Stellaris

First of all this is Paradox game, if you are not used to it's engine and AI logic, you won't get all flavor until you explore all it's facets. Second, gameplay-wise Stellaris is your typical, but perfectly-made 4X with Civ5-like progression/economics and diplomacy/AI mechanics from CrusaderKings (light version). Latter means that all those small things you don't understand, they matter a lot, and if you'll understand them you may make AI dance for you. I like small stories of Stellaris, graphics, music combat it is all very smooth and balanced, but AI and it's behaviour is a real gem here. Not perfect gem, but still times better then in other 4X games, where AI runs as a script and after script end will never try to come back and just sits braindead in the corner. Here it will come back, and it will fight other AIs for you too (without your participation in war). Just set it on the right track. You may meet small random non-scripted AI who sits on one planet and not finished, because he is very polite. Gift him a sector and you'll see how he'll bloom and make a comeback. To put it plainly, in comparison to Endless Space 2, this game rocks from gameplay side. I'll say it's like civ5 but 4x. If you like civ5 go Stellaris, if you like civ6 where game entertains you, but AI is dead, go -> ES2. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed ES2 greatly. But after you heard all stories there is nothing to do there. Here... in Stellaris you may play for centuries same run even after all unique researches are done, just keep AI dancing and fighting. Yes, you need to make wars, even if you are "good guy", like me. There are "liberation wars" for that. And if you don't like to war, you may get into federation and other AIs will win game for you, though game will be much shorter and shallow that way.

How do I describe this black hole of a game which has deprived me of sleep and daylight hours? For starters it's the easiest of Paradox's brand of strategy games to get started in, as the experience is streamlined for ease of use compared to (eg) Crusader Kings II (which I've tried to play), while still having the depth to satisfy the hardcore connoisseurs of the genre. Stellaris is practically a sandbox grand strategy game that provides just enough lore to flavour the experience allowing players the freedom of imagination. The story is that you play a sentient race that has just discovered faster than light travel, (according to post v2.0 rules) surveyed your home system and begun setting up installations within. As to said sentient race you play, you have two options (three if you're into rolling the dice) - Choose from a host of pre-made templates. Create your own race select sentient variety, portrait (both purely aesthetic), traits along your empire's ethics, civics, regime, name and banner. Depending on the empire you create (based on your selection of ethics and civics) you can have a multitude of sentient species coexisting within your empire. But if you're undecided, feeling lazy or just looking to take the "Surprise Me" challenge route then Randomising your race may be the way to go. As for the rest of the story, (for the most part) it's told through the game's exploration mechanics using your science vessels as you research anomalies you will encounter. The rest is yours to tell through the Empire you forge and the actions you take, making for a good roleplaying experience. Like any of Paradox's grand strategy games, Stellaris is in real-time with the options to control game's pacing and pause at will. Playing multiplayer games, the pacing controls will be in the hands of the host. All up with the storytelling and power plays, Stellaris is one of the most engaging games. Arguably Paradox's best grand strategy game and well worth you time.

Stellaris is quite a surprise, you begin playing expecting it to be some sort of crusader kings in space, but it's way more. As things get procedural every playtrough you won't get the same experience twice, but boy you are going to enjoy each and every one of them. There's so many ways to play it, so many approaches to grow, you might decide to be diplomatic and pacifist, or instead a fanatic purifier, or you might enjoy being an assimilator, the possibilities are almost endless. By the time the crisis arrives, you'll have a mature empire, that doesn't mean strong though, and the crisis might burn your empire to the ground because of it. If you want a game that will give you hundreds hours of entertaiment, this is the game for you.

Crashes in-game too much once things start getting complicated.

Absolute new in this game but the tutorial is very nice AWSOME!!!! just don't rush