Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 318 Ratings

  • Summary: This galaxy is ancient, and its first intelligent life was the civilization we call the Endless. Long before our eyes gazed upon the stars they flew between them, though all that remains of this people is what we call Dust. A substance found scattered or in forgotten temples, it once gave powers to admirals and galactic governors. Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 36
  2. Negative: 1 out of 36
  1. Aug 20, 2012
    90
    The highlight of the game by far is exploitation.
  2. Aug 3, 2012
    85
    At the end of the day, you can't find any big problems that could waste your game experience of Endless Space. Some might say that the battles aren't spectacular enough, the IA is too basic, or the graphic engine is very demanding. But it's nothing if you look at the long nights you'll spent managing your galactic empire. For this price, do not hesitate. End turn.
  3. Jul 17, 2012
    73
    Endless Space is far from a disaster despite its bad AI and unfortunate micromanagement issues, with excellent online play making it one of the better multiplayer turn-based strategy games around. My decade-and-a-half wait for the space empire savior continues, though.
  4. 30
    It works but it's more of an "MS Excel strategy" than a regular game – controls are minimalistic and the motivation to game is absent. [Sept 2012]

See all 36 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 76 out of 129
  2. Negative: 24 out of 129
  1. 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
  2. 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 ga
    me 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.
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  3. 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 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
  4. 3
    Initially, it seems like loads of fun, and it does do some things pretty good. The different types of planet and their pros and cons are pretty fun, the heroes can give specific systems a pretty hefty bonus, and the graphics quality is also quite nice.

    However; the amount of stuff you can actually do boils down to setting governors, select cards (yes, cards) for combat, and maybe build some ships.

    The tech tree is somewhat arbitrary, but especially the military end of the tech tree is a simple upgrade system with pretty names. In the end, I couldn't finish a single game, and went back to other, more fun 4X games, which don't need heroes to give the player some level of control over an otherwise bland and boring game.
    Expand

See all 129 User Reviews