Master of Orion Game Review

[section_title title=Gameplay]

Gameplay

Computer setup:

CPU: Intel, i5-4430 @ 3.0ghz
Motherboard: ASUS H81-Plus
RAM: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz
GPU: Sapphire 290x Tri-X 4gb
PSU: Corsair CX750m

The need to stay close to the original game is a given. Straying too far upsets the core fans, but not updating for new tastes is equally problematic. The first time this balancing act becomes apparent is in the starting selection screen. It’s a coat of paint on the original games. Races are now animated with a narrator talking about the one you select. Each race has their own traits and preferred planet type. But these quickly become a non-issue after enough turns.

You start off on a random planet in the galaxy, an almost perfect homeworld. Set your production and research and wait for something to happen. It’s the bane of every 4x, the first few turns are always the weakest, waiting endlessly for things to happen. This monotony is interrupted by GNN updates. These can be anything from the score chart to random events like supernovas and space monsters. It’s fun at first, but quickly becomes tiresome and repetitive.

Once the early game is out of the way it starts to open up, you can colonise, scout, fight, and build various defensive measures. Again, it’s all very basic, with only the graphics separating Master of Orion from the classic MoO 2. Apart from combat, for some unknown reason taking control of units in battle means that it plays out in real-time. It seems tacked on and tarnishes, what is until that point, an unremarkable but fun game.