Review for Stellaris. Game for PC, Steam, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Linux, the video game was released on 09/05/2016 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 26/02/2019 The version for Xbox One came out on 26/02/2019
Stellaris, the great space strategy of Paradox Interactive, continues its run thanks to continuous improvements that follow the now consolidated policy of paradox which consists of always publishing new content, sometimes in the form of small add-ons, other times real expansions. This is precisely the case with Stellaris: Apocalypse, second major expansion preceded by the excellent Stellaris: Utopia which we have already reviewed almost a year ago.
Utopia was a convincing expansion because it consolidated the game bases by embellishing the title with various additions; with Apocalypse we see some of these bases upset with a strong focus on the war component.
New ways to hurt
It starts immediately with a bang because the most prominent addition of Stellaris: Apocalypse are the huge ships called Colossus that can even destroy entire planets. These space engineering prodigies can only be built after unlocking a particular blueprint via Ascension Perks, effectively making them a lethal weapon during the end game. However, the Colossus are not only weapons of destruction but can assume various configurations made available thanks to new research projects; for example one of them allows the construction of a huge protective shield for your worlds.
A further prerequisite for these technologies are Titan-class ships, a new addition to Stellaris: Apocalypse that further enhances the offensive capability of your fleet. The Titan ships thus become the true flagships of reference which, in addition to the resistant hull, sport weapons capable of vaporising the smallest spaceships in one stroke. The developers have rightly thought of a system of countermeasures to defend their empires from these fearsome offensive weapons. In fact, space stations can build Ion Cannons, defensive modules that are also capable of equipping "titanic" weapons and which are distinguished by the wide range that allows them to strike throughout the system.
The cylinder is filling up with lots of new rabbits
In an effort to make Stellaris' mid-game more interesting and lively, Paradox Interactive has introduced a race of space nomads who behave like the Mongolian raiders of the Middle Ages. These mercenaries can attack and plunder our possessions but, thanks to our diplomatic skills, we can also make friends with them and perhaps buy fleets and military leaders from them or even pay for their services by harming the adversaries.
New options in the civic tree allow us to embark on a game by forcing our race to a single planet Gaia or as survivors of a planetary catastrophe, which is an inviting lure for lovers of the challenge. The Ascension Perks system has been revised by modifying and adding new features including the Perks for the Colossus project and the fun Nihilistic Acquisition that allows you to bomb planets in a controlled way to carry out kidnappings and enslave the population as a labor force or as a source of food or energy in case you are playing as a Hive Mind or as a Machine Empire.
Greater flexibility and balance
Until now we have talked about exclusive contents of the Stellaris: Apocalypse expansion while it is necessary to introduce the numerous changes introduced by the Cherryh Patch, the usual free patch that accompanies the release of each expansion. Some changes upset Stellaris as you have known it, in fact the entire border system of the empire has been revised. To gain control of a system we must first build an outpost as a space base orbiting the star. These outposts can then be specialized and upgraded into huge citadels or military starbases to build the fleet.
The choice on the type of armament and technology dedicated to travel has been removed. All empires now start with all weapons unlocked at level 1 and hyperlane technology. Only through research can we study new types of movement between systems including the new mega structures called Gateways, real portals that connect various parts of the galaxy, an alternative to the dangerous wormholes encountered during exploration.
War Tactics 2.0
As anticipated, this patch focuses a lot on the theme of war and one of the main innovations concerns the limit to the number of ships per single fleet. In fact, initially we can unite a limited number of ships in a fleet, upsetting the previous game method in which it was normal to aggregate ships in a gigantic flock, a situation that made victory or defeat in a battle, in fact, decisive for the outcome of the war itself. To add further tactical depth, systems now provide their own combat bonus or penalty. Thus engaging the enemy by orbiting a Pulsar deactivates the shields or fighting in the nebulae disturbs the work of the sensors by limiting the maneuverability of the spaceships.
Making things even hotter is the new type of orbital bombardment called armageddon that allows spaceships to kill Pops, destroy buildings or even turn the planet into a tomb world making it an inhospitable flat land. Finally we must commend the excellent choice in creating the claim and wargoal system which adds depth to diplomacy regarding declarations of war and the relative benefits of victory or malus for defeat. Declaring war now requires the proclamation of claims acquired through the expenditure of influence points and this initial choice determines the objectives of conquest.
Surely Stellaris: Apocalypse is a welcome expansion, a new system was needed to manage declarations of war and war goals to finally get greater complexity in planning wars and individual battles. With this further step forward, Stellaris earns more and more the top step on the podium of strategic titles of this genre while the increasing number of events, technologies and perks make every game a new exciting challenge. The usual dilemma remains, the Cherryh Free Patch really adds a lot for free and therefore the purchase of the expansion is recommended for true enthusiasts.
► Stellaris is a type game developed by Parade Games and published by Paradox Interactive for PC, Steam, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Linux, the video game was released on 09/05/2016 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 26/02/2019 The version for Xbox One came out on 26/02/2019
