I'm very lucky that I get to review this, and got review code slightly in advance of release (only a couple days, so my review for GoombaStomp will still be a ways out). I'm really, really excited for it.
http://www.stellarisgame.comGiantBomb did a
Quick Look for it which should give you a good indication if it's your cup of tea, but basically this is the Paradox-style grand strategy formula applied to a space 4X game. So much greater emphasis on diplomacy, more complex systems, and leader characters who act as ship captains, planetary governors, scientists and researchers, etc. That is a super exciting combo to me, and it's been great thus far. I'm still fairly early in, but impressions are good.
Check it out if it's the kind of thing you dig.
EDIT - My review is now live:
http://www.goombastomp.com/reviews/stellaris-strategic-space-opera/This is a wonderful game that I highly recommend. It's got some issues, but on the whole is really something special. I can't wait to see what its future looks like, as Paradox is well known for supporting their games long after release with patches and expansions. This one is begging for some new stuff, but it's a fantastic core game that would still take you a very long time to exhaust.
