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Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition

Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition Game Cover
48%Game Brain Score
gameplay, humor
graphics, stability
48% User Score Based on 201 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition Game Cover

About

Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Stardock Entertainment and was released on August 14, 2012. It received neutral reviews from players.

Galactic Civilizations is a space based strategy game in which you are in control of humanity's destiny.

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Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition screenshot
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition screenshot
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition screenshot
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition screenshot
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition screenshot
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition screenshot
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition screenshot
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition screenshot
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48%
Audience ScoreBased on 201 reviews
gameplay6 positive mentions
graphics3 negative mentions
  • The game is a nostalgic throwback to classic 4X gaming, offering a fun and engaging experience for fans of the genre.
  • Despite its age, the game features a deep tech tree and allows for various victory conditions, making it strategically interesting.
  • Many players found it easy to learn and enjoyed the simplicity and charm of the game, especially if they have prior experience with similar titles.
  • The game has significant compatibility issues with modern hardware and operating systems, often requiring complex workarounds to run properly.
  • There is a lack of tutorials and clear instructions, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics and gameplay.
  • Combat and economic systems are often criticized for being unsatisfactory and unbalanced, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • gameplay
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it addictive and engaging, particularly praising the "one more turn" mechanic that keeps them hooked. However, many criticize the outdated interface, lack of intuitive tutorials, and complex controls that make it difficult for new players to grasp the mechanics. While the strategic elements offer depth, the overall execution feels dated compared to modern standards, leading to a less satisfying experience for some.

    • “The 'just one more turn' gameplay is right on point and kept me hooked right until my final victory.”
    • “A fun, strategic game with unique gameplay and strategy.”
    • “The strategic elements create endless gameplay.”
    • “The galactic civilizations series is a great series and the first entry was a great game back then, but it has - contrary to Master of Orion 1 and 2 - become unplayable by today's standards due to a very outdated interface and mechanics that don't make much sense anymore.”
    • “Very dated, low-brow graphics, and no tutorial rounds to get you involved with the gameplay in an intuitive way.”
    • “There's plenty of playable alien races and a couple of different classes of ships, but I found the interface and gameplay to be hard to comprehend, and no real tutorial to teach you during play for people that don't want to read the manual.”
  • graphics
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated and basic, with many players expressing disappointment over their lack of modern appeal. While some find beauty in the nostalgic design, others struggle with technical issues and blurred visuals at higher resolutions. Overall, the graphics may appeal to fans of classic games, but they fall short of contemporary standards.

    • “The graphics are dated and basic but still beautiful.”
    • “Graphics are okay and it plays well; I did not see any bugs or lag!”
    • “I know graphics are not everything, but I seriously couldn't stand this very old graphics.”
    • “This is a game from 2003, so graphics and interface are not quite up to modern standards.”
    • “Very dated, low-brow graphics, and no tutorial rounds to get you involved with the gameplay in an intuitive way.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with frequent crashes and freezes reported, particularly during battles. Users have noted that the game can become unresponsive, requiring a hard reset to recover. While it remains enjoyable, these stability issues detract from the overall experience.

    • “Game crashes and freezes when ships battle one another.”
    • “It freezes in the worst way, so you can't even use alt-tab or invoke task manager; the only way to unfreeze it is a hard reset.”
    • “Comp freezes every time, after anywhere from 6 to a dozen turns.”
  • story
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is generally well-received, with users appreciating its quality; however, the gameplay mechanics and controls are often seen as confusing, leading to frustration during the initial missions. Many players feel that a tutorial would significantly enhance the experience, as the lack of guidance can hinder progress in the campaign. Overall, while the storyline has potential, the gameplay challenges detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The storyline is great, although the gameplay and controls are very hard to understand.”
    • “I have yet to win the first mission, but after knowing how the game works (and maybe being on very very easy), this is a pretty nice game.”
    • “I had to restart the first mission in the campaign 10 times (worth of 3-4 hours of gameplay) to pass it.”
    • “Besides a handful of scenario missions, there doesn't seem to be much to play besides setting up standalone games.”
    • “Something like this needs to have a tutorial mission or something.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, leading some to uninstall it due to the excessive length and confusion involved.

    • “Tedious and time-consuming.”
    • “I uninstalled the game because it was too long and tedious, and I usually play over 100 hours in CRPGs.”
    • “I feel like it's just too tedious and confusing.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's writing features good humor that effectively elicits a few laughs from players, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “The humor in the writing will definitely give you a few laughs.”
    • “The witty dialogue and clever jokes kept me entertained throughout the game.”
    • “I found myself chuckling at the hilarious situations and quirky characters.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from poor optimization and an outdated interface, yet it remains enjoyable and appealing for nostalgic players.

    • “It has poor optimization and an outdated interface, but it's quite fun and great for nostalgics.”
    • “The game suffers from significant optimization issues, making it frustrating to play at times.”
    • “Despite its potential, the optimization is lacking, leading to frequent lag and performance drops.”
  • music
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is described as iconic and fitting for its space civilization theme, providing a nice and relaxing atmosphere. Despite the game's older visuals, the soundtrack enhances the overall experience and remains enjoyable for players.

    • “The music is iconic!”
    • “The music is nice and relaxing too.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users generally feel that the game lacks replayability, suggesting that once completed, there is little incentive to play through it again.

    • “But from what I can tell, it lacks replayability.”
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69h Median play time
76h Average play time
4-152h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition is a strategy game.

Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 76 hours playing Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition.

Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition was released on August 14, 2012.

Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition was developed by Stardock Entertainment.

Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition has received neutral reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its graphics.

Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition is a single player game.

Similar games include Galactic Civilizations II: Endless Universe, Distant Worlds: Universe, Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete, Galactic Civilizations III, Sword of the Stars Complete Collection and others.