LOVE this game. Now available on GOG? Buying soon; here's why: Playing levels from Easy to Impossible Galaxy size from Small to Huge Opponents from 1 to 7 (Opponents selected randomly; you never know who you are up against until contact made.) Multiple game play options at start-up Race selection unlimited. Customize your selected race anyway you wish within reasonable limits. Great diplomats to belligerent xenophobes, smart scientist to hapless developers, mighty warriors or spy-heavy tacticians. You select the trade-offs - play with the consequences. Technical advancement - where to specialize, what to sacrifice? Or start the game as a "develop-everything" race but at the cost of . . . well, you decide. Replayability? UNLIMITED!! Re-read the above PLUS every game starts with a randomly generated galaxy map. The only constant are the star names; their planetary systems are always different. Example, Humans always start on Sol; but, Sol changes locations in the Galaxy at start up and the number and type of planets in the system varies. Your home planet can change based on your starting options (rich planet, larger planet, more/less population etc). Opponents for each game vary, as do their start locations. No game is ever the same. Never! Ways to win: Grind your opponents into dust. Win the Galactic Council vote. Interdimensional travel to the Antarian homeworld to defeat the Antarrians. (Note, this is the only battle where the attacker, you, does not go first so attack with a massively strong force.) Cons: Graphics are a bit dated, but still good considering the age of this game! Turn based combat (there is another way to resolve combat during set-up; however, I have never used it), which means the aggressor gets to shoot first while the attacked race waits their turn. A strong force attacking a weak force may never suffer losses. Summary - an older game but after 20+ years and literally months of playing time it never gets old. Highly recommended!!
This review is based solely on the free demo, played for 12 hours during 3 different sessions. Initially, I thought the game had plenty of potential; however, the longer I played the more I realized it relies too much on luck and randomness - not enough on strategy. The game is extremely linear, literally forcing you to proceed along certain lines with little ability to deviate. Resources tend to be limited and replacing them sufficiently, even on the "easy" setting, is difficult. At the start of the game you select two officers. These officers are critical for some of the random encounters and away missions. If you do not have an officer with the proper talents some of the random encounters cannot be completed and the away missions for resupply will be unsuccessful. You have little control on any of these outcomes; it simply comes down to luck. Do your officers have the correct talent? You may be able to add officers as the game progresses thus increasing your odds, but still too much luck is involved. I was tempted to buy the full version until my last encounter, taking on some possibly infected colonists to supplement our commandos. The first report was that their integration had been successful. However, this was quickly changed to the colonists were, indeed, infected, and that half of my commandos had been lost (6 of 12). All random. I found on "easy" mode about 75% of outcomes were negative; I can only imagine what "hard" mode is like! The demo is free; can't hurt to try it for yourself to see what you think. Cost you several hours of game play, I guess. There are no instructions or save mode, but the learning curve isn't too steep and the game play is relatively simplistic. More reading than action, but that was not an issue. As a former Air Force officer, I actually thought much of the Admiral and crews' dialogue was well done. It's just that you, the player, while making limited choices have little control over outcomes. Too much reliance on luck.
