GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships
xx Alien Shooter - Revisited
xx Alien Shooter 2: Reloaded
xx Altitude
xx America's Army 3
75 And Yet It Moves
79 ArmA II
xx Armed Forces Corp.
xx Astro Tripper
75 BattleForge
74 Battlestations: Pacific
75 Bionic Commando
78 Blood Bowl
59 Blueberry Garden
xx Book of Unwritten Tales, The
90 Braid
xx Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island
81 Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
80 Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, The
76 Chronicles of Spellborn, The
67 Codename: Panzers - Cold War
73 Cogs
64 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising
70 Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor
69 Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason
41 Damnation
66 Dark Sector
89 Dawn of Discovery
82 DCS: Black Shark
53 Death Track: Resurrection
xx Delta Force: Xtreme 2
76 Demigod
xx Drug Wars
71 Elven Legacy
89 EVE Online: Apocrypha
81 Fallout 3: Broken Steel
78 Fallout 3: Point Lookout
77 Fallout 3: The Pitt
50 Fenimore Fillmore's Revenge
xx Final Fantasy XI: A Crystalline Prophecy
65 Flock!
80 Free Realms
72 Fuel
78 Ghostbusters: The Video Game
54 Gobliiins 4
63 Godfather II, The
36 Grey's Anatomy
xx Hannah Montana: The Movie
xx Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
xx Helldorado
xx Hinterland: Orc Lords
xx Humans, The
xx Hunter, The
xx Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
72 Killing Floor
xx Larva Mortus
66 Last Remnant, The
20 Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
xx Light of Altair
75 Maw, The
79 Men of War
76 Mevo & the Grooveriders
xx Military History Commander: Europe at War
74 MLB Dugout Heroes
63 Monsters vs. Aliens
74 Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate
72 Officers
xx Operation 7
xx Orb and the Oracle, The
78 Overlord II
80 Path, The
88 Plants vs. Zombies
xx Pool Hall Pro
xx Pro Cycling Manager: Tour de France 2009
79 Prototype
xx Railworks
xx Raycatcher
70 Restaurant Empire 2
xx Righteous Kill 2: Revenge of the Poet Killer
73 Runes of Magic
xx Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch
72 SBK 09 Superbike World Championship
xx Scorpion: Disfigured
64 Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis
74 Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper
77 Simon the Sorcerer 5: Who'd Even Want Contact?!
86 Sims 3, The
xx Smashing Toys
73 Spore Galactic Adventures
26 Stalin vs. Martians
xx Stateshift
68 Still Life 2
42 Stormrise
92 Street Fighter IV
71 Superstars V8 Racing
51 Terminator Salvation
xx Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943
xx Three Cards to Midnight
70 Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
61 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
xx Trine
31 Tunnel Rats
xx Up
61 Velvet Assassin
72 Virtua Tennis 2009
76 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 1: Fright of the Bumblebees
73 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 2: The Last Resort
75 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 3: Muzzled!
62 Wanted: Weapons of Fate
xx Warrior Epic
58 Wheelman, The
xx Women's Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey
72 World in Conflict: Soviet Assault
xx WSC Real 09: World Snooker Championship
77 X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Uncaged Edition
xx Yosumin!
78 Zeno Clash

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Space Empires V pc Game Reviews
Space Empires V
Critic Score
Metascore: 68 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.2 out of 10
based on 21 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 51 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

Space Empires V is the latest edition in the Space Empires series. This latest chapter completely updates the user interface, and takes the player into a real-time rendered 3D universe. Watch space battles play out in glorious detail with realistic effects. Expand, Explore, Exploit, and Exterminate in a huge, living, breathing galaxy. New features include: political alliances between multiple empires, a top-down ship design system, a hexagonal movement grid, and many more to keep players enthralled. Space Empires V is completely mod-able and even adds a scriptable AI system to the mix. [Strategy First]

PUBLISHER: Strategy First, Inc.
DEVELOPER: Malfador Machinations
GENRE(S): Real-Time Strategy
PLAYERS: 16
ESRB RATING: E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE: October 5, 2006

What The Critics Said

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...

