It's a fun turn-based 4X game with real-time tactical combat, interesting lore and never a dull moment that keeps sucking you in for just one more turn. This is primarily a combat-oriented 4X game. Diplomacy and economy management are very simplistic. Your job will be primarily managing research, building ships, attacking and defending and dealing with all the logistics. Aside from (obviously) fighting with the other players, you will also spend a lot of time dealing with a bunch of different random events, from random encounters with alien swarms and rogue AIs to your research going over budget (and taking longer than expected). Of course it's not all bad - sometimes your researchers make a breakthrough and complete research way ahead of schedule. Nice! This randomness is never "overpowering" (the RNG isn't out to get you). It's just enough to keep you on your toes and add a bit of "color". With regards to the races you can play with, they are unique beyond just "this race is better at one thing, but worse at another thing". Their FTL technology is different, which affects your whole strategy. They also have they own "personality", which is reflected in the AI player's attitudes toward you and other players. The developers did a terrific job writing detailed backgrounds for the races and putting a real effort explaining all this crazy technology you are playing with. Each tech you can research has a little "blurb" with appropriately "sci-fi" explanations about what it does and how. I find it cool - it really captures the imagination. The only real downside of this game is the UI, which is pretty bad. It's almost a deal-breaker. It takes some effort to get used to it, which is a shame because I can see some people getting real turned off by it and giving up. That said, all in all, I would recommend this game. If you can overlook the UI problems, you have here a solid and unique 4X game that will give you hours of enjoyment.
I'm shocked that this game has such a high rating here. I chalk it down to nostalgia/rose tinted glasses effect because this game is painfully frustrating, borderline masochistic. I can see that there is fun to be had with this game, but it is hidden under a pile of ugliness and frustration that will make you want to throw your keyboard at the nearest wall. I will highlight a few problems that killed it for me: + The graphics didn't age well. They basically consist of a bunch of low resolution sprites and videos. Like, really low resolution. Imagine taking a 320x240 JPG and stretching it to 1920x1080 to get an idea. It just becomes an ugly, pixelated mess. I get that the game is old, but there are plenty of much older games that don't look this bad. + The game, true to its console origins, is checkpoint based, and some checkpoints are badly positioned. Messing up a jump or something like that can mean the loss of a good 5-10 minutes of progression, as you are sent back to the nearest checkpoint, 5 screens away. + The game involves too much trial and error, and to make matters worse, often the puzzle solutions are non obvious and must be done is an specific way otherwise they don't work. So you will die again and again until you figure out what you were "supposed" to do. The solution will probably surprise and dismay you. And remember, dying means going back to the checkpoint + The game has too many glitches. For example, the straw that broke the camel's back for me was that due to a glitch, I ended up not having some critical thing that I needed to be able progress further down the level. I couldn't go back to get that thing (the way was blocked), so my only option at that point was to load a much earlier saved game, and lose about an hour of progress. There are a bunch of these glitches. The game gets 2 stars because when it isn't being a tremendous pain in the neck, it is actually kinda fun and because it works ok in Linux under wine.
Disclaimer: This review is based on the Humble Store version. 140 is a platform game with emphasis on accurate timing and precision. Game objects move, appear, disappear and change shape to the beat of the music, so you have to pay attention to the audio and visual queues to be able to time your actions correctly and progress in the level. If you fail and get "killed" by barriers, projectiles, falling off a chasm or something, you have to restart the current section. Levels progress linearly from point A to point Z, with a few checkpoints in between, and a boss at the end. Levels gradually introduce new hazards, challenges and interactions right up till the end, so it never feels like they are rehashing ideas all the time. After completing one level, the next one becomes available. The game is a lot of fun while it lasts. Everything is very smooth, the music is fun and the visuals, though simplistic, work out very well. It all comes together to create a fun and engaging experience. The problem? The game is way too short! It only has three levels! After completing the three levels, you unlock a "hard" mode to keep you busy. In hard mode, besides some cosmetic changes, dying causes you to have to restart the entire level, not just the section. You may be thinking "well, but at least the levels are long and complex", in which case, I am sorry, but I am going to have to burst your bubble. Completing the "normal" game at a relaxed pace takes you an afternoon (or about 50 minutes playing non-stop like a madman). Hard mode requires a bit more determination, and it will keep you busy for a while longer, but it kinda blows because it isn't really challenging, just frustrating, because you can lose 5/10/20 minutes of progress just because you had a momentary brain fart. With no extra content, and considering that levels - boss fights included - behave exactly in the same manner in every playthrough, replayability is thus practically non-existent. You play this game once and you are done with it. All that said, don't be discouraged: the game is worth it if you can get it for real cheap. You'll kill an afternoon and you will have fun doing it.
