god of destiny Moderator
Number of posts : 2133 Age : 32 Job/hobbies : sending souls to hell Favorite word : Go to Hell Awards : Currenty playing : Dirge of Cerberus Registration date : 2007-12-15
| Subject: Galactic Civilization II: Dark Avatar Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:08 am | |
| Metachronos overall score = 9.1 / 10 Positive - New features provide even more strategic breadth and depth - Excellent artificial intelligence has been tuned to be even better - Easy ability to mode and customize provides a plethora of user-made add-ons - Dramatic new campaign Negative - Still no multiplayer - Diplomacy could use a little more depth Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords was on most strategy-game-of-the-year awards lists in 2006, garnering praise from many as the best space-based "4X" (exploring, expanding, exploiting, exterminating) game ever released for the PC. That's a tough act to follow, yet somehow Stardock has managed to produce an add-on package that elevates the game to an even higher level of strategy gaming excellence. Dark Avatar accomplishes this via subtle tweaks in a wide range of existing features combined with some totally new elements that significantly expand the depth and breadth of an already excellent game. The artificial intelligence has always been a highlight of Galactic Civilizations II, so it is downright scary that it has been further refined and improved in Dark Avatar. It was already intelligent enough to make you feel as if you were playing against human players rather than hard-coded AI. So the improvements are subtle, such as how well your opponents design their ships for particular situations and how they handle negotiations in technology trading. Speaking of race negotiations, you now have the option of establishing research and economic treaties. These can be unilateral or bilateral treaties. Diplomacy is still a bit simple when compared to Space Empires V, but it's extremely well designed. Dark Avatar is technically a "mere" expansion to Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, but the added features are so profound that it feels like a new and even better game. The incredible range of options and now the ability to create completely new races ensure that you can create any type of game that you happen to be in the mood for, from a race between reasonable civilizations in a tiny galaxy to an epic space opera between good and evil in a massive universe, with a mythos made of stock races or customized to create Kirk's U.S.S. Enterprise versus Darth Vader. If you had any doubt about whether Galactic Civilizations II was the best 4X space game on the PC, Dark Avatar will crush those doubts like the Korath wiping the last vestiges of life from a helpless planet. This is a must-buy for any owner of Dread Lords and highly recommended for any strategy gaming fan. Cover http://www.tothegame.com/boxshot.asp?picnum=us&id=5661 | |
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