Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars

Although it doesn't supply intense space battles like Sins of a Solar Empire or Stellaris it doesn't have to. Instead Master of Orion delivers an exciting universe where every action has a diplomatic action or consequence you can act on.

What Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars really needs is just a set of tweaks, because the foundation is clearly there. If you're the type of person who loves spending time crafting the perfect plan and becoming immersed in a completely new world, it's worth diving into.

Master of Orion is an incredibly polished iteration and a worthwhile return to the beloved franchise, but it’s entering a galaxy full of fierce competition as the space 4X genre has seen a big bang of resurgence over the last few years. Master of Orion boasts a lot to love for new players, and it’s one of the best entry-level 4X games out there, but older veterans may find themselves searching the stars for more complexity.

Strategy for the masses, which does not come with anything new, but also does not fail in anything. Just a Civilization from space. [Issue #268]

NGD Studios has crafted a suitably epic, deeply engaging strategy game with all the bells and whistles. Despite some awkwardness with the combat, it’s a satisfying title that delivers on its core promise: to make you feel like an intergalactic conqueror.

Master of Orion returns to deliver a very interesting 4X experience, with a title that will satisfy both veterans and newcomers to the genre.

While this reboot of the classic Master of Orion series isn’t perfect, it packs massive amounts of replayability, with endless tactics and strategies to be explored.

If you are among the (still?) large group of fans who have devoured the first two episodes of MicroProse series, you will be happy to discover familiar feelings, and you'll almost feel like you never stopped playing.

If you grade Master of Orion on its own, not as a part of renowned series – it’s surprisingly alright. For a debut game, such amount of polish and depth could even be qualified as an all-around success. But publisher definitely shouldn’t have touted it as the return of a beloved franchise. [Issue#212, p.46]

Master of Orion is the resurrection of one of the most beloved games of the genre. Wargaming has created a really good 4x strategy game and a really good tribute.

A traditional, yet highly accessible 4X game that offers nothing new aside from real-time combat, but is still a lot of fun to play. A great choice for newcomers who enjoy a rich space strategy experience, but shy away from more complex games like Endless Space or Stellaris.

Maybe I was spoiled by Civilization, but Master of Orion struck me as scant in terms of bells and whistles. It also doesn’t look and doesn’t sound particularly good, but transparent rules, well-designed interface and variety of paths to victory make it a very reasonable proposal for the fans of classic 4X games. [11/2016, p.68]

Unfortunately new MOO misses most of the core points of old MOO and becomes yet another OK’ish but forgettable space game. Hint: if engaging chess-like tactical battles were half of the original game, are simplistic non-tactical battles a good idea? [Sept 2016]

Master of Orion is the perfect game for anyone who has never played a 4X-game, but veterans will not enjoy it as it misses the depth of modern 4X-titels. However, for newbies there is a lot to learn, an amazing design and an awesome soundtrack.

Master of Orion is very similar to its original game from 1993. The remake looks and sounds stunning but besides the new look, Master of Orion is too simple and lacks innovation. Fans of the game will most likely love the remake, but those who love the sci-fi genre won’t find this game refreshing or new.

Master of Orion manages to do exactly what we expected from it - to modernize a well-known game we loved, making it even grander, balancing between accessibility and depth with so many possibilities.

A good game overall, but without that innovations that have made great his predecessors.

Its gameplay loop means you’ll be able to have an entirely different experience with each playthrough — despite somewhat single-minded races — and a new story to tell with each run. If you’re into the genre or looking for a potential time-sink, jump on in.

It lacks some features that where present in the old Master of Orion II, and many of the bold ideas Stellaris and Endless Legend introduced to the genre. A playable, fun game, with great production value, but not a game that will stand the test of time.

While Master of Orion probably isn’t going to satisfy fans who crave the most complex civilization building games, it’s easy to pick up and fun to play for anyone new to the genre. The level of personality and attention to detail really set it apart from the competition as well.

Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars is an homage to its predecessors and loaded with fan fare of the original games. The controls are simple and easy to manage, the graphics pleasing, and once the ball starts rolling you truly feel like the leader of an entire civilization.

A fun, serviceable update to the 4X legend that brings little memorable to the genre aside from its personality.

On the surface there is nothing that Master of Orion does wrong – considering it is a new interpretation of a classic. But if you are looking for deeper gaming systems, more implications due to the various factions or any creativity, look somewhere else. In the end this is traditional 4X strategy – albeit looking awesome most of the time.

A moderately successful execution of the standard 4X formula with a flair for leaders and enjoyably complex combat.

This reboot falls short of its potential of evolution for the series. It looks newer and prettier but disappoints as a more shallow gameplay experience compared to the first two games.

On the technical side perfectly mastered 4X strategy, which is simply not enough original or interesting. It certainly attracts newcomers more than the experienced veterans.

What could have been the next generation of 4X space simulators has instead rested on the laurels that made the original so brilliant back in 1993. The problem is many others inspired by the groundwork laid by Master of Orion have progressed, to create innovative, enhanced experience, overall leaving us with a good reboot that had the potential to be something more.

MoO scratched a very specific itch for me that no other 4X game has. This iteration of MoO:CtS doesn’t do it for me. I get that a lot of people are looking for a more involved, more detailed 4X experience, and my problem is not that I’m overwhelmed by all the activity in MoO. It’s just that if I’m looking for this kind of thing I have the excellent Civ V to turn to. It’s not that it’s bad, but except for a narrow slice of nostalgia, I don’t see what the new MoO:CtS brings to the table that the plentitude of other 4X games don’t.

The new Master of Orion can glue you to the screen for many hours. It has things executed very well - from designing ships, to diplomacy, to combat. The biggest flaw is this: this new MoO relies too much on old games. It's great to try and revive old magic but novelties from mid-90s are now standard. More unique things would do this game good.

Master of Orion has returned and we are happy, but not enough. Despite of being a good 4X strategy game, we miss more innovative gameplay mechanics, and more complex in certain aspects like diplomacy or planetary management.

There are plenty of weighty decisions, risky maneuvers, and impactful events to consider. But they often take place in repetitive playthroughs in galaxies that don't always differentiate themselves from the next. Master of Orion shows signs of brilliance, but it's bogged down by boredom, and sometimes, the allure of the stars wanes too much to beckon us onward.

Master of Orion fails as a remake of the classic SimTex title, and as an attempt to renovate the 4X genre: the gameplay is too simple and limited to offer a real challenge to the player, and a variety of the old mechanics are missing. Despite all this, it can be a pretty good starting point for players who want to become familiar with the genre.

The biggest letdown of this Master of Orion is a complete lack of meaningful space exploration. There are too few anomalies, pirate bases and monsters in the galaxy, and everything feels empty.

Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars is a solid reboot of the original 4x historical game. The best years have gone, however, and the lack of innovations is present in almost every single aspects of the game.

A mobile-game-depth “me too” game that is beautiful and serviceable but ultimately uninteresting...There are games out there that are more Master of Orion than this Master of Orion.

A remake in all the wrong ways. [Issue#179, p.85]

In the era of Galactic Civilizations 3 and Stellaris, Master of Orion seems to go the easy and safe route: it's devoid of glaring errors, but also shallow. It can only be recommended for people new to the 4X strategy genre.