“Stellaris” is a fantastic game that brings a Space Imperium under your control to develop and expand. From humble beginnings, your Star Empire will grow to impossible heights or fall into obscurity as you take to the Space Lanes. The former computer giant, Paradox Interactive, comes to the console with the release of Paradox’s space opera. This game brings all the magic the original game had but unfortunately the lack of a mouse and keyboard narrows hotkey and control.

The visual presentation is a pleasant surprise and the Space Battles look fantastic on the Xbox One. When you progress the game, the larger ships are unlocked and your fleets are massive—the visuals do not lag in your 20K strength fleet engagements. The game does surprisingly well in the early game and plays very easily with no major feature drops from the computer version. This is not the wash down that Civilization Revolution was for the last generation of consoles.

The grand strategy that Paradox produces is wonderfully complex. The advantage that a keyboard and mouse give you to manage your Empire is essential. But you will not miss the keyboard and mouse that much in the early game. It’s a basic start with building the Science and construction ships, giving you an easy level to manage the “early” game. The game suffers in the “mid” game when you have your first five colonies and your managing fleet upgrades to three to four mid-tier fleets. The controller just lacks the flow that a grand strategy needs.

If you are a Paradox fan and can deal with the delayed pace, then this game is for you. It’s fun to play and offers great cinematics for you to enjoy. I would give the game a 3 out of 5; it’s enjoyable and if you never played a grand strategy, then this game is a nice introduction!

Peer Rating: 3/5

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