Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords Gold Demo

However you look at it and regardless of the time it will take to become a reality, interstellar travel is definitely on humanity's to-do list, despite the fact that there is still a long way to go. That does not stop us from imagining it already, though, mostly through entertainment flicks like video games and movies. One thing that's for certain, on the other hand, is that the journey won't be easy at all, especially if the other potential inhabitants of the galaxy are not particularly pleased with our progress.

Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords is a turn-based strategy game in which our encounter with the other civilizations around the galaxy is portrayed in a very ingenious way, while taking into consideration a lot of factors. Thus, technology, diplomacy and economy are of utmost importance in order to become an influential race and dominate the local cluster, although war is also one of the available choices, in case you lack the patience to obtain the victory in a more civil manner.

As far as the background story is concerned, it all revolves around a new technology developed by human race, which allows spaceships to travel faster and further, thus enabling us and the nearby civilizations to perfect interstellar travel. However, the ruthless Drengin Empire is far more interested in conquering everyone, now that they are able to reach other worlds from around the galaxy, which means that Earth and its allies are in danger.

One thing that needs to be mentioned is that research is a very important part of gameplay, which means that you need to be constantly researching something in order to keep up with the game. Naturally, a lot of work went into the actual research tree, which is very extensive and it contains upgrades concerning anything from the economy, population happiness and even military power. Thus, regardless of the path you choose, research sits at the core of your strategy and it is of utmost importance that you think your way through the different branches and come up with the right solution.

Expanding your empire is also important, in order to increase your influence and colonize as many planets as you can. Planets can hold buildings, such as factories and research centers, which help you speed-up your researches or gain more money. Since the planets must be inhabited by humans, you must also keep them happy, otherwise you won't be able to raise the taxes and keep up with the expenses.

In the end, the most important thing about Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords is the fact that the playthroughs can be different each time, due to the fact that are many different paths you can choose along the way. Moreover, the turn-based mechanics are very relaxed and easy to master, even if you are not familiar with the genre.