Windows

Shattered Galaxy

Once again, I must comment on how well Shattered Galaxy makes you feel like you're actually part of a war. The battles are massive, always fun, and the map is always changing. You could begin a battle with a strong land holding and afterward you may find that your faction has lost half of it. The commraderie, exciting combat, and RPG elements make Shattered Galaxy an incredibly unique and addictive game, able to take parts from other strategy titles and turn them into something that feels completely fresh. It's an ecclectic mix which has something for turn-based and real-time stragtegy, as well as role-playing, games alike. Cheapskates be warned: Like most massively multiplayer online games, after the first free month, you're going to have to pay a subscription fee of $9.95 a month or an annual fee of $59.95, but it's all very well worth it.

It's truly heartening to see an independent gaming company come out with such a strong title. The fact that Nexus did so and in essence created a new genre makes it all the better. When I first started playing SG I thought the gameplay was a bit amateurish and not nearly deep enough to keep my interest. All I have to say is give the game a bit of time and you'll start to see all of the hidden nuances that make it a wonderfully addictive game, as well as a challenging new way to play strategy. Best yet, you can kick ALL of your friends' collective butts at the same time.

This game is one of the less known titles this year, however it has everything needed to make it one of the greatest of all times as well as the first to successfully create the MMORTS (Massively Multiplayer Online Real-Time Strategy) Game.

You’ve done several things right and that’s commendable. Heck, I’ve even recommended Shattered Galaxy to friends that often complain about lack of innovation in RTS games. But all that being said, I have to say, "You BASTARDS! Give me my life back!" A quick half-hour dip into SG turns into a 6-hour marathon and a half-assed story about "catching pneumonia" to my boss. My wife has taken to hiding the CD in hopes that I’ll do some work around the house, eat something, bathe, etc. I repeat, "You bastards!"

To summarize my overall opinion of the game, I think that it is definitely fun and addictive but could be improved if it had better graphics and an easier to use interface. Being an independently designed game, it’s a tremendous piece of work and I salute the designers for the awesome game system that they have developed. I’ve had the opportunity to get three of my friends into playing it by downloading the 14-day trial and we have all had a blast so I’m sure any RTS fan out there will have just as much fun. If your trial runs out and you still have the urge to play, go for it, it’s worth the money.

Despite its problems and primitive looks, Shattered Galaxy can offer up many hours of enjoyable gameplay for those willing to invest time into getting past the boring starting hours and getting into the real meat of the game. A lot of people will be turned off, I imagine, by the dated graphics and the downright frustrating gameplay at the start. Give it a few hours, though, and you'll find yourself inexorably pulled into the world of Shattered Galaxy. Those people who have been looking for something different when it comes to real-time strategy--and don't mind paying about 10 US dollars a month for the privilege--would do well to check Shattered Galaxy out.

Nonetheless as the only MMORTS out at the moment, Shattered Galaxy does a commendable job creating the type of large-scale conflict that I've always hoped for. Playing alongside up to 15 players against the same number is a pretty neat thing to be a part of. One of the best things here is that the game is relatively bug-free compared to the 3D MMORPGs that have been crashing all over the place lately. While there are still some problems, they're mostly small and won't dampen your enjoyment of the game too much. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time in the game if you want to gain enough experience to compete with the higher level players.

A great idea but the whole paying to play thing just doesn’t sit well with most gamers. To pay 30 bucks for a game and then expect to gather up monthly fees to play just seems a bit much for the novice gamer. If Nexon keeps up on the promises to update the game and we don’t see many problems, it very well could be money well spent.

On the other hand, the ongoing and persistent nature of the game universe gives Shattered Galaxy something missing from most real-time strategy games, even those with superior technology. This isn't necessarily a better way to play real-time strategy, and it's certainly not going to replace any of your favorites. But it is new and intriguing. If you can accept your limited role in the war, if you can stomach the dated technology, and if you're willing to struggle through the tedious early hours, then you'll find Shattered Galaxy offers plenty to keep you engaged over the long run.

A massive RTS/RPG game with mediocre graphics, interesting story, and troublesome bugs. It's a hybrid game that, on the whole, is better than its parts. It's also more fun starting out than in most other massively multiplayer games.

Trotz Bieder- Grafik und einfachem Konzept machen die kurzweiligen Schlachten in Tactical Commanders eine Menge Spaß. Durch das ausgeklügelte Erfahrungspunkte- System sorgt das Online-Strategiespiel für Dauer-Motivation, obwohl die Gefechte stets nach dem selben Schema »Kontrollpunkt halten oder erobern« ablaufen.

I'd actually recommend this strangely addictive little game pretty highly if it didn't drain your wallet. At $10 per month ($5 if you buy a whole year in advance), Shattered Galaxy has to justify itself just a little more than it does. With no real item trading or online community to rival those of the online RPG's, Shattered Galaxy is more of a diversion than a full meal. While it's more fun than I thought it was going to be, I just don't think it's quite worth the ongoing expense. It's a shame too, because if it didn't cost me, I'd love to see just how powerful my little robots could get.