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Sword of the Stars

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6.9 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 23 critic reviews
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Based on 51 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Lighthouse Interactive

Developer: Kerberos Productions

Genre(s): Strategy

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: August 17, 2006

Summary

Sword of the Stars is a 4X Strategy game brought to you by the core team behind "HomeWorld: Cataclysm." Sword of the Stars returns gamers to the action-packed roots of the 4X genre with some new twists, including a 3D starmap and real-time combat resolution in a 3D environment. Playing as one of 4 unique races, gamers will explore planets, research new technologies and create empires in a hostile Universe where weakness means extinction and only the strongest will survive. [Lighthouse Interactive]

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Also On The Web: Official Website

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...

PC Gamer

While Sword of the Stars doesn't possess the battlefield variety of the "Homeworld" games that inspired it, it remains an ambitious and engrossing strategy triumph. [Nov. 2006, p.78]

PC Zone UK

In much the same way that "Total War" proved that the war game could be stunning to look at, accessible and fun, SOTS is almost as impressive in its own low-budget way. [Oct 2006, p.76]

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GameShark

One of the best “pick up and play” renditions of a 4X space strategy title I’ve seen to date, and with the possibility of third-party mods opening up and even an expansion pack, I’m looking forward to seeing that the future brings for this interesting title.

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Boomtown

In spite of some minor ambiguity as concerns the control interface, it's a game that has a fairly shallow learning curve, yet promises much in the way of long term amusement for those who don’t like their 4X to be too taxing.

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AceGamez

If you let it, Sword of the Stars will consume your life. You'll forget you have a girlfriend or a job, you'll rush home from school (or simply not go) to carry on playing and that's exactly what a great sim should do.

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IGN

I love the slick, high-tech look of the interface. A little more functionality would be nice, of course, but the game looks much more futuristic and advanced than any other space empire game on the market.

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GameZone

The lack of variety of units is hurtful, but not as much as the lack of information when selecting parts for your ships or after a battle has been fought.

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Game Informer

Even with a well-balanced multiplayer experience, I can't say that Sword of the Stars is incredibly ambitious, but it's definitely an entertaining and accessible way to extend your galactic influence. [Sept. 2006, p.99]

GameSpot

Despite some flaws with the combat, Sword of the Stars distills the complex space strategy formula to a slick, streamlined, and enjoyable package.

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Strategy Informer

An involving game, with interesting varied strategic options and challenges thrown at the player.

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Pelit (Finland)

The battles look and sound nice, but do not offer much in terms of tactics and are often frustrating because of the ship captains' low IQ. [Oct 2006]

Jolt Online Gaming UK

Get over the interface and the steep learning curve (even beyond the tutorial, which is a bit light) and this is a stylish strategy game that, while hardly threatening to take over your life, will certainly provide a lot of challenge and reward for the time you invest in it.

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Yahoo! Games

If you're coming to Sword of the Stars from titles like "Galactic Civilizations," things may seem stripped down... but "focused" is a more accurate way to look at it.

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Games Radar (in-house)

It's a snap to learn and a breeze to play, whether tackling one of its half-dozen goal-driven scenarios or wrangling with a few friends online.

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eToychest

While a bit of a lopsided contender in the 4X market, those with a propensity for responding violently to problems - like me - will have little trouble stepping right into the shoes Sword of the Stars offer.

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PC Format

Solid, but hampered mostly by a terrible lack of depth. [Oct 2006, p.95]

GameSpy

Sword of the Stars is full of solid ideas and offers interesting strategic challenges and fun multiplayer action to those willing to weather its quirks, frustrations and obscurities.

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VideoGamer

Combat is a breeze and the four playable races create some intriguing situations. Yet, for a game of this type, the interface issues are almost inexcusable and the relative simplicity of the game only makes these problems all the more frustrating.

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G4 TV

The races behave in unique, meaningful ways and we really appreciate the attempt to minimize the strategic tedium. That’s why it’s so strange to see a game that is clearly trying hard to attract new players to the genre come up with an interface that is at time incredibly hostile.

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GamePro

This is perhaps the only game in the genre to actually make each race feel unique and balanced... However, it isn't enough to compensate for the flawed tactical combat that lies at the game's core; nothing save a complete overhaul can redeem SotS from its current mediocrity.

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PC Gamer UK

An idea tangled in shoddy design. [Oct 2006, p.86]

1UP

There are some really cool ideas here that belong in a better game: the tech tree, the random encounters, command ratings, and the shipbuilding, for instance.

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Computer Games Magazine

The inevitable galaxy of patches to come will surely help, but for now, the vacuum abides. [Nov. 2006, p.82]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.9 (out of 10) based on 51 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Fergus C. gave it a9:
Excellent! Runs fine - plenty of RAM is the key - I've got 2MB. The hours will fly!

Gaping MAW gave it a9:
an excellent game, well supported by the game developer. Only hampered by atrocious marketing and sales - get the digital distribution versions if you can't find a retail copy. There is much to love, especially once you patch up to the latest version (Mar 2007). Distinct races, a focus on expansion and combat, the random techs and other variables make for varied games each time. The interface is difficult at first, but some of the techs you can research in the game help it. Combat at the start is meant to be difficult.

Clay B. gave it a5:
The game is SLOW, im running a p4 D 3.0 gz and it talks to long to do battls unless you let th computer do it for you... its ok the video is about whast you would fing in a win95 space game, the AI is a solw pig.

Charles O. gave it a9:
I'm giving a 9 to this game for the only reason that I can't stop playing it... the interface is sluggish, i never looked into any game's tutorial, and I dont see why one is nessesary. The *random* tech tree should be used in more games, the combats are realistic, the voices are good... I dont have anything to say against this game but one thing : Don't start to play it, or you won't be able to stop...

S C gave it a2:
Some really cool features, but the interface is horrible to use and combat is very difficult. I wound up having my ships move away from my viewable screen and was unable to retreive them. As one of the critic reviews said, there are some really good features in this title that should probably be in a better game.

Dan the Man gave it an8:
This game has dated graphics and an annoying interface. But its very fun to play and thats all that really matters.

Rob E. gave it an8:
An original perspective on the 4x genre. It's no Moo2, but each species has unique hardcoded traits that change their style of play. Some use warpgates, some use jumplanes, some just fly along. The races you've seen before. Research is lacking depth. In fact the whole game is lacking depth. It's more or less a 4x primer.

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Sword of the Stars

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What The Critics Said

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