a nice simple strategy game with interesting lore, factions and mechanics that allow you to do cool stuff like making huge ships that mine planets or star destroyers that evaporate whole solar systems and laws that allow you to sterilize aliens use slaves and take the galaxy

Exceptional: 95-100 (95-100%)
Performance or gameplay significantly exceeds the passing mark.
Represents a superior level of quality, remarkable gameplay, and an outstanding gaming experience.
Highly Recommended -


Gameplay Experience (24/25)

Intuitive Controls - Easy to use.
☐ Very Difficult (+1)
☐ Difficult (+2)
☐ Moderate (+3)
☐ Easy (+4)
☑ Very Easy (+5)


Balanced Gameplay - Fair and equal.
☐ Poorly Balanced (+1)
☐ Somewhat Balanced (+2)
☐ Moderately Balanced (+3)
☑ Well Balanced (+4)
☐ Perfectly Balanced (+5)


Player Engagement - Involving and captivating.
☐ Not at all (+1)
☐ Slightly (+2)
☐ Moderately (+3)
☐ Very (+4)
☑ Extremely (+5)


Decision Relevance - Meaningful choices.
☐ Meaningless (+1)
☐ Not Meaningful (+2)
☐ Somewhat Meaningful (+3)
☐ Quite Meaningful (+4)
☑ Highly Meaningful (+5)


Rewarding Progression - Satisfying advancement.
☐ Very Unsatisfying (+1)
☐ Unsatisfying (+2)
☐ Neutral (+3)
☐ Satisfying (+4)
☑ Very Satisfying (+5)


Presentation & Immersion (25/25)

Compelling Storyline - Engaging narrative.
☐ Not Interesting (+1)
☐ Slightly Interesting (+2)
☐ Moderately Interesting (+3)
☐ Very Interesting (+4)
☑ Extremely Interesting (+5)


Immersive Atmosphere - Captivating environment.
☐ Not Immersive (+1)
☐ Slightly Immersive(+2)
☐ Moderately Immersive (+3)
☐ Very Immersive (+4)
☑ Completely Immersive (+5)


Visual Aesthetics - Stunning graphics.
☐ Not Appealing (+1)
☐ Slightly Appealing (+2)
☐ Moderately Appealing (+3)
☐ Very Appealing (+4)
☑ Extremely Appealing (+5)


Audio Quality - High-quality sound.
☐ Not Engaging (+1)
☐ Slightly Engaging (+2)
☐ Moderately Engaging (+3)
☐ Very Engaging (+4)
☑ Extremely Engaging (+5)


Polished HUD - Clean and functional interface.
☐ Very Unfriendly (+1)
☐ Unfriendly (+2)
☐ Neutral (+3)
☐ Friendly (+4)
☑ Very Friendly (+5)


Design & Technical Aspects (23/25)

Game Design - Well-crafted mechanics.
☐ Poorly Designed (+1)
☐ Somewhat Designed (+2)
☐ Moderately Designed (+3)
☑ Well Designed (+4)
☐ Excellently Designed (+5)


Content Quality - Rich and diverse.
☐ Poor Content (+1)
☐ Limited Content (+2)
☐ Moderate Content (+3)
☐ Extensive Content (+4)
☑ Abundant Content (+5)


AI Behavior - Intelligent and realistic.
☐ Very Poor (+1)
☐ Poor (+2)
☐ Average (+3)
☑ Good (+4)
☐ Excellent (+5)


Settings - Flexible and customizable.
☐ Very Limited (+1)
☐ Limited (+2)
☐ Moderate (+3)
☐ Flexible (+4)
☑ Highly Flexible (+5)


Technical Issues - Minimal or no problems.
☐ Numerous (+1)
☐ Moderate (+2)
☐ Limited (+3)
☐ Minor (+4)
☑ None (+5)


Final Considerations (25/25)

Overall Satisfaction - General enjoyment level.
☐ Very Dissatisfied (+1)
☐ Dissatisfied (+2)
☐ Neutral (+3)
☐ Satisfied (+4)
☑ Very Satisfied (+5)


Microtransactions - In-game purchases.
☐ Extensive (+1)
☐ Substantial (+2)
☐ Moderate (+3)
☐ Minimal (+4)
☑ None (+5)


Replay Value - Longevity and replayability.
☐ Very Low (+1)
☐ Low (+2)
☐ Moderate (+3)
☐ High (+4)
☑ Very High (+5)


Cost-to-Play Ratio - Money spent vs hours played.
☐ Overpriced (+1)
☐ Poor Value (+2)
☐ Fair Value (+3)
☐ Good Value (+4)
☑ Excellent Value (+5)


Recommendation.
☐ No (+0)
☑ Yes (+5)

Amplitude has done a masterful job at keeping the pace of the game steady through early-game to end-game. Unfortunately that doesn't translate to a fun experience. It just feels like you are wading through molasses at all times. Honestly, 4X games don't need an excuse to play any slower than they naturally do.

The various victory conditions do speed up the conclusion of the game, but in an unpredictable way. Games end up feeling like you are never making any progress and then one turn you randomly win.