This has the groundwork of an amazing game, but there are some hiccups that really drag the experience. This is yet another game where persuasion and high charisma are compleely overpowered. It's not Falloout New Vegas overpowered, but it feel like half the game's content and most worthwhile rewards (and most practical solutions) are locked behind persuade options. Pile this ontop of near X-Com levels of rng, and you have this odd mix of a great narrative experience and the beautiful, smooth visuals and combat we love from Divinity, and then.. there is this really grating film over it that is just infuratingly frustrating. The load times are just outright irresponsible for a game that functionally demands this amount of save scumming- and this WILL try your patience, when you back-to-back fail some of the most trivial rolls imaginable. This is partially because it falls into the trap of trying to make choices 'meaningful' by backloading content and rewards behind multiple rng gates, posed as 'consequences for failure'.. which is less and less meaningful when you come to realize that the rng gates functionally remove all player agency from the equation. Ultimately, it isn't about the choices you make, just how good you roll. That isn't a good kind of throwback.
The largest obstacle concerning this game is the learning curve. It's steep. Especially when compared to the more streamlined direction of 1 and 2. Master of Orion 3 pits the player behind full control of their empire in an almost TOO realistic sense that is easily overwhelming (in contrast to the general dislike for being unlike it's predecessor). It's a bit of an extreme take on a 4x, but it's a unique one that you will either love or hate. You'll find few people with a moderate opinion on this game. This was a bold direction to take, and I have no qualms that I am in the minority when I say it was something I appreciated and enjoyed. This game becomes one of the most complex and demanding titles in it's genre, but it isn't for the faint of heart.
