DarkStar One

 PC
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
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  1. Computer Games Magazine
    90
    This is not a stingy game. Nearly everything you do will earn you some sort of profit, but it's about the long-term gratification. [Oct. 2006, p.66]
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  2. My Gamer
    84
    The breadth of the world in DarkStar One which is part of what makes it such a great game can also be adownside as well.
  3. GameSpot
    81
    This game "gets" the template of 1985's Commodore 64 classic Elite in a way that many other space-trading games released over the past decade or so didn't, thanks to its emphasis on the mid-'80s classic's simple principles of buying low, selling high, and blasting pirates for fun and profit. It comes with a few minor problems in the fit-and-finish department, but the game is still an outstanding return to the frontier spirit that made Elite so memorable.
  5. Eurogamer
    80
    The key element of the game, of course, is combat and here it excels...Compared to many of its peers, Darkstar One may seem slight - but what it does, it does expertly.
  6. Boomtown
    80
    It was fun to play a space action game that used trading to get you into opportunities for a fight rather than study for a degree in advanced intergalactic economics.
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  7. PC Gamer UK
    80
    It's clear that Darkstar One is the most amusing space game in many months. It's just a shame that it weighs in like a cash starved version of "Freelancer," without any particularly inventive ideas to back up its broad scope and sense of ambition. [Sept 2006, p.98]
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  8. IGN
    80
    But for sheer shoot 'em up fun in outer space, enhanced with enough peripheral activities to make things interesting, there isn't much out there today like it.
  9. GamingExcellence
    80
    DarkStar One is the game you might have played before, but everything that you’ve seen before is done just as well here, if not better and still makes for an enjoyable experience.
  10. Digital Entertainment News
    80
    A good solid game worth the price of admission.
  11. Next Level Gaming
    78
    If you have been looking for a space combat game this is not the end all game, nor is it the best trade sim ever or exploration game, however it does combine all three of these options better than most of the other games out there that have tried to put them all together.
  12. eToychest
    78
    Though hardcore 4X fans might stay away due to the game's melting-pot depth, DarkStar One is a fun career-oriented romp that deceptively allows for a lot of personal freedom in play style in a style similar to Privateer that not many games have been able to recapture.
  13. Pelit (Finland)
    76
    The streamlined gameplay helps a little, but the game itself is too repetitive and simplistic. There is no real freedom, and the galaxy turns out to be beautiful but dull. [Sept 2006]
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  14. GamerNode
    76
    It is DarkStar One's repetitiveness that decimates its chances with anyone other than space-sim buffs. While it's addicting, the gameplay just isn't varied enough to fulfill the game's potential greatness, nor keep you engaged for the game's lengthy storyline.

Awards & Rankings

96
#96 Best PC Game of 2006
56
#56 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006
30
#30 Most Shared PC Game of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 63 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 63
  3. Negative: 10 out of 63
  1. ShodanSpectre
    Jul 10, 2014
    5
    Below is a critical review from a person who likes really hardcore sims - where run out of ammo, fuel, oxygen and battery power.

    The pros:    Below is a critical review from a person who likes really hardcore sims - where run out of ammo, fuel, oxygen and battery power.

    The pros: decent eye candy graphics. Unlike many space sims - the cutscenes include decently rendered characters and dialogues.

    The cons: From the very first minutes this game hits you with the perspective that you will be farming money to buy "upgrades" to your ship. The upgrade system is pretty straightforward and dull - there are about 10 different types of systems on your ship or so, each system can be unpgraded. The highest level is 10. And of course you start with ALL systems at lvl 1. Even though the plot/backstory suggests that you get a _really_cool_ ship from your father as a graduation present - you in fact get an equivalent of classic newbie set of gear that is nothing but a substitute for upgrading to something decent. On the very first station where you start at there are lvl 2 components in the market that make you feel just how awesome your dad's present is, and give you a reason to go farm some money.

    The farming, or rather, the plot missions - give a "spy-kids" feeling: if you go to salvage some abandoned container well of course there will be a bunch of pirates incoming at the exact moment you come, of course they will die easily but of course they will never retreat.

    The fighting itself is a rather arcadish close-range pew-pew dogfight, and the space locations seem rather small and crowded. Unlike, i.e. StarShatter, or EVE, where anything less than 10 kilometers is considered close range, and you gotta know your weapons' specs to use them effectively!

    Overall - an arcadish pew-pew space shooter with decent graphics and a simple storyline. If you can close your eyes on it being very childish - you can enjoy the game. If you're looking for a space SIMULATOR - look elsewhere.    … Full Review »
  2. I_Am_Turok
    Oct 4, 2012
    6
    2012 and the game plays quite nicely. I have Windows 7, and so far no bugs like the many forums have reported. The missions are repetitive,2012 and the game plays quite nicely. I have Windows 7, and so far no bugs like the many forums have reported. The missions are repetitive, the storyline, well hardly engrossing, but get it for cheap, play it for 30 minutes at a time, and it is quite nice. It's Xwing/Elite style fighting. Personally I prefer the better cleaner environment of X3, this is too colourful for my liking, but it's easy on the eye. And easy to play, mostly. Oddly you often need to take your hand off the joystick, press space plus action the mouse to do something, then return to the joystick. Bizarre UI, who thought that would be good. (For a 2006, I'm quite tolerant of it, but I see XBox had a 2010 version. I hope it is vastly improved and deeper for Xbox, if this game were to be released in 2010 I'd be far more harsh on it).… Full Review »
  3. JonesR
    Dec 1, 2011
    9
    Following the likes of Wing Commander and the X-wing series, DarkStar One is certainly not an original concept, but it is still an incredibleFollowing the likes of Wing Commander and the X-wing series, DarkStar One is certainly not an original concept, but it is still an incredible space opera--a well delivered story, great voice acting, an open galaxy, intuitive user interface, multiple side missions and other fun stuff will keep you entertained for many hours. Trade, smuggle goods, steal cargo, kill pirates, or just go postal and kill anyone you meet. The limited side missions get repeatedly boring after a while, especially given the vast number of solar systems, but there are keyboard shortcuts for everything allowing you to skip most mundane tasks. The space combat is really enjoyable and gets progressively more difficult as the story progresses. Add ship upgrades and you ultimately become one bad hombre. I got roughly 40 hours of enjoyment--your mileage may vary. This is not a space simulation--it is highly action based. Space shooter fans will not be disappointed.… Full Review »
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