Imperium Galactica 2 (IG2) holds a special place in the heart of Hungarian gamers, being a flagship title of Digital Reality. The company at one time was considered "the" game developers of the nation, similar to how CD Projekt is perceived in Poland today. Digital Reality started out as Amnesty Design, their first 4x game Reunion (1994) already showed the hallmarks of all their strategy titles: a focus on presentation, high production values, a mixing and sometimes even subjugating gameplay to a narrative of epic scope and a strong, thematic soundtracks which trace their roots to Amiga tracker music. IG2 is an interesting mix of design choices and represents the middle of the road between the very linear and "story-driven" Reunion and the later more open, but streamlined gameplay of Haegemonia. Presentation: Like its direct predecessor IG1, the game employs many pre-rendered cutscenes. Unlike IG1's videos this stood the test of time, even in an age of stellar CGI movies, IG2's scenes are still decent to very good. Unlike IG1 there are no FMVs with hilarious acting this time around. Graphics: IG2 employed top-notch 3D graphics for its time which, unlike its hand-drawn predecessors gives the game a bit dated look, but for a strategy title is functional and aesthetically pleasing. Gameplay: Depending on one's preferences, this is an area where the game either shines of fails. Unlike similar 4x titles that typically focus on star-map grand strategy and ship-combat, IG2 also involves ground-combat similar to RTS titles like C&C, planetary management reminiscent of Sim-City, a more elaborate diplomacy/spying system than employed in even more modern titles. On the one hand, the huge range of these "mini-games" can delight a new time player, but for an strategy purist might detract form "core" experience with their "fiddliness" that bogs-down the game. Overall: IG2 is a unique 4x title with strong story elements usually foreign to the genre and strong presentation.
