Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 170 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 170
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 170
  3. Negative: 33 out of 170
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  1. Prosmooth
    Aug 27, 2016
    10
    I usually don't play these games because I'm dumb and never even understand the tutorials--but I can play and understand this one for some reason. I'm having a blast with it. Maybe I'm having a blast with it because I'm dumb. Either way--I think it's really cool. Thank you to whoever made it--even my Simple Jack mind can play around in space now and feel like I'm a conquering hero.
  2. Jaramide
    Sep 1, 2016
    8
    As a person who has always been very interested in 4X gaming but never really played that much because it's often a real chore to learn the system and understand what you are doing this game is really great for me. It's very friendly and really easy to get a sort of grasp of what is going on as the game UI is very well designed and easy to use and the game is very good at showing you whatAs a person who has always been very interested in 4X gaming but never really played that much because it's often a real chore to learn the system and understand what you are doing this game is really great for me. It's very friendly and really easy to get a sort of grasp of what is going on as the game UI is very well designed and easy to use and the game is very good at showing you what you should be doing (Sometimes a little too well, I'm looking at you espionage center)
    I enjoyed it a lot and I really got into the "Just one more turn, omg it's mornining already?" mindset.    … Expand
  3. PrinceValium
    Aug 31, 2016
    10
    I find it incredible that so many player reviews are highly critical of this game! While there are definitely features I would like to see improved (for example, espionage), and brought back (like the minor races), and added (like heroes), I can definitely say that this game is a true follower in the footsteps of the original MOO. It seems strange to me that so many reviewers complain bothI find it incredible that so many player reviews are highly critical of this game! While there are definitely features I would like to see improved (for example, espionage), and brought back (like the minor races), and added (like heroes), I can definitely say that this game is a true follower in the footsteps of the original MOO. It seems strange to me that so many reviewers complain both that this game is too little like MOO2 (when it only aspires to be MOO1 anyway) and that it didn't make enough changes to the original gameplay. Wut? How can you have it both ways? This MOO is a fun, fast, playable game that I thikn would be very appealing to many players. Maybe not the most hardcore and critical players, but definitely the mass of average players. If only they would read past the horrible numbers on here and see the game for what it gives you - that feeling of having to play just one more turn! And it's beautiful with great music!… Expand
  4. Yco
    Aug 29, 2016
    9
    Very high production values unite with efficient and pleasant UI design in this new MOO for the 21st century. It's simple, intuitive, fun and more-ish to play. Recommended.
  5. darkbladebfg
    Aug 25, 2016
    8
    It's not perfect,but it's better than most 4x space games out there.
    The combat is the weakest point of this game,only involving pressing the attack button.Ground combat is not animated like in moo2 or cinematic,for some reason that part has been overlooked :/.
    On the other side-great voice acting,unique races,chill music,good graphics,epic space battle cinematics,easy to get into.
  6. Va1arMorgul1s
    Sep 2, 2016
    10
    Loved the game! i don´t know why some people feel like this game is not up to expectations. Gameplay? Good. Animations? Good. Graphics? Good. Voice acting? Good (well, amazing actually). I love this kind of genre and sometimes feel like there are too many variables to understand exactly what is happening in all the layers; and I didn´t have this problem at all wit MoO, felt in control ofLoved the game! i don´t know why some people feel like this game is not up to expectations. Gameplay? Good. Animations? Good. Graphics? Good. Voice acting? Good (well, amazing actually). I love this kind of genre and sometimes feel like there are too many variables to understand exactly what is happening in all the layers; and I didn´t have this problem at all wit MoO, felt in control of my civilization all along.… Expand
  7. wallytsx
    Aug 25, 2016
    10
    Very nice polished game... totally recommendable!
    It has awesome graphics, sound and gameplay that reminds me the original MoO 2.
    Nice job by NGD and Wargaming!
  8. ShadowDM
    Aug 31, 2016
    10
    Very polished and very enjoyable to play. Of course there are many things to be improved as in every 4X game I know, but this game already started right from day 1. My score is in part to compensate all the unnecessary hate. : )
  9. Gaarq
    Sep 6, 2016
    8
    i expected not that much from a remake of brilliant master of orion II, but it turned to be pleasant, a bit simpler, but still home-feeling game. i do agree with all the critics about the bad warfare, annoying advisors, not much bright AI, unnecessary game concept simplifications, but at the end, i play it as a relaxing game, with moderate challenge satisfying my need for empire building.i expected not that much from a remake of brilliant master of orion II, but it turned to be pleasant, a bit simpler, but still home-feeling game. i do agree with all the critics about the bad warfare, annoying advisors, not much bright AI, unnecessary game concept simplifications, but at the end, i play it as a relaxing game, with moderate challenge satisfying my need for empire building. there are some some good things anew - more and different victory conditions (economic, scientific...), nice graphics, inside star system travelling. not much of them, but it is ok for me. i tend to rate it rather positively, although i know its weaknesses.… Expand
  10. mrahikai
    Sep 15, 2016
    9
    Nice casual 4X game with high production values. Also a plus that it is available for Linux (currently playing on Fedora 23). Having played the original MOO in the 90 's I find this a worthy successor.
  11. sherbz
    Dec 11, 2016
    8
    Writing as an old time MOO fan, I have to say that this is actually rather a good interpretation of the originals. I consider it better than civ 6. And what I really like is that the developer seems to care about their community and releases unpaid for patches (although not DLC on new races). All told, if you want a decent space strategy game, then look no further. My only observationsWriting as an old time MOO fan, I have to say that this is actually rather a good interpretation of the originals. I consider it better than civ 6. And what I really like is that the developer seems to care about their community and releases unpaid for patches (although not DLC on new races). All told, if you want a decent space strategy game, then look no further. My only observations are:

