Twice the game of the first one, and the first one was one of the most addictive games I've ever played. Very good customizability, though that doesn't matter as much as the original game. The interface is simple to use, but the gameplay strategy is what can be difficult. Difficulty options can be tailored to the player's style, making the game challenging without making it frustrating. Game turns can get rather long if a player has done any large expansion, but moves along well for the most part.
Graphics are fairly simplistic, but work well and are more detailed than the original game.
The only requirement in a game like this is that units are easy to recognize. Sounds is decent, with unit sounds being quite good. Nothing really outstanding here. Despite the lack of visual flare, this game remains one of the best games ever made and definetely the best of it's kind. This game is as engrossing as it is epic.