Master of Orion

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 ...

More than 20 years ago, Alan Emrich coined the term “4X” (Explore, Expand, Exploit, and Exterminate) in a preview for Computer Gaming World. The game being described was Master of Orion, and the strategy genre owes much to the classic title; it is essentially the grandfather of all space 4X that came after, and living up to that nostalgia and innovation is a daunting task. This revival takes aspects of Master of Orion and Master of Orion 2 and streamlines the experience to make it much more accessible. Giving everything a modern coat of polish and paint has resulted in an enjoyable 4X experien...

A fun, serviceable update to the 4X legend.

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.

Long before No Man’s Sky, the granddaddy of 4X gaming Master of Orion set the stage for conquering the universe back in 1993. Like the original, Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars is a turn-based strategy, in quintessential 4X gaming style. Playing as one of 10 races, it is your job to eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate (the 4 (e)X) your way through the universe, trading with friends and warring with foes. Having played some of the game while in Early Access on Steam, there were clear...