NGResonanceFan

I really wanted to like this game, but after playing it feel that I was a victim of the pre-release hype machine. As a long-time strategy gamer, I'm mystified by all the high scores people have given it on Metacritic. Fanboys I guess. Anyway, there is a lot wrong with this game: 1) An AI that cheats and spams. 2) The research tree is a total mess. For example, you will find critical military technologies buried half-way up non-military tech trees. 3) A terrible rock/paper/scissors combat system. 4) A totally dull and lifeless galaxy void of any real surprises. 5) Diplomacy feels useless. 6) Generic races that lack an serious differentiation other than the physical. 7) Dull 'advance turn, advance turn' gameplay. 8) Heroes are overpowered. 9) Soundtrack is uninspired and amateurish. In short, this game is devoid of any soul is the worst case of the Emperor's New Clothes I've ever seen in a game. If you like 4X space strategy games, try the infinitely better grand strategy RTS Distant Worlds.

Alea Jackta Est (The Die is Cast) is the best Roman PC game by far. Rome:Total War is kid's stuff by comparison. It's a very deep and rich strategy experience, up there with the greats like the Civilization series. The game as it exists now consists of six scenarios (including one DLC) covering Roman wars from Marius vs. Sulla (87BC) to the rise of Septimius Severus (193 AD). Yes, unlike the vast majority of Roman games that have come before, this one is historically accurate. Players typically take the part of a Roman Imperator or one of Rome's enemies and fight it out on a beautifully rendered map of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Also, leaders like Caesar and Pompey are represented by very appealing 'bust' paintings on the units. Graphically maybe the game is not Skyrim, but as turn-based strategy games go it's better than most. Turns are monthly, and unlike Rome: Total War where the units move soooooo slow on the strategic map, the units in AJE have realistic movement rates. Most formations under your command will be able to move quite far each turn, making AJE very fast-paced for a turn-based game. There is a lot for the player to do on any given turn; issue orders to your legions, raise money, do infrastructure upgrades, engage in politics, recruit new troops, crucify rebellious slaves ;o). All this will at first seem daunting to new players, but tool tips abound and all the information you need is no more than one mouse click away. One of my favorite things about the game is that unlike the single game sandbox environments of the Total War series or Civilization, you are presented with a series of campaigns that span the rich and deep history of the Roman Empire. I've played three of the scenarios thus far and they've all been very different, each with their unique force/faction mixes and rule changes to reflect the conditions prevailing at the time. Also, AEGOD plans to release more DLC's of campaigns covering the latter days of the empire; an historical era which has been largely ignored in gaming in favor of the Caesar/Triumvirate First Century BC period (though of course AJE covers that period as well). On the down side, AJE is not the most noob friendly game I've ever seen, even for people who are not strangers to strategy games. The short tutorial teaches you movement and combat, but little else. Having said that, I strongly recommend purchasing the inexpensive Spartacus DLC, as the relatively small size and scope of that scenario is perfect for learning the game. Further, there is a message log generated each turn of military and political events, and in large scenarios it will generate a lot of activity. The down side to this is that it's possible to miss an important event amidst all the trivia, though the inclusion of message filters in the game ameliorates this somewhat. In any event these issues are relatively minor. I equate AJE with the Civilization series because both games are very deep, rich, and educational. AJE is like a history book that talks back to you. One of the subtler messages I'm kenning from the game is that Rome fell largely because of the never-ending series of succession/civil wars that sapped the strength of the empire. Anyway, if you are a Roman fan and would like something a bit more cerebral and realistic than Rome: Total War, Alea Jackta Est is for you. With six current campaigns and more promised by AGEOD, the game is likely to be on your hard drive for a very long time. Favorite gaming moments thus far: 1) I played cat and mouse with Spartacus for a while, and eventually cornered him in Napoli. After several close call breakout attempts, I overwhelmed the famous gladiator and took him prisoner. 2) Doing a blitzkrieg on King Mithridates with Sulla's crack legions. :o)

This Indie game maybe wasn't quite what I expected, but it was still nonetheless a real treat! It is definitely one of the best fantasy/Tolkien-esque 4X strategy games on the market; up there with Age of Wonders 2. Like most games it's not without its weaknesses though. For one thing the sprite graphics are definitely dated. For another, I was expecting intricate city building, civil and military research on par with the Civilization series, and strong single player diplomacy options. Alas, city building is very lite, diplomacy is basically multiplayer play-by-mail only, and there is no research other than magic. Having said that, the game has the most detailed and well-fleshed out magic research I've ever seen in a game. Further, despite the dated graphics, the 'autopilot' tactical battles (where your armies fight it out according to orders you've given them before the battle) are great fun to watch. I would also add that you have a wide range of choices when it comes to your faction and leader. Be warned though, the 'sandbox' campaigns can be rather long and involved, even on small maps and at easy AI difficulty and aggression settings. In fact my last game was on a small map with five total 'pretenders' and it was a good ten hour game. On the aesthetic side, the Celtic soundtrack with female vocalist is very strong; some of the best game music I've heard in a while. Anyway, I had really wanted to give this game a 9, but I docked it half a point for the dated graphics, lack of single-player diplomatic options, the lite city building, and the lack of non-magic research. Still in all this Indie game is a lot better than more than a few strategy games put out by the big gaming studios with their much greater development resources. If you like fantasy/Tolkien-esque turn-based strategy 'explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate' games, this one is not to be missed.

