The Borg-like Cravers fulfil the role of ruthless military conquerors, with the honour-obsessed Hissho mapping neatly onto the Klingon archetype. You're compelled to keep clicking that 'end turn' button one more time, inching closer to an interlocking web of different goals, watching your domain grow and spread.' The Sophons are scientifically minded robots, while the Sowers are more geared towards infrastructure. The United Empire is your default option, an expansionist human race with corporate aspirations and a nod in the direction of Frank Herbert's Dune, while the Pilgrims provide a more spiritual, religious motivation. There are eight factions to choose from, offering the expected range of specialisms. An old galaxy, filled with red giants and white dwarves, is a tougher proposition than a younger galaxy filled with healthy yellow suns in the prime of their life. There's a pleasing layer of cosmological truth to the game as well. The epic cinematic animations for ship-to-ship combat are the visual highlight. This in turn dictates the sort of stars, and by extension the kind of planets available for your conquest. Not only can you tweak the expected parameters such as difficulty and game length, but you can dictate the size and shape of the galaxy you'll be playing in. Right from the start, Endless Space defines itself by a willingness to bend to accommodate the player. Over the long haul, however, there are just enough hiccups to keep it from attaining true greatness. In the early going, this dedication proves fruitful and fans of the genre will be satisfied. With its sci-fi setting, Endless Space sets its sights on less well-known inspirations such as Master of Orion and Sword of the Stars, though. If you've played any of the Civilization games then you know what to expect, as Sid Meier's long-running classic series remains the most popular example of 4X strategy. An entry in the under-served 4X strategy genre, it asks you to explore, expand, exploit and exterminate as you build up a galactic empire, seeking domination through scientific knowledge, military might or financial success. One of the advantages of gaming's increasingly fragmented digital landscape is that the cracks allow niche titles to poke out into the spotlight, and so it proves with Endless Space.

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