14 DAY TRIAL // Stellaris, the critically-acclaimed 4x space strategy game is getting political with the next expansion coming in March. Paradox has just announced a new DLC called Federations will drop on March 17, but fans can already pre-order it via Steam for $20 / €20.
Federations brings external politics to Stellaris players and it does so in a very complex way. The expansion will add various new options like influence, manipulate, and dominate without firing a shot.
The expansion also brings a new system of Origins. Each empire has a story that influences its path, so by choosing an Origin, players will be able to flesh out their empire's background and alter its starting conditions.
Then, there are new constructions introduced, such as the Juggernaut, a massive mobile starbase that offers a movable repair base even in enemy territory, or the Mega Shipyard, a new megastructure that can out fleets with incredible speed.
Thanks to the new expansion, players will be able to unite the space empires with a galactic senate that can vote on a wide range of resolutions. One good example would be to pass a resolution to increase commitments to collective defense or funnel profits towards wealthy elites.
Also, members of the galactic community can sanction those who defy it and enact a single galactic focus. You can try and lead the galactic senate by trading favors and maneuvering to gain enough influence among members.
Federations would be Stellaris' fourth full-fledged expansion after MegaCorp, Apocalypse, and Utopia. However, there are a bunch of other packs that introduce new races to the game, along with story bits.
Even though it's been released about four years ago, Stellaris remains one of the best 4x strategy games. The gameplay involves space exploration, managing an empire, diplomacy, as well as space warfare. Stellaris was released for PC back in 2016, and a console version was launched one year ago.
