Master of Orion 3

 PC
User Score
4.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 79 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 79
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 79
  3. Negative: 45 out of 79
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  1. Boltfrowah
    Feb 28, 2013
    0
    This game was complete crap. The colony control was waaaaay too much work to make the game fun, the combat was crappy, and the planet invasion engine was boring as hell. The few times I played through this, I eventually let the game run the actual colonies because there was just too much crap to do with each one. Seriously, do I need to pick the type of shoes those colonists are wearing?This game was complete crap. The colony control was waaaaay too much work to make the game fun, the combat was crappy, and the planet invasion engine was boring as hell. The few times I played through this, I eventually let the game run the actual colonies because there was just too much crap to do with each one. Seriously, do I need to pick the type of shoes those colonists are wearing? Bring back the MOO 2 design, and build off that!… Expand
  2. Jaykzula
    May 22, 2013
    0
    Its almost like the developer said, "Master of Orion 2 was a really sweet game! Maybe we should take out everything that made it fun and see if anyone notices." We noticed... this is a poop game.
  3. Rox22
    Apr 19, 2013
    1
    Considering how good Master of Orion 2 was, I was giddy when I heard about this game. Then I got it.

    W! T! F! is this? It took the micro management aspect from MOO2, and pretty much made that the core mechanic. This game feels more like a job than a game. I half expected to get a pay check for playing this. But, frustration aside, some of the visuals are decent and I do get what    Considering how good Master of Orion 2 was, I was giddy when I heard about this game. Then I got it.

    W! T! F! is this?

    It took the micro management aspect from MOO2, and pretty much made that the core mechanic. This game feels more like a job than a game. I half expected to get a pay check for playing this.

    But, frustration aside, some of the visuals are decent and I do get what they were trying to do with this game. Problem is, what they were trying to do is not fun. I would imagine the only people who liked this are mindless workaholics that love needlessly complicated work systems.

