Galactic Civilizations III Review (PC)

excellent
key review info
  • Game: Galactic Civilizations III
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: No
  • Reviewed on:
Galactic Civilization III universe action

Galactic Civilizations III is a game filled with engaging moments, all of them connected by a set of solid gameplay mechanics, bound together by a science fiction theme.

Stardock has managed to take the core ideas of the turn-based strategy genre and add a solid dollop of science fiction ideas and concepts, top everything with a wealth of customization options, and mix it all together to create a great experience for those willing to spend the time required to learn the core mechanics.

Galactic Civilizations III might feel a little too traditional in its approach, but there are so many what-if scenarios linked to each new playthrough that I fear for the sleep time and the jobs of those who want to explore every possibility and choice.

Story

Galactic Civilizations III is all about taking a faction from lowly beginnings, with one planet and a few ships, to the position of dominating power in the galaxy, and about the challenges and surprises that creep up along the way.

Depending on initial choices made in the very detailed game setup screen, this journey can feel like the triumphant march towards the stars in a universe filled with life and resources or like the slow crawl of a dying civilization looking for ways to simply survive against the odds.

Galactic Civilizations III is great when it comes to the creation of stories, with each new campaign a great occasion to start a new After Action Report and create an epic tale to share with friends.

Galactic Civilization III races
Galactic Civilization III races

It helps that the writers at Stardock have done a great job with the in-game text, managing to create a blend of classic science fiction motifs and humor that made me chuckle a few times when reading about the various events and dilemmas gamers need to deal with.

The classic races from the first two titles are present, but the best idea for a player is to simply play the Humans for their first attempt and then design a faction of their own, customizing it to their own play style and adapting it to their own concepts about the way the future should be shaped.

Galactic Civilizations III also has a single-player campaign, which was not accessible when this review was written, but based on the past of the series, most gamers will be happier enjoying the sandbox and creating their own stories.

Gameplay

Galactic Civilizations III is a turn-based strategy game with a science fiction theme which encourages players to explore, exploit, expand and exterminate in order to reach one of the victory conditions that will make them the masters of the galaxy.

A lot of choices about the state of the galaxy need to be made before the start of a sandbox game, and they will have a big influence on the way a campaign progresses.

My suggestion is to start off with abundant stars and planets initially, and with a smaller number of rivals, but gamers can tweak the experience however they like.

Initially, Galactic Civilizations III is all about the search for planets, their quality easily visible, and for special resources, which will determine the way space around the homeworld of each faction will be colonized.

The game initially moves relatively slow, and gamers need to carefully evaluate their choices and make sure they avoid contact with pirates or reckless diplomatic gestures targeted at neighbors.

Each newly colonized planet comes with a choice between benevolent, pragmatic and malevolent approaches, which generate points that can be used to unlock some interesting advantages, and players must also choose research adequate for their situation.

As more options are unlocked, the ship designer comes into play, allowing gamers to shape their fleets however they see fit, while the building placement mini-game for facilities on planets alone can be devilishly engaging.

Galactic Civilizations III has a lot of potential paths to success, and the game can sometimes induce analysis paralysis with its myriad of small but meaningful choices.

Gamers need to commit to a larger strategic approach early on, building on their racial advantages via tech and planet development, and then finding the weak spots of their opponents in order to exploit them.

Stardock has created a title that can be played fast and loose, paying attention only to the big choices and battles, or slowly and deliberately, reading every bit of info and carefully evaluating each tidbit to best fit it into a larger strategic puzzle.

The Artificial Intelligence, on the Normal difficulty, seems a little standoffish at first, but it moves fast to acquire resources and to deny high-value planets.

The Drengin and the Altarian Resistance tend to emerge as the most competitive of the rival factions over and over again, although all of them are a little too easily convinced to enter tech-focused deals (trading for them can be disabled before a game starts).

Galactic Civilizations III features planetary invasions, contact with minor alien races, diplomatic efforts that lead to unlikely alliances or spectacular betrayals, commerce, galaxy-wide events, and more.

The biggest complaint I have is that combat is still hands-off, and it feels a little too random, especially given how much control the title delivers elsewhere.

The Ship Designer can also become a little overwhelming at times, and I suspect a lot of players will be tempted to use the standard models rather than spend the time required to create their own, even if the results can be impressive.

Graphics and audio

Galactic Civilizations III looks great, the kind of strategy title that allows players to zoom in to see a wide array of details but also gives them the option to pull out from the galactic plane so that they can keep an eye out on their empire and the zones dominated by their competitors.

I actively regret spending so much time looking at symbols and statistics, informative as they are, because the development team at Stardock has managed to make the galaxy, the various ships, and even the planets look lovely and, more importantly, alive.

The strategy game also delivers some nice short and emotional video sequences when the player achieves particular gameplay milestones, which might seem a little superfluous but manage to show the scale of the achievements reached by each race and player.

The themes for each race and the associated art are also very attractive, both colorful and filled with details, a clear improvement over the previous titles in the series.

Galactic Civilizations III is less impressive when it comes to the audio design, but the team has done a good job of supporting the science fiction theme.

Multiplayer

The Stardock-made title allows gamers who become too skilled for the computer opponents to battle other humans for supremacy in the galaxy via its multiplayer, which is easily accessed from the main menu.

A range of options are available for matches, most of them already familiar from the single-player sandbox, but even a small map with a limited number of factions can take a lot of time to play through, which means that partners with good understanding of the mechanics and the ability to commit are required.


The Good

  • 4X mechanics
  • Customization options
  • Quality of writing
  • Variety of races

The Bad

  • Battles cannot be controlled
  • The late game is slow and sometimes cumbersome

Conclusion

Galactic Civilizations III is a great game, containing a mix of familiar mechanics and new ideas that can keep both fans and newcomers occupied for a frighteningly long period of time.

The best thing about the new Stardock-created turn-based experience is that it is so customizable, and the experience of playing in the resulting galaxies creates stories that are consistently fun and filled with surprises.

I had a game where my corner of the galaxy was relatively barren and I had to create a cluster of colonies that were on the other side of a Drengin system, getting more ships back to my homeworld for protection as that faction became more aggressive.

I had a campaign as my own custom race where I aimed for technological superiority, but local conditions forced me to change my approach and win by capturing the home planets of my enemies.

All in all, Galactic Civilizations III is engaging, pretty, and it has the potential to create stories, and all it asks from players is time and a love of the strategy genre.

story 8
gameplay 9
concept 9
graphics 9
audio 8
multiplayer 8
final rating 9
Editor's review
excellent
 
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