Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 39 Ratings

  • Summary: DarkStar One is an open-ended action/adventure title set in a huge universe populated by a variety of unique alien races. Players will take on the role of an intrepid young adventurer, Kayron Jarvis, as he explores space, upgrading and customizing his ship – the DarkStar One. The game's storory, written by renowned German Fantasy and Science Fiction author Claudia Kern, will immerse players in a tale of action and intrigue as Kayron searches for answers surrounding the death of his father. Players can take a number of different paths and approaches to earn money and upgrades as they solve the mystery of the death of Kayron's father. One may play as trader, mercenary, smuggler, pirate or a combination thereof, customizing tactics to suit individual playing styles. A fully customizable and upgradeable ship – the DarkStar One. Players can create a fast attack boat, heavy cruiser or other combined style of ship from parts purchased or captured from enemies. More than 200 weapons, shields and equipment upgrades -- including rockets, torpedoes and mines, each featuring a special tactical or trade benefit. [CDV Software] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 33
  2. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. This is not a stingy game. Nearly everything you do will earn you some sort of profit, but it's about the long-term gratification. [Oct. 2006, p.66]
  2. The breadth of the world in DarkStar One which is part of what makes it such a great game can also be adownside as well.
  3. Not a terrible game, but far from a good game, DarkStar One finds itself right in the middle, orbiting the planet mediocre.
  4. Even when completed, you can go back and play it over accepting different missions and/or playing with a different style.

See all 33 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 14
  2. Negative: 2 out of 14
  1. AlexD.
    10
    It's the bomb. Seriously. I haven't had this much fun since Colony Wars: Red Sun on the Playstation. And X-wing before that. You just don't get seem to get decent space shooters like this any more. If you liked those, you'll love this. Equipping your ship with an absolute arsenal of weapons and then kicking some pirate butts in glorious 3D (play it on a projection screen) -- what's not to like? Expand
  2. 7
    Yet again i wanted to give this game a 6.5. But rounded - 7 it is :)
    In any case - this is a space flight sim with a rather nice implementat
    ion of the ship's upgrade which is based on player experience. However, mission do tend to become similar very fast. Controls are a little weird but i got used to them. However - it's weird that while you can strafe left and right you cannot strafe upward or down (descend and ascend). Weird.
    Xpansion is a much more deeply involving experience, even if you do not choose to pursue the main plot. Dark Star is basically Expansion Lite (very lite!) :)
    Expand
  3. 2012 and the game plays quite nicely. I have Windows 7, and so far no bugs like the many forums have reported. The missions are repetitive, the storyline, well hardly engrossing, but get it for cheap, play it for 30 minutes at a time, and it is quite nice. It's Xwing/Elite style fighting. Personally I prefer the better cleaner environment of X3, this is too colourful for my liking, but it's easy on the eye. And easy to play, mostly. Oddly you often need to take your hand off the joystick, press space plus action the mouse to do something, then return to the joystick. Bizarre UI, who thought that would be good. (For a 2006, I'm quite tolerant of it, but I see XBox had a 2010 version. I hope it is vastly improved and deeper for Xbox, if this game were to be released in 2010 I'd be far more harsh on it). Expand
  4. Comi
    4
    Game itself is nice, but its completely full of bugs. If you can stand the bugs, the game is fine, but for me, the bugs kill the game. Thumbs down to Ascaron Entertainment for releasing such a shamefully buggy game. Expand

See all 14 User Reviews