2nd entry in my Space-4x-Comparison, done over the next few days / weeks

First Impression:
Coming from “Stellaris” (played the day before) I understand: “Stellaris” is more about macro (galaxies), this one about a more focused view. Smaller, emphasis on my troops and planets – at least in the campaign-tutorial, where I am to push back against the evil aliens (guess it’s referring to GC2?). Personally, I like this better – everything feels more relevant, more direct, and also the controls are better, when I comes to zooming and navigation. Still – there’s so many menus, interfaces, mechanics… maybe just me getting old/impatient. But the tutorial is better so far! Read about that the campaign as a whole is like the tutorial over three missions (played through the first one so far), so I’ll see where I am at the end in terms of understanding game rules and mechanics.
Technically it’s weaker, but I don’t really care. For me, it’s holding up, as for Space Games I personally count in atmosphere over bare graphic-muscles – and the former is well done here; quite on par with “Stellaris” to this point. I like the more personal approach though, setting me up as sort of avenging, war-faring Humankind-back-from-holidays. Which brings me to my 3rd First Impression, which will follow. I sneak-peaked a little, so to say: “Endless Space 2”.

Back after some time of abstinence regarding actually playing games and not only write about or study them, I finally tackled the daunting heavyweight here, called “Stellaris”. Sci-Fic-Empire 4X was always one of my favourites, especially when I remember hour-long playsessions at the living room table with Twighlight Empire and the like. So, without friends and competitors in flesh and blood this time, “Stellaris shall be my entry in this weekend’s comparison of 3 genre-hard-hitters; Galactic Empires 3 and Endless Space will follow, each given an amount of approximately 10 hours, to check which one’s my favourite flavour.

First Impression:
Ok, first, the tutorial isn’t REALLY one, I’d say – there’s so much to do and try, which the game also LET me try, so… I got carried away. “Sorry, what’s my situationlog again? Nevermind, I’ll be here exploring, friendly robo-AI-helper… Shortly after, I guess that’s me paying the bill there: I got lost somehow. There’re so many tables, menus, mechanics… which, in the end, are only values, digits I’m shifting juggling around here. It’s too obvious too soon. And, well graphics… they’re fine, so that I can run the game besides my work in windowed mode, cheers to that. But why in hell can’t I zoom through, from galaxy- to system-screen?! Then, there’s the rpg-story-snippits, but… “Sir, we found this, done that – what you want us to do?” – “Interesting.” (the literal answer, the only one, I can click). So, little bit underwhelming on the part. Expanding gets very demanding and overcrowed (sorts of…?) soon, guess, I shouldn’t build up EVERY star system…? Again – the tutorial manages not to manage. I guess, in a second+ playthrough and for pros, this must be heaven (besides that I’ve read, there are fewer options for the whole session to set, in comparison to GEIII for example?). For me it’s more like, going all the way diplomatic, don’t make anyone angry, explore, research, and observe some of those Conan-like stone age-planets. Got in two fights so far – one of them an asteroid (he started it!).