Endless Space 2

an actual complete game that isn't constantly re-balanced or reworked entirely to its core, while also adding another paid dlc... unlike another certain game

It's like Setllaris, but for people with regular-sized brain. Also, great music.

Well, you have "Sins of a Sollar Empire 2”, "Stellaris" and "ENDLESS Space 2". I like them all.
Stellaris and Endless 2 have more complex systems. They are like civilization in space. You manage each planet and its resources. They are more like a management resources game to obtain an advantage and dominate the galaxy. Stellaris has a strong policy of selling you DLC that should be free patches. I believe Endless is more accessible and has a better diplomacy system, you can actually win a game with diplomacy. Regarding paid DLC, Endless is a fairer game too.
Sins 2 is a more focused on combat. You play different maps in and more or less balanced situation and you run to obliterate your opponent. Sins tends to sell DLC that should be free patches (less than Stellaris).
Cheers.-

It's hard not to bring up Stellaris when discussing Endless space 2. That is clearly the biggest competitor to Endless space, however the games feel much different to me when playing and I think both have their strengths and weaknesses. Endless space is a much more "on rails experience" as opposed to a creative sandbox. Where Stellaris gives you an infinite amount of possibilities when creating your species and civilization, Endless Space swings heavily in the opposite direction, giving you preset Civs each with their own detailed story, unique units and quirks. This makes it feel more like you became the leader of a nation rather than the creator of one. This is not a bad thing at all, there are many times I just want to play through a detailed story in a civilization-esque game and Endless Space scratches that itch for me. There are other times I want to build something from the ground up, create some monstrosity of a species and just "see what happens" and Stellaris usually scratches the itch in that regard. The pacing of the two games is much different as well, Endless Space has less pressure when playing because it is turn based so you don't feel rushed in your decision making.
Now to review Endless Space 2 as a stand alone game. The sound design in the game is incredible, the music is bold and astounding, you feel the vastness of space just listening to the bold brass instruments in the soundtrack. The graphics are also beautiful and the UI is clear and concise, if you are a CIV veteran you will have no problem figuring out what is going on in the game. The game runs excellent on even low end hardware, however, there have been occasional crashes for me, so I'd recommend saving often. I have discussed how the gameplay prioritizes your Civs overarching story to give meaning throughout your playthrough and this is definitely Endless Spaces best quality. If you spend time in your decision making and read every popup, you will find yourself not only enjoying a high quality strategy game but following some beautiful writing as well.
My only gripe with Endless Space 2 is it can lose its feeling of vast-ness. Let me explain, other space games tend to have a side of exploration that has a lot of dangerous elements, making you wonder what could be "lurking" around every corner. Endless Space only has Space Pirates as a threat and they get boring after awhile because its really the only threat besides the other Civs. So exploration can feel more like a chore after a couple of play throughs. Unfortunately I feel like this is a big part of these space strategy games, space is notorious for being the "final frontier" and if exploration feels cumbersome then it ruins a big part of the game for me. Fortunately, Endless Space's writing and quests will popup to carry you through the boring parts of exploration. But I always feel like I'm left wanting more, like I need a feeling that my nation is in this cold vast space, rather than flying from planet to planet with not much variance and not much excitement.
Ultimately, Endless Space 2 is a solid strategy experience with a lot of detail put into the game and plenty of replayability to keep you going for many hours, I give it a solid 8.5/10. I think future iterations should focus on adding more elements to exploration to keep things interesting, particularly on the threatening side of things. I should expect to have a little bit of fear flying out into this cold hard space, but I never have this feeling in Endless Space 2 as opposed to other titles in this genre.

Colonize planets, oppress lesser civilizations and delete foreign empires with enhanced diplomatic techniques. Truly a game for the European man.

Absolutely beautiful. More like Civilization than anything but a clone, Endless Space 2 finds its niche with the best interface in the 4X genre.

The look, sounds, and tactile feel are matchless. Eschewing the compromised proportions, overwhelming scale or abbreviated art style ubiquitous to 4X, ES2 renders the interface, game environment, and the player's agents fluidly based on the information being presented such that no element is ever compromised in either function or appearance. Few computer strategy games in history have offered such a sense of breadth and beauty without challenging the relevance of its most granular scenes and interactions.

Enormous attention has been given to the speed and appearance of buttons, data cards, windows, and other spreadsheet-adjacent interface elements which dominate one's attention as part of 4X gameplay. Sound cues are crisp and legible, and the modern electro-orchestral score is both familiar and fascinating. Endless Space 2 is an uninterrupted firehose of sounds and images which appear gorgeous and important and which adhere flawlessly to the game's inspired artistic vision.

Gameplay is little distinguished from the subgenre, but it works well here. Notable exceptions include class-leading asymmetry. Available factions, while individually occasionally conceptually uninspiring, together offer a broad selection of distinct and coherent playstyles without torturing the narrative fiction of the Endless universe. More often defined by jarring limits than by special abilities, each faction is permitted to retain a singular identity with a greater depth than its relative propensity to violence, even as the player develops it throughout each match with an expansive degree of freedom.

Like Civilization, however, ES2 can be dense and opaque. While tutorials and tooltips are overall excellent, a few broad gaps exist in the game's tutoring functions which can make the first few starts frustrating or force you to use the internet to fully understand features such as trade. The rigid polish of the interface can occasionally feel limiting or unintuitive, with idiosyncratic methods used to access certain views or data. Diplomatic voice cues are ostentatious, repetitive, and mandatory. Elements of chance can be disappointing, and it is the sort of game where you can spend hours in a hopeless situation without realizing it.

My favorite 4X. Its resemblance to acclaimed titles like Civilization and Stellaris is undimmed during gameplay, and those innovations in management and presentation which do separate it are most often preferable to me. Mastering the interface and arriving at one's first sensation of total control offers an organic satisfaction and a love for one's tools which are worth the effort. Less content than Stellaris still offers months of unique gameplay without attempting any specific mastery; for its nearly flawless AAA presentation and masterful execution of a cohesive 4X experience, I strongly recommend Endless Space 2.

This is the most enjoyable 4X game and one of the best strategy games I've ever played. The glactic empire building and management has strong immersive themes that I liked. The factions have strong flavors to the game's playstyle. Also this game offers the best game soundtrack collection I've heard. It seamlessly set inspiring tones for a space-empire building game.