I bought this game on a whim off Steam and am delighted to say that it was a very pleasant surprise. It's a Homeworld clone to be sure, but this is by no means a bad thing as Homeworld was a great game. For one thing the game's visuals are quite beautiful. For another, the Russian design team replaced all the RTS building elements from Homeworld with RPG elements and it works great. Further, whereas Homeworld's story was grandiose to the point of being almost pretentious, the Star Wolves milieu is altogether edgy, as you take the role of a bounty hunter/mercenary capable of doing good, evil, and shades of gray. The game music is wonderful and goes great with the beautiful visuals. At times the music sounds like the old Starcraft, and at others like Pink Floyd. In fact the guitarist has the Floyd's David Gilmour down pat. I also really like how the game has a distinctly Eastern European feel to it rather than an American one. The only negatives I would say are that the controls are maybe a bit touch fiddley at times, and some of the missions may prove difficult for some players. Still in all if you are a fan of the Homeworld series then this game is a must have. Highly recommended.

I have something of a love-hate relationship with this game. On the plus side it is the most innovative RTS I've seen in years; far more innovative than the uninspired and disappointing Starcraft 2. More of a hybrid game really, it combines elements of old-style RTS's like Age of Empires with doses of city builders, RPG's, and tower defense games. The really unique thing about it is that you do not have direct control over your military forces (i.e. heroes), but rather try to influence their behavior by issuing a series of bounties (kill enemy unit, destroy building, defend something, or scout area). Also, at the end of each mission you have the choice of promoting one hero to the house of Lords, thus enabling you to bring them in on subsequent missions. The only trouble is, the really buffed up heroes cost a lot of gold to bring back. Further, buffed up heroes will only do what you want if you make the bounty sufficiently lucrative. Anyway, this game would be an easy eight or maybe even a nine if not for the fact that it is so darned difficult. Starting with about the third or fourth mission the game gets you either coming or going, and sometimes both. That is, either the initial base-building phase is very hard and/or the end boss fight is very hard. In other words, Majesty 2 is geared for the hard-core gamer. If you are more of a casual gamer like myself you may find yourself getting frustrated with it. I would also add that the game does have seem really cool high-level heroes like the Sisters of Krypta, assuming of course that you survive long enough to recruit them.

Lo, how the mighty have fallen. I was a huge original Starcraft/Brood War fan and wanted to love SC2. What a major disappointment it was though, and in no way worth the long wait. Rather than repeat in full what the other detractors have noted, I would just say that what bothered me the most were how little gameplay had improved since the original Starcraft, and how awful the story was. It was like some cheesy action-adventure movie, and inventing that whole Tychus Findlay backstory was incredibly lame. It's very sad really. Back in the day when Blizzard was small they were innovative and seemed to respect their fans. The fame and success obviously went to their heads though, and big money translated into big egos and accountants, and as a result SC2 was nothing more than a sop for the masses.

This is definitely one of those games where the term synergy applies. Although there's no one thing about it that is truly great, the colony building, ship combat, pleasant visuals, and the nice techno-electronica soundtrack combine to make for a fun and engaging gaming experience. Also, the story may not be up to Bethesda RPG standards, but it does serve to move the game along nicely. Additionally, if you're looking for something in the middle ground between the super-simple and uber-complex games, this one is just right for you. It should also be noted that the game was created by just two people and costs 15$. This is interesting as I consider it a lot more fun than the bloated, pretentious, and expensive junk put out by the enormous Blizzard and EA studios. I pretty much agree with everything the IGN reviewer said, though I rate the game slightly higher than they did. In fact I would really like to give it a 9, but since I've not yet finished it I'm erring on the side of conservatism and giving it a solid 8.

This is the most compelling game I've played in years. It's not "one more turn", but rather one more battle. ;o) The game does a number of things exceptionally well. Although a turn-based war game it is not a hard core uber-complex Grognard game at all, but rather in the "easy to learn, hard to master" category that rewards a thoughtful combined arms approach. Also, the level of abstraction in the game was a stroke of brilliance: the game consists of several branching campaigns, and although the battles are at the operational level (i.e. the invasion of Norway, the battle of Kursk), the gameplay has a very tactical "bang, bang, shoot them up" feel to it. It works very well, however, and the battles have a surprisingly high degree of historical accuracy, abstractions notwithstanding. Perhaps most importantly though, by being able to purchase, upgrade, rename, and carry over units from battle to battle, the game has a distinct role-playing feel to it which makes it extremely compelling. And I should also mention that the unit choices and upgrades available to you are nearly enormous. You can eventually even obtain the ME-262 and Komet fighters, to say nothing of a few advanced heavy bombers that as far as I know never made it to production. It's also interesting to note that you play a very **** Germany in this game. No where is 'The Fuhrer' ever mentioned. This is a good thing though, as the Germans in WW2 created the most efficient military machine the world has ever seen and they are a blast to play. The only real down side to the game is that if you don't decisively defeat the Allies in the early-to-mid war you may find yourself facing long odds by mid-1944, although to be fair this of course was the case historically. Still in all it can be very demoralizing to see the magnificent military machine you've painstakingly built up and led through many hard-fought battles in 1939-43 get trashed by superior Allied numbers in 1944-45. Losing one of your 'pet' units is almost like seeing a favorite companion killed in Fallout: New Vegas. ;o) Still in all this game is a gem and an instant classic, and one that I will probably come back to at least a couple of times a year. If you are a fan of historical strategy games this one is not to be missed.