Decent Game but Ultimately Limited and Disappointing for Experienced 4x Fans
Unfortunately the game also has many shortcomings. Some of the default races seem more like they belong in a 4x parody than an attempt at a serious game, but for me and I'd imagine a lot of players, the biggest drawback is map size.
Even the largest map settings result in small maps in which clear borders are nearly impossible to establish and diplomacy will constantly be threatened by aggressive and often irrational colonization by the AI. The Galaxy is just too small to house all of the different races and allow them to actually establish an empire.
Adding to the frustration, there are diplomatic penalties for being too close to the AI's empire, and since the AI tends to colonize any star it can with little regard for what system it's in or how it effects borders, tense borders are almost inevitable.
This game seems designed for players who want to military rush through the galaxy more than players interested in empire building and diplomacy, so even though I'd really like to give it a better score and it could easily be improved upon, I have to give it a decent but disappointing 6.5.