2015 has come and gone like a meteorite flashing across the sky; brilliant yet fleeting. With it, we played some excellent games and tried to find enough time to conquer so many massive and realized worlds (I’m talking to you The Witcher 3 and Fallout 4, you wastrels!) But like any obnoxious motivational poster that is plastered across Facebook this time of year, we need to look forward to 2016 as a wellspring for exciting, challenging, and possibly glib games. Sorry, 2015, you’re tired and you need to take a seat.
Since we are already looking to the future, more commonly known as 2016, it’s important to remember that there will be at least one game that looks really good — Stellaris. If you’ve read any of the coverage on Thenerdstash, you already know that this game is going to be something else. This is “Grand-strategy on a galactic scale” according to Paradox Development Studio, the house making this 4X esque space extravaganza. What is it that makes me so excited for Stellaris? Is it the ability to design and create your own unique species with various governmental types and unique ethics? Of course! Or possibly the randomly generated universe that is populated organically each time you play? Mm, yes! Or is it the card-like system for gaining new technologies, some of which might reappear or completely vanish for the rest of the game? That helps! Finally, could it be the idea of evolving populations of galactic citizens that, under your control, will form their own ethics and opinions, genetically alter their own organic forms, or possibly rebel against your benevolent rule? YES! That’s without even mentioning the fact that you can find progenitor species, discover some truly bizarre universal mysteries, and abduct primitive life from a myriad of planets… I’m out of digital breath.
These are some of the main features to look forward to with the release of Stellaris later this year.
- Discovery Events – Emergent Storytelling.
- Deep & Varied Exploration.
- Enormous procedural galaxies, containing thousands of planets.
- Numerous playable species, each with their own traits and engineering styles.
- A vast number of Unique Random Species.
- Advanced Diplomacy system.
- Ship Designer (even civilian ships can be customized).
- Stunning space visuals.
- Up to 32 player Multiplayer.
Still, details are sparse and Paradox is known for having difficult to learn games without proper tutorials. Rest assured — as information about Stellaris is released, TheNerdStash will be the first to know.
So what do you think about Stellaris? Are you as excited as me? Doubtful…
Let us know what you think in the comments below.