v. AI when it comes to battles. You somewhat get to pick which of the AI ships you want your ships to target, which is great, but you also get to pick which of your ships you want the AI to target, which is weird and completely unfair. You can just have 2-3 tank ships in every fleet that are loaded with nothing but hit points, repair modules, armor, and defenses while all of your other ships can just be bristling with weapons since they never need to worry about being shot at.… Expand
  74. Tomicsavo
    Feb 17, 2020
    5
    It was free. I don't like sci-fi so much, but it's good.-------------------
  75. apokalipto
    Aug 11, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  76. Tabbou
    Aug 5, 2021
    8
    Trouvable à 1€ sur certains sites
    Je découvre la licence avec ce jeu et pour le coup c'est vraiment intéressant, il y a pas mal de choses à gérer le jeu est assez complet pour son age

    Vous pourrez même utiliser Cheat Engine si vous galérez trop ou juste pour + de fun ;)
  77. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    7
    Fun 4x game with a great fantasy to sell but ultimately falls short feels limited. Cinematic battles are cool but ultimately finnicky and hard to get a grip on. planet development is good but feels... limited for an interstellar civilization
next
Page:

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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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]
See all critic reviews »