The main unit of space is a system, which houses planets. Other than that, the gameplay in Endless Space 2 is relatively simple. You’ll see the leaders of other races in the diplomacy screen. However, the Vodyani are also energy vampires and they need to draw Essence from other races to construct their population units and Arks. Much like barbarian camps in Total War: Attila, they harbor all of the planetary improvements and can easily transport them from system to system. Meanwhile, the Vodyani, who religiously worship the Virtual Endless, don't colonize planets as much as subjugate systems with their Arks. If that ship remains undisturbed for 10 turns, you can immediately colonize the system, which makes the spread of the Unfallen very slow and methodical. Instead, they send a ship to neighboring system to plant a beacon for interstellar vines. Unfallen, ents in space, don't have colonizer vessels. United Empire, a hegemony both corporate and feudal, can have the Emperor flex his muscle and hasten not only build times, but even research by spending the influence resource, making UE the race most interested in its generation. Unless they don't: while all races have their own quirks and gameplay differences, some are more different than others. Chosen from a number of different species, they all start their trek to the stars in a single system, having already built a scout ship and a colonization vessel. But that's not a question many care about, and it certainly isn't something that will impede your space empires. I always wondered how these precursor races always leave behind ruin-strewn worlds that mysteriously aren’t stripped of all mineral wealth.

Endless space review 2