    Overall:
    Not only was this game a massive disappointment to me, but I also found no way to enjoy it at all. Even looking at it on its own, this game is basically "Intergalactic paperwork The Video Game!"    … Expand
  4. m0skit0
    Sep 16, 2013
    3
    Horrible. Probably due to the fact that trying to make a sequel of THE BEST 4X space game ever (Master of Orion 2 ofc) is not something easy, but they totally missed it. Everything (and I mean everything) in this 3rd installement is worse than the previous one: interface, ship building, gameplay, diplomacy... If you're looking for a recent MOO2 clone, get StarDrive, it is much better thanHorrible. Probably due to the fact that trying to make a sequel of THE BEST 4X space game ever (Master of Orion 2 ofc) is not something easy, but they totally missed it. Everything (and I mean everything) in this 3rd installement is worse than the previous one: interface, ship building, gameplay, diplomacy... If you're looking for a recent MOO2 clone, get StarDrive, it is much better than this crap.… Expand
  5. okamimiyazaki
    Jul 5, 2011
    1
    The most disappointing game ever. MOO and MOOII were amazing (best strategy games ever!) but this thing was just... annoying. It's overly complicated, full of bugs and just NOT FUN.
  6. JasonL.
    May 6, 2003
    1
    Waste of 45 dollars. worst game of the year. Trust me.
  7. EricJ.
    Mar 1, 2003
    3
    It pretends to have depth by being very complicated but in the end it's just needlessly complicated with a terrible AI and poor experience.
  8. JonB.
    Mar 5, 2003
    4
    I'm gradually getting used to it, but I don't think I should have to. The ship combat makes me want to cry. Everything seems so complicated. I'm really dissapointed. :-(
  9. ScottL.
    Apr 8, 2003
    3
    They tried to take out all the micromanagement in Moo3 to mke it a better multiplayer experience. They also took out the feeling thsat your actually involved in doing anything. Ship to Ship combat, although as uninteresting as anything in teh game at least tried to be realistic and in truth wasn't all that bad but very little else in the game is worthwhile. Can anyone just take the They tried to take out all the micromanagement in Moo3 to mke it a better multiplayer experience. They also took out the feeling thsat your actually involved in doing anything. Ship to Ship combat, although as uninteresting as anything in teh game at least tried to be realistic and in truth wasn't all that bad but very little else in the game is worthwhile. Can anyone just take the combat from Moo3 Not the ground combat which was festooned with useless options) and update Moo2 with it.… Expand
  10. TredK.
    May 8, 2003
    0
    This game doesn't even deserve a 1. I never played any other MOO games, but I was at least hoping this one would be as fun if not funner than Space Empires III. Instead I'm thinking about using the 2 discs as target practice. Why doesn't it just let me send all my ships in one big fleet? I have to organize them into prearranged formations.......AHAH. ANd when my invasion This game doesn't even deserve a 1. I never played any other MOO games, but I was at least hoping this one would be as fun if not funner than Space Empires III. Instead I'm thinking about using the 2 discs as target practice. Why doesn't it just let me send all my ships in one big fleet? I have to organize them into prearranged formations.......AHAH. ANd when my invasion force does attack a planet, if it actually attacks the right planet, than ALLL OF MY ships VANISH!!! How the hell do you invade anyone when your ships vanish and you have to build more. I like how ground combat doesn't end in one turn, but its boring...YOu don't even get to see formations marching around, just puffs of smoke around a planet. And what do Nukes and chemical warfare even do in the game? Just another button to click. … Expand
  11. Erelyes
    Jan 6, 2012
    0
    The most abysmal game I have ever had the misfortune of playing. Worst game of the decade. It is almost as if it had been deliberately designed to be confusing, frustrating, and bland. Trust me: Don't even play it if it's released for free.
  12. Vince
    Mar 2, 2003
    3
    This game is very interesting, but far too complicated. The difficulty level is too hard.
  13. AlexL.
    Mar 7, 2003
    4
    I agree with the pax imperia concept. I thought this game would be a beefed up version but it wasn't. It's more complicated but yet slower to play. Building ships is a task too. You have to go to the individual planet menus. Pax may not have as much species customization, but at least you don't have to deal with the B.S. and you can just build ships from the fleet menu, I agree with the pax imperia concept. I thought this game would be a beefed up version but it wasn't. It's more complicated but yet slower to play. Building ships is a task too. You have to go to the individual planet menus. Pax may not have as much species customization, but at least you don't have to deal with the B.S. and you can just build ships from the fleet menu, unlike MOO3. I think I might stick with pax imperia. unless I can find someway to make the game more entertaining. … Expand
  14. DougC.
    Mar 1, 2003
    4
