Well 4.0 is a bit low i think,sure it has issues and all that but we have Devs that do listen and make patches and try to improve the game.

If it where JOWood or EA or Cryptic then we would just be left out in the dark.

Still the game is far from what you could expect from StarDock but this has been debated here in many threads before.

I would give it 6.0-6.5 anyway.

On metacritic it is at 52 with only four critic reviews.

Game Informer, 65. But said: "My intense 4X fandom has been conquered by Elemental's nonstop irritations. I'm putting it down for now, but I'm not writing the game off forever." Words unlikely to stimulate sales at the moment.

1UP 58. But said: "So, is it all a disaster? Well, the A.I. problems are fixed to some degree by the robust multiplayer (if you can find friends willing to slog through the ugliest visuals since finger-painting class), and yes, the level of customization for both the world map and your alter-ego hero is nice -- but no number of small details can hope to salvage quality from this debacle of execution." For homework, transition this sentence to a gal reporting to her sorority on her blind date with you! I will not speculate on what she meant by "robust multiplayer."

Gamekult 30. I think they did not like it. French, but put it through Google Translate. "offers more bugs than interest. Ah oui et c'est très très moche aussi. Oh yes, and it's very very ugly too." Again, not something you want a sorority sister reporting about her blind date with you. Sheesh, guy! Always spray yourself down with Raid before you go out!

He didn't say anything that hasn't already been stated here repeatedly.  He did say some positive things.  Given that the reviewer experienced lots of crashes and performance issues on 4 different high end boxes (and I'd imagine GameSpot has pretty solid and well maintained rigs), a score of 4 out of 10 might actually be generous.You don't review a game based on what it might become, you review it based on what it is.  The reviewer did give feedback on the first few patches and could've just as easily have not.

It's kind of silly to say go vote and make the user score higher.  Some people here are delusional about the current and release states of the game.  I have a lot of faith in SD to get Elemental to where it should be, but the fact is that it's not there yet and was nowhere near it at release, and most reviewers and many customers are going to judge the game on the state it was in at release, not where it *might* be in a few months.

Even in 1.07, High hopes for 1.1 though

The only positive I can take from this, and it's a stretch, is that I liked Gamespot's low rated "I have no mouth and i must scream".

I agree with you on the content part, i was expecting way more quests etc, In terms of contect the release game and Beta C are way to close. This wouldnt be a problem except for the Fact Brad said that most of the quests in the beta were removed and the Gold would have so much new things it would be unrecognisable. I just hope that this major patch they are working on includes a large amount of additional content not just gameplay reworks etc. I have a feelingthe current fanbase are all hoping the major patch will make their investment worth it, if not i doubt thesales are going to pick up because all the word of mouth and late reviews are going to be the same as the mostly negative early reviews. 

Multiplayer is listed on the box, and still doesn't exist two weeks after launch. If that's a "7" worthy game, just what do you have to do to get a 5?

Like many others, this review rings true for me. I feel ripped off for  $50. This is a $20 game, which is not what I expected based on my previous experience with Stardock. I'm hanging on to it in the hopes that it will become a $50 down the line. I don't see that happening for a few months from now at least. It's sad to see Elemental alongside the ranks of games like South Park: Chef's Luv Shack.

Unfortunately this game is going to get its share of lumps, but I think we know that.

I already own the game, I know exactly why I made my choice, and that's that.

KVO is a good reviewer, he is helping reduce, in my eyes, the Gerstmann explosion.

Even before that stuff I never cared for scores. I could usually glean form the text or the vids if a game was my thing or not.

And thank God for Zero Punctuation. I know it's comedy, but a good nine times out of ten he succinctly points out exactly what I hate in video games, and helps me avoid or at least put off bad choices. I didn't listen one time and look what I got. A dusty copy of FFXIII.

BTW if you liked the old GS group most are back at it over at GiantBomb, and Screened

i really missed Ryan Davis, now he gets to do whatever he wants, and it is always nuts!

Now there's a fantastic idea.   Release an expansion pack that you think will get positive reviews and market that as a separate product--even if it's free to existing players.    Gamespot would give a 4.0 to Elemental but then they would give a 9.0 to Elemental: Ages of Goodness, or whatever the name is.  

What does it mean if it's 4.0 or 5.0?  I thought his review was quite thorough and insightful to those thinking about getting the game.  What other game wouldn't garner a score or 4.0 for consistent game crashes and an unusable multiplayer?  We forgive Stardock here a little because we've all purchased the product and want to see it be the best it can be.  But truthfully the review is an honest take on the state of the game as it appears in the last 3 patches.

I have the same feeling, and on that thought I was going to mention that they should do a "free expansion" so the reviewers review it again later too, which they may not do if they just do patches. I do recommend the first expansion being free at this point.

The game has a lot of potential, and I think a lot of people can see that, but it just needs to be ironed out a lot more.

Well I guess Stardock's best game is a 4.0. Such an amazing developer