Windows

Space Empires IV

If you love this kind of game and above all love to tinker, customize, modify, and otherwise play with a software toy the way it was meant to be played with the way I do, then by all means, you should get this game, it deserves about a 9.5 as a final score. If you're less into tinkering with rulesets and what not but still enjoy a good space strategy game, and don't mind downloading a bunch of mods and such from other users, then you will still get lots of enjoyment out of it, maybe enough to rate it a 9.0. And finally, if you're just going to play it right out of the box and refuse to download any patches, then the score is probably closer to 8.5 or so -- it's a very solid game, if a bit dry in parts, with lots of end-game sprawl and some AI problems, but still remarkably thorough and flexible and a whole lot of fun.

The space faring versions of the 4X-strategy genre have met with mixed results. Most fans agree that the best one so far has been the MOO series (Master of Orion I & II). There have been other success', and failures, as well. Malfador Machinations (MM) has been working on and improving their Space Empires series in an attempt to give fans the type of game they want. MM is a very small game company (the driving force behind the game is comprised of two main people, an artist and a programmer) who, without the backing of a large company, has created a very respectable and well-polished 4x game. But is it the best?

Стратегия получилась действительно глобальной, без лишних оговорок. Именно такой и должна быть настоящая походовая: с глубоким планированием, постоянными размышлениями, разнообразием стратегий достижения целей и постоянным стимулом развития, когда каждый “последний” ход — лишь только начало...

Space-empire-building is one of the most intriguing premises for a computer game. Alien planets, interstellar conquest, futuristic weapons - many great games have used these and other epic sci-fi elements as a framework, and Space Empires: IV is another excellent addition to this genre. The game has a limited distribution, but it deserves a place alongside the best sci-fi strategy games.

In the end, SE4G delivers a good update and new content. Plus, it's rock solid and you don't need a muscled computer to make it run. If you're interested in turn-based 4X space strategy, you can't go wrong with Space Empires IV Gold. (I would even recommend it.)

Space Empires 4 is a big step forward in strategy gaming. It will give you something that many strategy games tried and failed to give you. That is simple honest strategy experience. Many people are comparing it with "Imperium Galactica". IG is also a good game but its strongest side was the graphics, while gameplay was not very interesting. Yes, SE4 has very week graphics but I didn't noticed it after a few turns of playing the game.

Space Empires IV would in reality deserve a higher mark, but the lack of modern technological standards will make it less interesting for most players. So, if you read this review and found things that seemed appealing, just disregard the final marks - they are meant for the guys who are incapable for anything more sensible than fragging the likes of them (Gee, thanks Bunny! Nice to know you have such high opinion of us action gamers - Ed).

Zefix, warum gibt es immer nur die Alternative entweder/oder? Entweder ein Titel mit toller Präsentation, aber ohne Spiel - oder endlose Spieltiefe, aber derart grausig, dass man am liebsten "Jehova, Jehova!" rufen möchte, um möglichst schnell gesteinigt zu werden? Sie ahnen es schon - Space Empires 4 gehört in die zweitere Kategorie. Und trotz schier unauslotbarer Tiefe kann man es eigentlich mit gutem Gewissen niemandem empfehlen. Obwohl das natürlich auch nicht stimmt; es gibt schon die Hardcore-Wargamer, die noch im schäbigsten Lehmklumpen die unverfälschte Schönheit der reinen Strategie erblicken. Aber ganz ehrlich und nur mal so unter uns: Da nehm ich doch lieber ein Kinley...

Schnell sehen Sie den Menüwald vor lauter Icons nicht mehr. Da hilft auch das ellenlange Texttutorial nicht viel weiter. Selbst einfachste Befehle wie das Entsenden eines Raumjägers entpuppen sich als schier unlösbare Aufgabe, die sich in den Weiten der unzugänglichen Steuerung verliert. Spannungsfördernden Spielelemente wie zum Beispiel Zufallsereignisse fehlen genauso, wie die Motivation, nach einer gespielten Partie eine zweite zu starten. Wer Spaß an dem Spielprinzip hat, ist bei Master of Orion 2 erheblich besser aufgehoben. Space Empires 4 ist ein klarer Fall für den Weltraumfriedhof.