Recent reviews by Elusive

As with every Civ Launch, it will take time for the new concepts to be refined, but the fundamentals of the game are solid. It is a solidly fun experience with UI and Map Generation frustrations. Even with those, it probably has a better Launch experience than Civ VI and maybe even Civ V.

Many people are quick to forget that there are fundamental changes in each iteration, that I normally heavily critiqued or hated by the community, until they are honed, this title looks no different. Firaxis' response has also been quick, with a couple pre-launch patches addressing Early Access feedback.

Solid CRPG that grows more stable with each update. A great addition to the 40k lore that truly embraces the role of the Rogue Trader to allow player agency in a universe that rarely has space for agency.

A welcome new chapter in Victoria III's growth. Noticeably more economic depth, with increased multiplayer stability. A large improvement in the game's diplomatic systems as well.

It's good to return to the universe, and see familiar mechanics again. I do miss things like subsystem targeting from before, but enjoy the concepts being developed in the War Games mode.

Victoria 3 is a fun and engaging Grand Strategy game. It's strongest element is the economic simulation, which blows most other strategy games out of the water, and the "Just one more..." aspect is super strong here as you adjust and balance your economy throughout the entire campaign.

The Diplomatic Play system feels like a solid improvement over Victoria II's crisis system, allowing much more engagement by nations below Great Power ranking, I look forward to seeing where this goes.

The War System is currently the weakest element, but a lot of this has to do with a few key weaknesses rather than the system itself. First, there are a number of bugs and mishaps, such as an army closing a front and returning home, rather than moving to the nearest front (but not always). Some of the aspects of the system are unclear, as to why you lose or win some battles, especially when the Offense and Defense rolls don't match the way the battle goes. Ultimately, I still enjoy the system and the deprioritization of war as a focus.

At time of this review, there are some frustrating bugs, for example permanent revolter states, but the key parts of the game work well. Watching your GDP number go up, and seeing the impacts of your decisions and reforms play out in your society is thoroughly satisfying.

As someone who has worked on mod teams for EU4, HOI4 and Stellaris, I am eager to see the possibilities for mods in Victoria 3. The systems as they are lend themselves heavily to Cold War and later scenarios in a way that other Paradox Titles don't quite nail.

Victoria 3 is a great foundation for a Paradox Game. Long-term fans of the developer know that the game receive extensive support after release, so I know the game will continue to develop and expand with critiques of the playerbase in mind.

The blend of virtual novel and turn based strategy is interesting. The events often have hard and meaningful decisions and I get a degree of a Banner Saga vibe from the general gameplay, as you work to protect your colonists. I will try to update with more details as I get more time in the game.

I will flesh out this review more when I finish the Campaign and try Skirmishes. My tenative review of the game is that it is quite good, especially considering the price.

Story/Campaign:
The tone of the story is short, but effective. The form of delivery for the story is modeled after general RTS Campaigns such as Company of Heroes or the Homewrold franchise. Campaign missions tend to allow the player to move at their own pace. In one mission (I believe mission 3 or 4), I sincerely messed up an assault on an enemy position, and paid the price in time and resources, but was able to recover and press on to completion. The difficulty can be quite hard, but once you know the high-value targets (Warpgates/Repair Stations), things seem to resolve themselves quickly.

Units:
Unit design is distinct both in art and play. Ancient Space uses the tried and true RPS style of unit countering, in the case of this game different weapon systems are more or less effective based on the hull size of the opponent. Once you begin customizing your units with upgrades (between missions), you can truly give your own fleet a wide range of effectiveness. It is unfortunate how limited some of the upgrade option can be though.

Art:
This is a catagory where the game tends to knock it out of the park. Each sector looks distinct and interesting, and the background space is at times awe-inspiring. All told, the artists for Ancient Space have created a vibrant and interesting space environment that I could likely look at for hours, assuming of course that I have eliminated the enemy Warpgates.



*THIS REVIEW IS DUE TO BE UPDATED SHORTLY*

7 Grand Steps is a reasonably addictive, though simple game. The premise is to guide a family through the ages of history, as you shape not only your family but the world around you. While sounding complicated, it is all packaged in a simple boardgame-esque interface. I found it well worth the money, but it may not appeal to people who do not care for life sims of board games.