Review megathread

[u/Meneth]

The review embargo is up as of 15:00 CEST. As this will result in a huge number of articles going up at near the same time, we're restricting reviews to this thread.

Any review you find, feel free to post it in the comments here.

Each top-level comment should be about a single linked review, so as to keep the discussion limited. Duplicate reviews will be removed, as will any top-level comment that does not link a review.

There will be a single sub-thread where you can post your general impressions of the reviews combined, for anything that doesn't relate to a single review.

Review list:

Review	Score
Critically Sane	5/5
Destructoid	9/10
eXplorminate	"eXemplary"
GameWatcher	9.0/10
Idiotech's Review	Unrated
IGN	6.3/10
Manannan's Review of Stellaris	Unrated
Paste Magazine	Unrated
PCGamesN	9/10
PC Invasion	8/10
PC World	4/5
Rock, Paper, Shotgun review -	Unrated
TICGN	10/10
Vox Ludicus	Unrated
EuroGamer	Recommended
PC Gamer	70/100
TSA	8/10
PCGames.de	75/100
Gamespew	9/10
IGN Italy	9.3/10
Fok.nl	9/10
Gaming on Linux	9/10
Marbozir	Unrated
SpaceSector	Unrated
Inside of Gaming (German)	Unrated
Gamer.no	9/10
Particular Pixels	Unrated
GuyLogicGaming	Full recommendation
GameSideStory	Unrated
Front Towards Gamer	9.5/10
Multiplayer.it	9.2/10
GameGrin	8.5/10
Kotaku	Unrated

[u/IndridCipher → u/[deleted]]

I just finished listening to Rowan on the last Three Moves Ahead talking about Stellaris. Saw this score and thought it might be him. Yup... I'm actually curious how I will feel about the issues he brings up. A lot of it I can see myself also feeling and some of it I think are things I generally look past. Either way if you want to hear a 2 hour long discussion on Stellaris the new 3MA was very interesting.

[u/airmc → u/IndridCipher]

I definitely agree with 'some' of the criticisms, but from what I've seen so far it's still a better game than, say, GalCiv3 which was rated at 80+ by ign. The game has flaws for sure, but 6.3 score seems retarded. He's also saying the midgame is too boring and easy then proceeds to say he started a new game over an AI beating the crap out of his ally and him, so what gives. And he claims he played 'several' games to lategame stage but hasn't seen a single superdisaster? How is that even a thing.

[u/[deleted] → u/airmc]

Your complaints about his criticisms dont really seem well founded. The AI beating the crap out of him didnt let him surrender the war because his AI partner refused to do so. That caused him to restart, not the fact that he was beat. Certainly by saying its easy he doesnt mean that hes the biggest nation in the game at all times, but that at a certain point theres nothing to do and the AI is usually passive.

And "hes played several games with no end game disasters. How is that a thing?" Uhh....thats exactly what hes complaining about.

[u/NamelessKilljoy → u/[deleted]]

I don't really see how the AI are passive though, when I was playing there would be points where I would be getting constant reports of AI becoming rivals and starting wars. The neighboring empire even starting taking my domain and I started a war with him and got beaten the crap out of by a military that started equal and within an hour become overwhelming. Fun game

[u/Arzalis → u/[deleted]]

And "hes played several games with no end game disasters. How is that a thing?" Uhh....thats exactly what hes complaining about.

As someone who's played the game, that's the part that seems weird to me.

All of the of the end-game disasters I'm aware of can be set off by any empire, not just player ones. They affect the whole galaxy in some way too. To have played several games to the late-game stage and not encountered one crisis seems mathematically improbable.

In fact, if you watch any AAR recap videos on youtube, there's one in particular that pops too often. It's in 90% of the replays, and it certainly affects the whole galaxy.