Pandora: First Contact - Gold Edition

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3.5/5

( 21 Reviews )

3.5

21 Reviews

English & 4 more

Overall most helpful review

Posted on: December 6, 2017

Mr_GeO

Verified owner

Games: Reviews: 3

SMAC it's NOT

I tried this game on Steam first, shortly after it was released in 2013. The game was hailed (and hyped) as Alpha Centauri succesor, taking all the best from said game and wrapping new graphic, cool sound, modern UI and improved gameplay around it. Sadly, it didn't live up to its promise. The main problem was general lack of content in-game, and quality (or rather lack of thereof) of existing one. Simply, the game was boring and uninspiring; the mechanics was nothing fresh or interesting, the gameplay was dull and repetitive and social, political and philosphical depth of AC that game tried to recreate simply do not click into a place. To make the things worse, the AI was outright cheating, spaming units, research and improvements without money or resources that were required for a human player. The diplomacy was also completely atrocious, with AI cotroled fractions jumping from praising you as a greatest example of humanity to despising you and declaring war in one turn (and then returning to worshiping you in the next turn). Long story short - it was a huge disappointment. The developer somehow tried to fix at least some of the worst issues by releasing couple of fixes and finally a DLC (Eclipse of Nashira) , but effects were, to be frank, marginal at best. The AI was still psychotic and cheating, gameplay was bland, and the charm of SMAC was not there at all... "Now, but what it had to do with the GOG release?" you may ask. Well, unfortunately, it's the same game, minus usual Steam shenanigans (GoG release include DLC which is sold separately by Steam). It's not improved by a single bit. Prettier that Alpha Centauri, but lacking everything that make Alpha Centauri special. Colorful, but otherwise empty husk of a 4X game. Stick to its great predecessor or if you are crawling for modern civ-in-space, try 'Civilization: Beyond Earth' which - while for sure not as good as SMAC - is still better gaming experience than Pandora.

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Posted on: December 5, 2017

Igraine

Verified owner

Games: Reviews: 38

Fanmade and it shows

This game is made by fans of Alpha Centauri, and it shows. The gameplay is similar, and it tries to create the same philosophical depth by offering relevant quotes at appropriate times during gameplay. The issue is that the quotes fail to build a deeper meaning in the gameplay - again, contrasted to SMAC, where the quotes provide meaning and deepen almost every aspect of the game. Even on their own, they are less relevant or awe/revulsion- inspiring. A game made by fans must strive to become something more - otherwise it will limit itself to be at most as good as the original. Without the philosophical depth of Brian Reynolds & Firaxis, this game achieves very little on its own. "Fellow creators the creator seeks - those who write new values on new tablets." - Friedrich Nietzsche, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", Datalinks

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Posted on: December 7, 2017

GA01

Verified owner

Games: 1041 Reviews: 11

A Worthy War Game

My rating would be more accurate at 3.5 stars. I agree with most of whats been mentioned in the previous reviews such as the game being a uninspired clone of SMAC, However, I did want to mention that with the addition of its expansion (included in the GOG version) this game has one of the best strategic AI in recent gaming. It will kick some serious butt. And contrary to a previous comment made in another review, I have never read that the AI cheats. I've read people accuse the AI of cheating but these accusations were shown by the developer and others as being false. The AI was simply kicking their rear end. So ending. if you are looking for an updated SMAC you will be disappointed but if your just looking for a good war game you will likely enjoy it.

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Posted on: December 9, 2017

hmcpretender

Verified owner

Games: Reviews: 48

Tough little Nut to crack

This game was advertised as a spiritual successor to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri but as someone who played SMAC with religious vigor for more than a decade I can savely say that's only true on the first glance. Yes the setting is similar but gameplay is much, much simpler across the board and it totally lacks the philosophical approach to storytelling that made SMAC such an unforgettable experience. Pandora however is not without it's own merits: interface and controls are intuitive and powerful, making the game easily accessible even for gamers new to the genre. The AI is no joke and offers a challenge even on normal difficulty. This is all the more surprising, considering the vast majority of single player strategy games, including big budget titels, fall flat in this regard. At it's heart Pandora is a war game as there isn't much to do during peace times, other then preparing for war. Your basic diplomacy options are there but the AI plays it extremly pragmatic, signing and breaking treaties on a day by day basis soley based on what to gain, not on how good or bad your relationships have been so far. Reasearch expands game mechanics quite fast in the first quarter of the game mostly adds on numbers later on. Don't buy this game if you're looking for an immersive and fully fleshed out empire simulation. Buy it if you're looking for a challenging strategic war game.

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Posted on: December 7, 2017

superstande

Verified owner

Games: Reviews: 16

Addictive, difficult & awesome

This is a really tough game to get into. That much is so obvious after around 20 hours of playing, that it's almost a warning - because after that moment, when the playing becomes smooth (for a while at least) and so much fun... That's when the addiction hits. Hard to stop playing after there is finally a functioning civilization on the surface of this strange planet, Pandora. One of the biggest challenges I keep running into is the cult faction. There is a long story about it (and other factions of course) in the manual that you can read when starting the game, which is quite fun stuff. In a creepy, odd sort of way. To note: that's pretty much what the manual does: tells stories, not how to play the game. But the tutorials in-game do a nice job, and it's best to remember them. And then die horribly. And start over. And over again. The science advancement is marvelous. There are very inventive stuff that makes every session more interesting. Plus the trees are marvelous - aside from the eras containing only their respective techs. And there is not always telling what tech becomes crucial each time, so many different random stuff happening in the game. The long night sessions, when the monsters really come around, and the waters filled with strange monsters... It becomes closer to a creepy horror setting sometimes, than just pure sci-fi strategy. This is the pinnacle of 4X games on planets for me. Though I understand that there are so many things that can put off many for good. I'd say if one was/is nuts over Alpha Centauri and other sci-fi 4X, this is a worthy experiment, especially if on sale. For me I expect to not have time for other games in a long time. Until the game is beaten. Which might take a long, long time. Now, back to my tank production line supervising!

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