Publisher Kalypso Media is announcing that the boxed European edition of the strategy game Sins of a Solar Empire is set to become available during this week. The game has been, until now, only available in Europe via digital download. Because of the fact that the release of the boxed edition was delayed, Europeans can expect a few more goodies in their game packs.

Sins of a Solar Empire was developed by Ironclad Games and distributed on the North American market by Stardock. It was a critical and commercial success, reaching the number one position in the PC videogames chart in the United States and being one of the leading titles in the United Kingdom when it comes to pre-orders.

The new European edition is set to contain six new and exclusive maps, a huge poster that details the technology trees of the three factions in the game and a comprehensive manual detailing the mechanics, completely re-designed and enhanced with more tips and strategies.

The new maps are very interesting because of the nature of Sins of a Solar Empire. The game does not feature a campaign as other strategy titles; instead, it focuses on creating game mechanics to make skirmish games fun. Essentially, each player creates his own game and challenge by choosing one of the maps offered, the number of opponents he wants to face and victory conditions.

Sins of a Solar Empire focuses on resource management and combat while also creating three very different experiences that depend on the side chosen. The Trader Emergency Coalition is the most human-like of the three, with a focus on agile ships and trading, the Vasari are the merciless aliens focused on firepower and subjugation while the Advent are the evolved humans, with an emphasis on physical power and evasion.

The game is already at version 1.05 and the developers are promising more updates in the near future; so, look for the boxed European edition of the game at a store near you.