Master of Orion Reviews
There’s not much that’s outright wrong with Master of Orion, but there’s not much memorable or endearing about it either. It’s built on a moderately successful but bland execution of the inside-the-box space 4X formula. The moments when its flair for leader characterization and an enjoyably complex combat engine take center stage are the only times anything about it really stands out. There’s definitely enough game here that I wouldn’t turn anyone away from giving it a spin, but I also can’t say you’d be missing anything special by skipping it.
A fun, serviceable update to the 4X legend that brings little memorable to the genre aside from its personality.
These are are the voyages of starships and enterprise, boldly going where every 4X game has been before.
A polished renewal of the classic franchise that’s more suited for genre newcomers than for fans looking for a highly complex strategy game.
Despite some rough edges and frequent moments of boredom, Master of Orion is an engaging reboot of a classic sci-fi strategy title.
While this reboot of the classic Master of Orion series isn’t perfect, it packs massive amounts of replayability, with endless tactics and strategies to be explored.
So desperately, it seems, the developers wanted to recapture the magic of this series that they forgot the context of its many successes. Master of Orion and its sequel were bold games, forward-facing and bar-setting at the time, and you can’t simply recreate a game that’s over 20 years old and expect it to have the same impact. If it wasn’t for its name, Master of Orion would be forgotten in a year.
This isn’t enough to hold Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars back as a whole, though. NGD Studios has crafted a suitably epic, deeply engaging strategy game with all the bells and whistles. Despite some awkwardness with the combat, it’s a satisfying title that delivers on its core promise: to make you feel like an intergalactic conqueror. I look forward to leading the Mrrshan race to victory and prosperity for months to come.
It lacks some features that where present in the old Master of Orion II, and many of the bold ideas Stellaris and Endless Legend introduced to the genre. A playable, fun game, with great production value, but not a game that will stand the test of time.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars is an homage to its predecessors and loaded with fan fare of the original games.
Although it doesn't supply intense space battles like Sins of a Solar Empire or Stellaris it doesn't have to. Instead Master of Orion delivers an exciting universe where every action has a diplomatic action or consequence you can act on. The AI does a fantastic job at staying true to each races individual strengths and weaknesses during a campaign. The game is so well designed. Micromanagement and nitty gritty work is made effortless. Just look at how players control pops on each planet. The screen is never cluttered with useless data and comedic relief is delivered through news highlights of a galactic news network.
If you are among the (still?) large group of fans who have devoured the first two episodes of MicroProse series, you will be happy to discover familiar feelings, and you'll almost feel like you never stopped playing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
While Master of Orion probably isn’t going to satisfy fans who crave the most complex civilization building games, it’s easy to pick up and fun to play for anyone new to the genre. The level of personality and attention to detail really set it apart from the competition as well.
Master of Orion delivers exactly what it promises, but the depth of strategy games in the mid-90s does leave a bit to be desired.
Its gameplay loop means you’ll be able to have an entirely different experience with each playthrough
One of the most marquee franchises in 4X history returns, with modern advancements and all 10 races from the original.
It plays much like any other great strategy game, and like I said, my biggest problem with it was the news interruptions that added very little to the gameplay and were just painful to watch.
Overall, Master of Orion is a good turn-based 4X strategy game, but it lacks the depth found in many other titles in the genre.