Ok, I have read a lot of reviews about SoaSE. I was rather impressed that the game got a 3 page spread in PC Gamer (PCG) and a 2 page review in Games for Windows (GFW) (4 pages if you look at the beginning of the review section.) Of course, I have also read the reviews in Gamespot and other sites as well.
Most of the reviews are say pretty much the same thing. Great gameplay. Unique design. Needs a campaign element. Diplomacy model could use a little tweaking. I am sure Stardock and Ironclad have been getting lots of feedback on these issues already so I will leave those comments for another thread. The bottom line is, I tend to agree with what the reviewers are saying.
The reason I post this thread is because there is one aspect I see in these reviews that I have to disagree with. A lot of the reviews state that the game takes too long to complete. If you check the "Lows" or "Bad" section, the game takes a beating because you can't finish the game in one day. (PCG p.60) I actually consider this a plus, not a minus. In true 4X fashon, when you play larger maps, the game could strectch out for a week depending on how much time you dedicate yourself to the computer. If you think this is a bad thing, take a look at the last time you played Civilization or GalCiv on anything larger than a tiny or small map. It could easily take days to complete. It is nice that the smaller maps can be finished in a single sitting to allow casual gamers something they can finish quickly. But for some of us, we like our epic games. That is what 4X is all about. (At least to me.) I know that the various magazines stand by their reviewers, and they do a very good job at what they do. I just have to wonder if someone who normally reviews a standard RTS was not prepared to deal with the epic scale of a 4X game. Certainly someone who reviews FPS'es would not review a 4X game. It is not in their nature. Everybody has their own style of game they like. I personally hate playing RTS games. All that pointing, clicking, and hotkeying gets on my nerves. SoaSE is the first game that comes close to an RTS that I have actually enjoyed. I think the last one I ever purchased was StarCraft so long ago.
In closing, I believe that SoaSE is a good blend of 4X and RTS. I must admit that the game does capture that "just one more turn" feel except for one thing....YOU TOOK AWAY THE TURN!!! Now it is truly harder to peel myself away from the computer at 3 AM knowing that I have to get up for work at 6. Thanks Stardock and Ironclad. I will say that the game deserves its A- or 9 out of 10 stars or whatever grading system the reviewer uses. Great job.
