This is a first impression, as I've only been playing for a couple days so far. As somebody who preferred the abstraction of the first game to the micromanagement of the second, I like the balance this one strikes between the two. Planetary production is unobtrusive (even if the autobuild still has some weird priorities), letting you focus more on the big picture. Turn flow is less rigid than before, giving more flexibility. As for the controversial new spacelanes mechanic, I find I like it. It makes early exploration and defense easier, and is an interesting alternative to the old fuel range system. Artistically, this game is a love letter to MoO 1. The race designs evoke those of the first game, and the music takes a lot of cues from it as well. The voice acting is as good as one would expect from a cast of this caliber. Overall, this game feels much more like the first, with elements of the second (and possibly third, which I didn't play enough of to really know) added. This is good if, like me, you like the first entry the best, but not so much if, like the majority, you prefer the second.
