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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
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 story, 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]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 90
Computer Games Magazine
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]
84
My Gamer
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.
 81
GameSpot
This game "gets" the template of 1985's Commodore 64 classic Elite in a way that many other space-trading games released over the past decade or so didn't, thanks to its emphasis on the mid-'80s classic's simple principles of buying low, selling high, and blasting pirates for fun and profit. It comes with a few minor problems in the fit-and-finish department, but the game is still an outstanding return to the frontier spirit that made Elite so memorable.
80
EuroGamer
The key element of the game, of course, is combat and here it excels...Compared to many of its peers, Darkstar One may seem slight - but what it does, it does expertly.
80
Boomtown
It was fun to play a space action game that used trading to get you into opportunities for a fight rather than study for a degree in advanced intergalactic economics.
80
PC Gamer UK
It's clear that Darkstar One is the most amusing space game in many months. It's just a shame that it weighs in like a cash starved version of "Freelancer," without any particularly inventive ideas to back up its broad scope and sense of ambition. [Sept 2006, p.98]
80
IGN
But for sheer shoot 'em up fun in outer space, enhanced with enough peripheral activities to make things interesting, there isn't much out there today like it.
80
Digital Entertainment News
A good solid game worth the price of admission.
80
GamingExcellence
DarkStar One is the game you might have played before, but everything that you’ve seen before is done just as well here, if not better and still makes for an enjoyable experience.
78
Next Level Gaming
If you have been looking for a space combat game this is not the end all game, nor is it the best trade sim ever or exploration game, however it does combine all three of these options better than most of the other games out there that have tried to put them all together.
78
eToychest
Though hardcore 4X fans might stay away due to the game's melting-pot depth, DarkStar One is a fun career-oriented romp that deceptively allows for a lot of personal freedom in play style in a style similar to Privateer that not many games have been able to recapture.
76
GamerNode
It is DarkStar One's repetitiveness that decimates its chances with anyone other than space-sim buffs. While it's addicting, the gameplay just isn't varied enough to fulfill the game's potential greatness, nor keep you engaged for the game's lengthy storyline.
76
Pelit (Finland)
The streamlined gameplay helps a little, but the game itself is too repetitive and simplistic. There is no real freedom, and the galaxy turns out to be beautiful but dull. [Sept 2006]
73
PC Gameworld
Not a terrible game, but far from a good game, DarkStar One finds itself right in the middle, orbiting the planet mediocre.
73
GameZone
Even when completed, you can go back and play it over accepting different missions and/or playing with a different style.
70
Strategy Informer
Darkstar One is as cold and empty as space itself once the novelty of trading or being a "system rebel" wears off.
70
PALGN
Constricted. It isn’t so much that Darkstar One is a bad game, it’s just that the developers failed to optimise on good ideas - it seems as though they took the easy way out rather than expand on them.
70
Yahoo! Games
As good as the combat is, Darkstar One is too simplistic to evolve into a real classic. It's a great look back at a fading genre, but lacking a stronger story and economic system, it's not likely to foster a major revival.
70
VideoGamer
It's visually appealing, easy to pick up, and the combat has a nice competitive edge to it. But this feeling doesn't last as long as perhaps it ought to. Once you've plundered your way through all the game has to offer, the lack of variety is clear to see and the story isn't good enough to hold things together.
70
Games Radar
Fortunately, it's easy to detach yourself from DarkStar One's story and immerse yourself in the moment-by-moment excitement of traversing a sometimes-hostile galaxy in a hot-rod of a ship.
70
1UP
If you've been craving the flavor of hot ion bolts and heat seekers, but can't bear to reinstall Freelancer yet again, DarkStar One should hit the proverbial spot.
70
Gamezilla!
With a bit more beefed up graphics and a major fix on the controls it would have been a must buy, still, there is an awful lot of fun to be had playing Darkstar One.
70
Worth Playing
While it does have some minor deficiencies that affect its replay value, it should satisfy any cravings you have for blowing away intergalactic pirate scum. The story is engaging, and despite the bad voice-acting, the game kept me coming back to see what happens next.
67
GameShark
The problem is that veteran fans such as myself will have a field day in pointing out the game’s vital flaws, and the technical bugs alone don’t’ really help either.
66
Computer Games Online RO
The simplicity of the trade system, some shortcoming regarding the interface, the lack of variety for missions and solar system design – all these could have been forgiven if Darkstar One would have had multiplayer.
66
Gaming Nexus
A failed epic, DarkStar One refuses to dig into the depths inherent to the sci-fi genre, and largely comes up with what they aimed for: A cheaply fun but ultimately shallow, forgettable experience. The graphics taste great, but the gameplay is less filling.
66
PC Zone UK
The X series' universe is much more dynamic and vibrant. DSO does story better, but very little else. [Oct 2006, p.72]
62
PC Gamer
Though not the game "Freelancer" fans have been waiting for, space-adventurers will still find plenty of targets to blow up here. And we'll take what we can get. [Oct. 2006, p.105]
60
PC Format
Hour after hour of repetitive gameplay. In space, no-one can hear you snore. [Aug 2006, p.99]
60
G4 TV
A bunch of nice ideas and fun combat wrapped up in a fairly bland game. There’s nothing particularly deep going on here, but it sure is a big galaxy.
57
ActionTrip
The biggest problem that Darkstar has by far is the fact that it simply feels like a pale copy of other, far more successful games in the genre.
50
GameSpy
It's enjoyable for a few brief moments to blow away vessels in a manner that harkens back to the classic Wing Commander. The thing is, without a robust economic engine, an interesting and dynamic universe to explore, or even a decent storyline to follow, DarkStar One is destined to sink into the black hole of gaming obscurity.
50
games(TM)
Essentially it's the same five minutes of entertainment repeated over and over again and it quickly becomes wearing and repetitious. [Sept 2006, p.118]
Comi gave it a4: Wayne W. gave it a7: Elliot N. gave it a7: Rob E. gave it a7: Mobius gave it a4: Alex D. gave it a10: |
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