And whoever decided not to make a second installment of this game is also a total idiot. This is one of the best space games I've ever played, even with the flaws which I'll readily admit. It's definitely worth the $8.
Well, I dont know if it was so much of a decision, as the fact that the game tanked in the U.S. first time around. This game was actually "Imperium Galactica 3" at one point, before morphing into its present form. Wikipedia reports that a sequel was being developed at one point, but the original developer seems defunct, so I wouldnt hold my breath. Even though in 2006 Gamespot ranked it as one of the "Best games that nobody played" that year, the tactical space combat market had been diminishing, and to make matter worse, the game shipped with a few game-fatal bugs. When those issues were patched, even the patching system was confusing, as the game was from a hungarian developer, had been released in europe long before the U.S., and nobody seemed to know which patch they needed for the version they had. Mulitplayer died due to technical issues, which is where games like this usually find their longevity. As the game goes on, youll get the sense, that is often the case, they just ran out of money and pushed it out the door...the SP campagn ending is abrupt and unpolished, compared to the rest of the story and dialogue, which are Starcraft-quality.
Some of the missions are very difficult...there are a couple missions where you come out of the jumpgate right into some huge ambush, that Im not ashamed to say I had to micromanage extensively, pausing and issuing orders, to get through. But then, I *like* that sort of thing...thats "tactical" action to me...when you actually have to think about things, not just master the interface. The stealth missions are more of a chore to get through, than being any real fun, but they are thankfully few.
But yeah, beyond those issues, the combat system and visuals are great. I loved customizing my ships abilities, and the whole Trek-esque locational damage and targeting...and I agree, this is probably the best Ive ever seen tactical space combat done in real time. I would so love to see a "Total War" type version of this, with a turn based conquest component as well. And the visuals are great...the graphical payoff for killing a big fat capitol ship is great, as it goes nuclear and whites out the action for a second.
Like I said, its the kind of game that we'd be bitching about as a first run game we just paid full price for. But as a bargain bin game, with the technical issues now fixed, its an absolute jewel, and you'll love it.
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