A decent Civ style game. Good city building and game play, albeit somewhat shallow. The ages feel rushed, but the variety of ages you can chose from adds some novelty. Pop needs can sneak up on you, but once you get each new type under control its quite fun. As for the DLC, i didn't bother with Atomic. The ice age one made the game feel similar to Humankind, wandering about at first, but could be frustrating until the ice melted. In comparison to other Civ style games? This is better then Civ 6, and Civ 7 in its current state (subject to change) and more enjoyable then Humankind. Id still chose Civ 5 or Beyond Earth over this.

As a casual 4x game player, I've only properly finished one game. Maybe played three.

Immense fun. A very smart game that takes a few chances with the X4 formulas of old. Better than most reviews have shown.

A definite not standard 4x game.

Only thing I really want fixed is the end game performance. There are probably some bugs and the like to get some treatment but I enjoyed the story that I wove. From the wacky atomic age in the middle, to being the only one to race to space. Having AI gunships while fighting sailing boats.

It's all the great stuff I enjoy in it without a huge amount of fluff that detracts from it.

A very solid game that is quite a bit more competitive than Civ 7. Recommended. Don't sweat the Mixed reviews. Lots of interesting mechanics that set it apart.