    Two words: lame crap. If I had known how awful this game was, I wouldn't have shelled out the 50 bucks for it. I would much rather have picked up a graphically enhanced version of MOO2 than this horrid game. My friends and I are thinking of packing up our copies and receipts and sending them to infogrames with demands for our money back. If you wanted to buy this game, save your Two words: lame crap. If I had known how awful this game was, I wouldn't have shelled out the 50 bucks for it. I would much rather have picked up a graphically enhanced version of MOO2 than this horrid game. My friends and I are thinking of packing up our copies and receipts and sending them to infogrames with demands for our money back. If you wanted to buy this game, save your money and play MOO2 instead.… Expand
  15. Ender
    Mar 16, 2003
    0
    I dunno... maybe i missed something. i thought i was gonna be playing a high tech game. Was expecting some decent graphics. (Mind you, i've never played any other MOO games) what i was faced with was menus... menus menus menus... there was absolutely NO motion whatsoever. Their idea of graphics is a totally low budget screen that looks like something from the pre-commodore 64 era.
  16. Jok`RdeMo
    Mar 3, 2003
    2
    Well actually I started with MOO3 to play MOOx, Well and I guess it will be my last. I wanted to learn how to play but there is no tutorial and help is SOOO much txt. Actually I think I will not play it second time... I better play PAX EMPIRE - game is older for 5 years but gameplay is... better.
  17. DavidR.
    Mar 4, 2003
    1
    This games SUCKS! I just spent $40 bucks and damn if I know how I'm gonna get it back. What a big waste of my time. I should have dished out the money for Atari classics, I would've had more fun!
  18. Ian
    Mar 5, 2003
    1
    This is the first game I have ever actually returned, and I am a huge fan of TBS games and the Master of Orion series. The game is simply broken. The enemy AI can't attack you so it's basically impossible to lose, diplomacy is so buggy that it's essentially non-functional, the interface is retched, the documentation is inexcusably bad, the resolution can't be changed This is the first game I have ever actually returned, and I am a huge fan of TBS games and the Master of Orion series. The game is simply broken. The enemy AI can't attack you so it's basically impossible to lose, diplomacy is so buggy that it's essentially non-functional, the interface is retched, the documentation is inexcusably bad, the resolution can't be changed from 600x800, it's full of all sorts of minor and major bugs...there's just no reason to buy it. It's like the game isn't even finished. Maybe they should have used more than 20 beta-testers. You might want to pick it up from the bargain bin after a few patched have been released.… Expand
  19. MartinJ.
    Jun 23, 2003
    3
    MOO 2 is a better game. AI in 3 relieves the player of any real competition the manual is useless and the graphics are lame by todays standards. They have taken a good game and made it worse.
  20. DinuF.
    Jun 9, 2003
    3
    After giving moo3 a try i continue playing moo2. .. even after the moo3 patch and even after having used different mods on moo3. it simply doesnt cuts it. besides that the moo3 STORY is horrible. whoever wrote it seems to only know the sentence "history repeats itself" and thus besides logical blackholes it leaves you with a big anitpathy towards every orion-race of space time 18000+
  21. LorenzoG.
    Jun 1, 2004
    2
    This "game" is a great crap. MOO 1 is much better than this. What a pity of 20?
  22. Elf
    Jun 27, 2004
    0
    I liked Moo2 very much, i'm still playing it much. But Moo3 looks like Imperialims-type games to me :[[[[ Pity.
  23. RyanS.
    Sep 25, 2006
    2
    Just not fun. The interface is unimaginably complex, and while you start off fairly well, understanding most of it, you'll soon be utterly lost, trying to remember to give a hundred different commands before you hit the next turn button. And the manual is glaringly flawed.
  24. Bobbo
    Jun 21, 2012
    1
    I'd give the game a 7, not as good as MOO2. As soon as my video card got a new driver 2 months after buying it I could no longer play it. "Direct X Surface Unavailable." So this review gets a 1 for not being supported and updated less than 3 months after purchase.
  25. Emphatic
    Mar 27, 2016
    0
    This game does the franchise a disservice, even after an attempt to fix the glaring issues, this title ends up as little more than a complete disappointment and not a game deserving of the title Master of Orion.
  26. mrcorvon
    Jul 11, 2019
    1
    Have you ever been stuck doing a horrible, boring, thankless office job that you really didn't like? Like, the kind of job that causes an existential crisis every time you think about how much time you've wasted signing endless paperwork and getting useless updates about projects you don't care about?

    Yeah, that's MoO3. A fake office job you don't even get paid for.

Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Most Discussed PC Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 24
  3. Negative: 4 out of 24
  1. G4 TV
    20
    MOO3 collapses under the weight of its own ambitious design. We doubt this can be fixed in a patch. Gamers need not apply. Masochists, you're on your own.
    Read full review
  2. Game Informer
    80
    Sure, the gameplay is incredibly deep, but I wanted more emphasis on the military aspects of the game. [Apr 2003, p.95]
  3. Eurogamer
    30
    If only your enemies displayed the same kind of intelligence, the game might be a lot more interesting - but in fact, the enemy AI in MOO3 is terrible, far worse than in the previous game in the series.
    Read full review
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