Distant Worlds 2

DW2 is an absolute Gem! The level of detail is second to none. If you like detailed fleet battles then this is a game for you. On top of all that, you can micro and macro manage your empire as you desire. This game just gets better and better with new DLC. It's nice to see developers who love their game and are willing to put their heart into their work! My only advice..... Buy the game and then learn how to master it :-).

First you should know the game will basically play itself but it requires you to OK requests; however, you can set it up to completely automate itself without any intervention if you like that. You can also set certain functionality to be fully autonomous, make decisions if you don't make a decision, prompt you for decisions, or be manually controlled. Now, what you can control is military, exploration ships, colony ships, and the likes. What you don't control is the civilian ships like miners, transports, and so forth. These are always completely automated and they form the civilian economy which you tax to make money to pay for the military and exploration. So, what you get is a very interesting space simulation that's mostly automated and you sort of sit back and make the major decisions, do diplomacy, and stuff. Or, you can get in there and manually control certain ships which is useful when the AI isn't doing exactly what you need which happens. I have not played much combat yet except with pirate factions so I can't comment on how in-depth that is. There are a lot of weapons, defenses, and stats. If you like that you can surely find some great fun in it. The graphics are okay. I'd call them pretty basic, nothing too fancy, and frankly I like how they put more into the game mechanics and the whole space opera side of the game. Not having the greatest graphics isn't a problem for me but if you're looking for some eye candy you are likely to mainly find it in the planets. They rotate and look cool. The ships are interesting and appear unique per faction but they are low poly. And just maybe that's because of the massive number of these ships that could be on your screen so it might just be a performance thing to why they didn't put much detail there. There's a few videos out there on YouTube about playing, the game as a extensive amount of in-game information, and frankly its a bit hard to figure out how to do anything. For example, you have to select something or a group of somethings, hold control, then click something to get a list of possible actions. The fact you had to hold control wasn't intuitive so be ready for that kind of thing. I have not played enough to make a really nice review but I hope this helps someone understand something about the game. To compare it to Stellaris, you had to control everything in Stellaris and the battles were singular. In this game, the battles happen on an RTS like scale with individual ships moving about around a planet or moon fighting each other. Also, the whole civilian AI/economy where they move resources is totally different. You also need specific resources and not just money to build certain stuff including for a lot of research items.

I built a $4000 computer just to play this game (the game crashed on my old computer so i thought i needed upgrades) and I still cant play anything other than the smallest map with the smallest amount of stars without the game crashing halfway through.

Pick your depth. This game can 100% play itself or you can delve right in to the intricacies. The game does need a lot more in the way of explanations. Although the devs did a good job explaining a lot of the info, there is still a lot more left unexplained. Fighting with the ai is a problem too, as the ai can be making decisions that your not even aware of; turning your reasonably positive cashflow into a deficit.

The concept of the Emperor's Throne Space Simulation has been an elusive Holy Grail of strategy game design. This game is the closest that you are going to get in the current era. The genius of the game is that you can customize what you want to keep a firm grip on and what you want to automate. Personally I take a hands on approach to the military side and let my minions in the private sector build my war machine. The game requires some investment in learning the systems, nuances and eccentricities but the payoff is more than worth it. I'm still discovering new synergies and interactions after over 200 hours. The game is constantly improving: new factions, new content, better automation AI. This is a really wonderful space empire simulation. I highly recommend it. The hours will pass while you mine rare resources, design your ships, crawl up the massive tech tree and crush your enemies. The new Shakturi expansion looks to bring a serious end game challenge to the late game which is very welcom. 10/10

The game over all is good and is worth picking up on a Sale's. This game feels like a blend of a Stellaris and Sins of a Solar Empire. If anything I'm almost tempted to say its better in some areas. The final execution however makes it fall short of the other games. The game needs major quality of life improvements. The added on DLC however makers me think this wont happen. 6/10 - Pick the game up on Sale if your a big fan of 4X Space Strategy Games.

The Ultimate Space Logistics Simulator Verdict: Essential for hardcore 4X strategy fans who want a living, breathing universe. If you have ever looked at a space strategy game and wished it felt less like a board game and more like a simulation of a functional interstellar civilization, Distant Worlds 2 is the game you have been waiting for. It is a staggering achievement in scale and depth that successfully modernizes the cult classic original while retaining the "living galaxy" soul that makes the series unique. A Universe That Lives Without You The crown jewel of Distant Worlds 2 is the Private Economy. Unlike almost every other 4X game where you manually order every construction ship and colony ship, Distant Worlds 2 splits your empire into the State (you) and the Private Sector (AI civilians). As you play, thousands of independent civilian freighters, miners, and passenger liners swarm your systems, moving resources to where they are actually needed. You don't just watch a number go up; you watch the literal traffic of your empire flow. It makes the galaxy feel incredibly alive. When you declare war, you aren't just fighting enemy fleets; you are disrupting their actual supply lines, starving their shipyards of steel and their planets of food. Masterful Automation The sheer complexity of Distant Worlds 2 would be overwhelming if not for its revolutionary automation system. This is the gold standard for how complex strategy games should handle micromanagement. You can automate literally everything. Want to play as a grand emperor and only make high-level decisions about war and diplomacy? You can. Want to focus purely on designing ships and leading fleets into battle? You can. Want to be a spymaster and focus entirely on espionage? You can. The AI handles the rest competently, allowing you to learn the game at your own pace. You can peel back the layers of automation one by one as you become more comfortable, giving you a customized difficulty curve that fits your playstyle perfectly. Unrivaled Depth and Logistics "Logistics" is often a boring word in gaming, but Distant Worlds 2 makes it thrilling. Resources in this game are physical objects. If you want to build a battleship, you don't just need "500 Minerals"—you need specific amounts of steel, polymer, and crystals, and they need to be physically transported to the shipyard. This creates strategic depth that other games can only dream of. Protecting your fuel tankers becomes just as important as protecting your capital ships. A beautifully designed ship is useless if it runs out of fuel deep in enemy territory because you forgot to secure a resupply point. It turns strategy into a thoughtful, rewarding puzzle rather than a simple click-fest. Visuals and Design The move to a full 3D engine has done wonders for the game. Zooming in from a galactic view down to a specific ship dogfighting around a gas giant is seamless and impressive. The ship designer is robust, allowing you to place individual weapons and components on hardpoints, affecting firing arcs and combat performance. Watching a fleet battle unfold, with point-defense lasers intercepting missiles and shields flaring under fire, is a genuinely cinematic reward for your economic planning. Conclusion Distant Worlds 2 is not just a game; it is a sandbox engine for generating space opera history. It respects your intelligence and rewards your patience. While the learning curve is steep, the view from the top is unmatched. It stands as a titan in the 4X genre, offering a level of simulation and immersion that simply doesn't exist anywhere else.

Great game. Large progress since the release in summer 2022. The learning curve for this game is quite brutal, but there is adequate third party information on forums, as well as in game encyclopedia which can provide adequate information. The exploration part of this game is extremely satisfying. The focus of this game is more on tactics and ship/base design and less on diplomacy and empire building, as opposed to Stellaris.