Hello everybody, I am new to these forums.
I really, really, (and I do mean really) love everything and anything that has to do with space conquest and exploration. Movies, books, TV series, games, you name it. However it space games are very rare and far between, we seem to get a "Freelancer" or a Haegemonia / galactic civilization / SoaSe every 5 years or so and they make so little noise in the press that they are easy to miss.
A new game called "distant worlds" came out recently and I was waiting for it for a while... but it ended up as a big disapointment. You can read my short distant worlds review here.
What other quality space games are out there? Especially those released in the last 5 years or so?
I played and replayed those I have, and I am really craving something new.
Those I played (that I can remember) :
Spaceship action:
RTS-ish:
First person:
have you tried the Distant Stars mod for Sins?
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/335474
many say it adds much to the game
You haven't played Sword of the Stars + expansions why?
You should try Freespace 2, an old space combat sim (1999) by Volition, once you get the game, patch it with Freespace Open. Freespace 2 is arguably the best space combat sim ever, I don't know any more recent games able to supplant it. Joystick mandatory.
Alpha Prime (FPS, on Impulse) is not much of a challenge but the story is real sci-fi, pity it is so short.
Space Rangers 2 (also on Impulse) is an incredible experience, difficult to catalogue as it is three games in one.
The Ur Quan Master is an oldie game adapted on modern platforms. Give it a try, you won't regret it, the story is gripping.
I am old school but you can find this game pretty much on any torrent sites, Star Trek: Armada 2?
It's a shame that Distant Worlds is such a disappointment. It was on my short list of what's next. I'll still keep it in mind, but not as enthusiastically as before. Thanks for the heads up and explanation of the inflated reviews. Makes sense.
Spaceforce: Rogue Universe is an open world space/flight sim kind of game. I tried it awhile back and thought it might be pretty good, I just suck at space combat sims. Great graphics too, but you might want to try a demo if available as some people love it and some seem to either have technical issues or don't like it for whatever reason.
Hi!
For several months I'm hooked to Sword of the Stars. Turn-based, real-time combat with pause (quite similar to HomeWorld), large random tech tree, minimal planet management (think MoO-1), Combat oriented, 6 different races that play and fight very differently. Multiplayer, 3 expansions, SotS-2 in the making. Demo available, as is the game on Impulse.
BR, Iztok
Lol I don't see homeworld in that list? Or am I just blind. It's old. but any space game fan must play it.
I played Homeworld of course! I'll add it to the list right away.
I played sword of the stars, but I prefered GC2 by far.
I played also Spaceforce, rogue universe. But I was disappointed... it was a very bland game, with little attention to details, and a clunky combat system that was not smooth or enjoyable to play. It came so long after Freelancer, and it sounded like having a lot of potential, but it really didn't live up to all the hype. I did not spend much time on it because I did not enjoy it... And seeing as it is done by the same guys responsible for "spaceforce captains", the worse space game I have ever played (or more like attempted to play then resulted in the quickest uninstall in history of gaming), it is not really surprising.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll give them all a try.
Nexus: The Jupiter Incident?
Silence! I kill you!
The most recent X3 game, X3: Terran Conflict hands down is the best space sim I have played since the early 2000s
Technically, Starcraft is conciderd a Space Game. (And the sequel is out soon)
-Twilight Storm
Armada 2 rules. But don't stop there, Star Trek Armada is not too bad either and Star Trek Bridge Command is pretty good too.
Interesting thread. Lots of useful suggestions. I also prefer Galciv2 to SOTS (I dont like the focus on ship combat/design in this game, but I like the fact that planet management is not so micro intensive).
@Iztok, funny to read that you like Sots. I thought you were die hard Galciv2 player. Why do you prefer it to Galciv 2 at the moment?
@Armada 2 players, why do you like it so much? What makes it better than Sins for example?
@ dissapointed Distant Words, I really dig this game. It has vast potential and the devs are really improving the game every week. It has a lot of depth and scale. Give it a try I would say!
@those that know Haegamonia, how is this game? Is it any good?
There hasn’t been a truly awesome space combat game since freespace 2. If I ever win a stupid amount of cash, my #1 goal is to make a spiritual successor to tie fighter, which still holds the space combat sim crown.
Freespace 2 was a huge critical success, but flopped badly commercially. And the only other titles in that mould to be released are awful eastern European titles like rogue universe, dark horizon etc.
Apparently a new elite will be made once the developers finish with their current project, but we’re talking years and years before we’ll see anything in that regard.
This particular genre has died, which is a real shame.
i vote fro homeworld2 = complex mod its the best games and dare i say it... it... beats sins(sorry guys)
Armada 2 plays more like starcraft or CnC. but is actually in space wth space ships. have the first one and its pretty good. Have fun trying to find it for cheap(the second one).. On amazon its like 140...
KOTOR should be on your list of things to play, since ME is.
Damn I forgot so many games... Yes I played all the Kotors, multiple times, and loved them all (even with all the bugs and problems). I feel that even mass effect does not come even close to kotor. I mean, AK-47? The huge story spins and revelations? It was really unique.
If I ever win a stupid amount of cash, my #1 goal is to make a spiritual successor to tie fighter, which still holds the space combat sim crown.
If I win the same, I would make the spiritual successor to Dungeon Keeper.
I would say it is the grandfather of Sins of a solar empire. Same spirit but simpler and with a single player story that is good and involving / immersion (has been a long time but that's how i remember it). I think it remains fairly playable even today, I would not mind giving it a spin if I find my disc.
Looks like the x-com universe is making a comeback! (by the same guys who made Bioshock too)
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6258092.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;2
if you like "old style" heres something for ya
Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space
Starflight: Last Colony (or something like that, its an indie project)
EvNova
HiddenSpace (ALSO indie project)
NAEV (another indie project)
FlatSpace 2 (yet another one)
Or you can just visit http://www.spacesimcentral.com
there are tons of them
I've heard good things about gratuitous space battles.
trivia: a member of Stardock worked on that while gaining his degree.
(I personally still enjoy the old starflight games. )
I've been waiting for that "end all be all" space game. Sins of a Solar Empire is probably my overall favorite but really crave something more on the RPG/FPS scale. DarkStarOne comes close, but is far too linear. The space combat in Starwars Galaxies was quite enjoyable for me when I was in a lone fighter. Eve Online has a fair amount of depth, but the combat and general controlling is not my cup of tea. I'd also like something that isn't limited to space. I want to play my character (and ship) on planets as well as in space.
All in all, the game I want doesn't, and probably wont, exist.
I didn't see X-Com on here anywhere. It's an old DOS game, but has some of the best gameplay IMO. You can buy it at GOG.com. or Gamergate.
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