85
Worth Playing
If you're a fan of the series or strategy in general and are willing to put up a few minor flaws and some bugs (which will hopefully be patched), then I highly recommend this title.
Read Full Review
83
PC Gameworld
It’s a great-looking but clunky implementation of the classic “aliens, spaceships and lots of micromanagement” formula.
Read Full Review
77
GamerNode
If you're a fan of 4X games or want to engage in one of the most in-depth strategy games released lately, then Space Empires V is your ticket.
Read Full Review
76
PC Format
There's a vast array of technologies to research and build, but the true joy lies in lovingly crafting your empire, species and ships. [Apr 2007, p.73]
75
Digital Entertainment News
Strategy fans that have some experience under their belt will find sufficient challenge with Space Empires V. Just be sure to read the (thick) manual and go through the tutorial. All others should really think twice before picking this up.
Read Full Review
75
Armchair Empire
An excellent, nuanced and deep game that will certainly please fans of the genre. But with the warning that it is not for all tastes and sensibilities, and not for casual players looking to shoot up a few aliens.
Read Full Review
71
PC Gamer UK
The most hardcore space-based 4X in years. [Jan 2007, p.88]
70
GameZone
For those science-fiction fans that like to create their own mods should find this to be a rewarding title. The fact that the multiplayer capability issues have yet to be resolved leaves me wondering just how long this title will be enjoyed before ending up on a shelf.
Read Full Review
70
Strategy Informer
SEV doesn’t bring anything new to the table but it is a refinement of the genre. It has all the features you’d expect or want from a turn-based space strategy game and it does them all very well.
Read Full Review
66
GameSpot
Space Empires V is a space strategy game with plenty of depth and complexity, but it's so riddled with bugs and issues that it is ultimately tough to recommend.
Read Full Review
66
IGN
Poor AI and general stability problems make learning the ins and outs of the game through trial and error much more frustrating than hardcore types are likely to stand.
Read Full Review
65
Game Chronicles
I plan to keep Space Empires V installed on my hard drive alongside upcoming A-list titles like Star Trek: Legacy. After all, every strategy fan needs a game that’s a little slower placed but offers so many complex choices.
Read Full Review
65
PC Gamer
From tech tree, combat, and diplomacy cock-ups to bugged multiplayer and ongoing game crashes, a journey with Space Empires V is as frustrating as it is deep. [Feb. 2007, p.76]
64
PC Zone UK
Slow paced and processor intensive...Saying that, like swimming in a vast body of molasses attached to a couple of long-necked ungulates, once dry land is spotted, the drive to continue is strong. [Mar 2007, p.73]
64
Gamers' Temple
For a game with so much detail, it is surprising that there is not more in the way of detailed summary screens available.
Read Full Review
62
Play.tm
Space Empires V is a strange game, bursting with a massive expansiveness in terms of play, but let down by an unsupportive structure that newcomers to the series are likely to find off putting.
Read Full Review
60
Games Radar (in-house)
If you stick with the smaller campaigns, you can focus on mastering the interface and designing the ultimate space fleet. Sometimes Space Empires V takes its commitment to customization too far, but there’s never any doubt who the emperor is.
Read Full Review
60
Gamers Europe
What this game lacks in manners it makes up for in depth, what it makes up for in depth it almost gets taken away from in the AI’s incompetence. Almost. As is, Space Empires V is terrifying in its scope and utterly absorbing if you can get through the maze-like issues it comes with.
Read Full Review
59
GamingExcellence
Despite its few shortfalls, the main issue standing in the way of recommending this title to our readers is the instability factor.
Read Full Review
50
EuroGamer
Those with less animated imaginations, less patience, and lower tolerances of fusty graphics and long turn resolution times should probably stick with Civ and Total War.
Read Full Review
50
Jolt Online Gaming UK
An incredibly deep and complex game. The problem is that to really get your hands on the deep and complex stuff, you have to go through gameplay hell and we’d be surprised if many people had the stomach to do that when there are so many other games out there that do it better.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 51 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Morgan L. gave it a3:
As an avid SE4 player I was looking forward to this game, however the game has gone from a cleanly designed intuitive game to micromanagement hell. The interface is horrible and getting even basic information about your ships or planets requires multiple clicks through several menus. In SE4 all the information was in sight when you needed. SE5 has added large graphic buttons and removed the information displays that allowed you to handle the complexity of a large empire. After several patches the glaring problems remain and I doubt that they will be fixed. It's a shame after SE4 did so much right that SE5 would turn out to be so unplayable.

Steve F. gave it a10:
This game is the most in-depth, customizable, and exciting game there is of its type on the market. I will grant the fact taht there is a steep learning curve. But once you learn the basics, its all customization. There have been lots of issues with bugs/crashes/glitches and the sort. But the developers are quick to resolve issues and bring out patches to fix them as they appear. This game is for the "super-nerd" if you will. It takes a person with a want for very COMPLEX, in depth managment of ships, technology, military/civil intelligence, economics, and warfare strategy. Without use of any one of these tools in the game, you will be in trouble. The game comes with a good tutorial and will have you up and playing the basics relatively quickly. Just try not to get overwhelmed at first.

Eric C. gave it a9:
A good game, although perhaps my views are coloured by the long-standing SE series (I remember playing SE2 as a kid). This is excellent for players who thrive on customization and complexity, but maybe isn't for everyone. It's a bit slow at times, and a lack of checks and balances means that it boils down to "bigger guns = better". Other than that though, there are few games that allow the player the freedom to build not just ships, but empires in ways that they see fit.

Dominic A. gave it a9:
Great game. Its been improved greatly with the various patches coming out. Its very deep and you can have some very exciting games.

Metalax gave it a10:
One of the deepest 4X games around. Extensive research trees, challanging AI and detailed racial/unit/ship design. Modability is massive, with a thriving active community. From previous experience with the series, any remaining bugs will be found and patched over time.

Robert W. gave it a10:
Started out very bugy like all space empires titles, but every problem is pretty mutch fixed now, great game.

Nanan C. gave it a9:
This game is awesome it's extremly deep and complex can't stop playing it .Highly recommend for men...not boys.

Read more user comments...

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: iPhone 3G | Fantasy Football | Moneywatch | Antivirus Software | Recipes | E3 2009

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use