This game nearly destroyed my life!
So when I first experienced MOO2 I was hooked. And if you think I am exaggerating, it was one of the reasons my marriage went south so believe it - you will find this game hard to back away from!
Somewhat like RISK on a galactic scale, MOO2 liberally borrows concepts from a number of reliable sci fi wells - most notably Star Trek. Considering how few quality Star Trek video games there have been - and still being a Trek fan at the time I found this game irresistible.
Those of a less dorky pedigree will still find tons to enjoy about this game - essentially your role as galactic emperor is to establish colonies, build fleets, maintain your empire and rule the universe through force or diplomacy.
You quickly find that force works best, as the enemy AI in this game while not exactly bright is sufficiently ruthless on the higher difficulty levels to make victory difficult and at times seemingly impossible.
In the game's later stages maintaining your colonies can become tedious and once you have amassed a large enough fleet of ships, combat can become tiresome as well.
But it's hard to argue with the game's few flaws after the satisfaction of obliterating an entire enemy planet with a ship mounted death ray and taking over the universe by force.
To say the least the game's graphics are quaint by today's standards, yet it remains a playable and enjoyable experience that I still fire up once in a blue moon.
If the only exposure you've had to the MOO Universe is the controversial MOO3, do not be discouraged - give this one a try and you may find yourself up late one night, bleary eyed and tired, struggling to eke out just one more turn on a decade old game you never thought you'd like so much!