Confession: I haven't played the original Master of Orion since, like, 1995. So trying to think back to the series now in 2016, with a reboot on the way, has been a strange experience.

At PAX Australia last year, NGD Studios executive producer Randy King told me that Wargaming acquired the Master of Orion (MoO) IP because the company’s billionaire CEO, Victor Kislyi, wanted his kids to be able to enjoy the game the way he had.

But the fans that grew up with the iconic franchise aren't kids. They're grown men and women who have seen a galaxy of pretenders come and go, full of promise but lacking the flavour or flair of SimTex's games.

NGD Studios can't possibly win.

Wargaming's updated interpretation of Master of Orion is now available on Steam Early Access, as well as GOG's "Games in Development" initiative. After hearing about its expensive-sounding voice cast, we finally have the chance to give the game itself a go.

The Master of Orion reboot from Wargaming arrives next week and in the run-up to release, the publisher has ramped up its marketing efforts. The latest drop is this video showing off the game's extensive voice cast, which includes the likes of Firefly's Alan Tudyk, Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame and Nolan North, one of gaming's most prolific voice actors.

As soon as Wargaming began openly slotting Master of Orion into emails about PAX Australia, I was immediately intrigued. There were so many questions to ask: why did Wargaming pick up Master of Orion in the first place? How does a free-to-play model even work with a 4X? And would they stay true to the original?

As it turns out, the answer is yes -- exceedingly so.

This is good. This is very good: 4X is back on the radar, people.

In fairness, Wargaming are the ones putting the spotlight back on the genre today, and that might not inspire a great deal of confidence in some. But they're bringing Master of Orion to the party, and they're going to use PAX Australia as the first chance to reveal some details.

Wargaming, the same company behind World of Tanks, World or Warships and World of Warplanes is also bringing us a new Master of Orion title. If you had high hopes for the modern instalment, you might very well be picking up their dashed remains after watching this "First Look" video from the publisher.

Master of Orion hasn't been front and centre on most people's radar for quite a while. It's a shame for such a classic property, but it appears as though Wargaming is ready to put it back on the map again.