- Publisher: cdv Software
- Release Date: Aug 14, 2006
- Also On: Switch, Xbox 360
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Not a terrible game, but far from a good game, DarkStar One finds itself right in the middle, orbiting the planet mediocre.
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Even when completed, you can go back and play it over accepting different missions and/or playing with a different style.
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Darkstar One is as cold and empty as space itself once the novelty of trading or being a "system rebel" wears off.
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Constricted. It isn’t so much that Darkstar One is a bad game, it’s just that the developers failed to optimise on good ideas - it seems as though they took the easy way out rather than expand on them.
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As good as the combat is, Darkstar One is too simplistic to evolve into a real classic. It's a great look back at a fading genre, but lacking a stronger story and economic system, it's not likely to foster a major revival.
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It's visually appealing, easy to pick up, and the combat has a nice competitive edge to it. But this feeling doesn't last as long as perhaps it ought to. Once you've plundered your way through all the game has to offer, the lack of variety is clear to see and the story isn't good enough to hold things together.
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Fortunately, it's easy to detach yourself from DarkStar One's story and immerse yourself in the moment-by-moment excitement of traversing a sometimes-hostile galaxy in a hot-rod of a ship.
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If you've been craving the flavor of hot ion bolts and heat seekers, but can't bear to reinstall Freelancer yet again, DarkStar One should hit the proverbial spot.
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With a bit more beefed up graphics and a major fix on the controls it would have been a must buy, still, there is an awful lot of fun to be had playing Darkstar One.
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While it does have some minor deficiencies that affect its replay value, it should satisfy any cravings you have for blowing away intergalactic pirate scum. The story is engaging, and despite the bad voice-acting, the game kept me coming back to see what happens next.
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The problem is that veteran fans such as myself will have a field day in pointing out the game’s vital flaws, and the technical bugs alone don’t’ really help either.
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The X series' universe is much more dynamic and vibrant. DSO does story better, but very little else. [Oct 2006, p.72]
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The simplicity of the trade system, some shortcoming regarding the interface, the lack of variety for missions and solar system design – all these could have been forgiven if Darkstar One would have had multiplayer.
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A failed epic, DarkStar One refuses to dig into the depths inherent to the sci-fi genre, and largely comes up with what they aimed for: A cheaply fun but ultimately shallow, forgettable experience. The graphics taste great, but the gameplay is less filling.
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PC GamerThough not the game "Freelancer" fans have been waiting for, space-adventurers will still find plenty of targets to blow up here. And we'll take what we can get. [Oct. 2006, p.105]
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PC FormatHour after hour of repetitive gameplay. In space, no-one can hear you snore. [Aug 2006, p.99]
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A bunch of nice ideas and fun combat wrapped up in a fairly bland game. There’s nothing particularly deep going on here, but it sure is a big galaxy.
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The biggest problem that Darkstar has by far is the fact that it simply feels like a pale copy of other, far more successful games in the genre.
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games(TM)Essentially it's the same five minutes of entertainment repeated over and over again and it quickly becomes wearing and repetitious. [Sept 2006, p.118]
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It's enjoyable for a few brief moments to blow away vessels in a manner that harkens back to the classic Wing Commander. The thing is, without a robust economic engine, an interesting and dynamic universe to explore, or even a decent storyline to follow, DarkStar One is destined to sink into the black hole of gaming obscurity.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 33 out of 63
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Mixed: 20 out of 63
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Negative: 10 out of 63
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Jul 10, 2014
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Oct 4, 2012
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Dec 1, 2011