    1 - Space combat is a bit lacklustre. I like the cinematic thing but when I take control, or half take control, I'm not really sure what I'm adding. And my actions don't seem to be properly represented either.

    2 - The balance is a bit off IMO. Techs should take longer to research, although this is adjustable. However I like the fact that they kept he race imbalance thing.

    3 - I LOVE the voice acting. Seriously, great job! Not often you say that about a turn based game, but it is practically perfect.

    4 - the diplomacy is actually decent, so hats off for that.

    5 - Ground combat could be a bit more exciting.

    But over all, I think this is a good game, and worth a purchase. Don't be put off by the purists and the fools.

    3 -    … Expand
  12. FreddyRama
    Nov 20, 2016
    8
    I was an avid player of all the original MOO titles and this seems to me to be a good update. It certainly has a lot of the elements that make 4X games fun and the graphics and development are all good. The interaction with aliens seems to be pretty good as well.
  13. VitaminK
    Nov 13, 2016
    8
    This game was a little rough when it was released but it has continuosly gotten a stream of updates and patches that will continue to make this game what it deserves to be. Most of the hate comes from old MoO players saying the game got 'dumbed' down but for me a lot of tediousness got taken out and replaced by steamline gameplay. This could easily be a 9 in 6-12 months when things reallyThis game was a little rough when it was released but it has continuosly gotten a stream of updates and patches that will continue to make this game what it deserves to be. Most of the hate comes from old MoO players saying the game got 'dumbed' down but for me a lot of tediousness got taken out and replaced by steamline gameplay. This could easily be a 9 in 6-12 months when things really get a good balance and some more depth but you can count on it with these devs. Hopefully I'll remember and come change my rating to a 9 when that happens.… Expand
  14. iseeall
    Feb 11, 2017
    8
    A remake of the Master of Orion 2 (1996) with a modern interface. Thankfully the game stays very close to the original in most things, however the real-time combat is more cinematic than tactical.

    The good: - the game plays well overall, very close to MoO 2. - great graphics (the background is gorgeous), great music. - the GUI is excellent, a lot fewer clicks are needed to do things    A remake of the Master of Orion 2 (1996) with a modern interface. Thankfully the game stays very close to the original in most things, however the real-time combat is more cinematic than tactical.

    The good:
    - the game plays well overall, very close to MoO 2.
    - great graphics (the background is gorgeous), great music.
    - the GUI is excellent, a lot fewer clicks are needed to do things than used to in MoO 2, and info is presented in much clearer ways. Much of the GUI is based on the one from Civ 5 which is a standard for 4X games today
    - the game is easy to start, the tutorial is very helpful
    - a good idea to have warp points and military outposts defending them, and to restrict movement between star systems to warp lines - this introduces more tactics into the game, as it's much easier to create choke points
    - trading techs is encouraged: when researching a tech, you often can pick just 1 of its bonuses, and have to trade with other factions for the rest of the bonuses

    The so-so:
    - animations seem to get on your nerves after a while and the "Skip" button appears too late. Diplomacy and council animations are the most annoying ones. GNN news should have had an option to show the news as a text line but skip the video.
    - (this is also applicable to the original) Space-themed sci fi is kids- or at best teenager-oriented. Just suspend your disbelief and don't take it all seriously

    The bad:
    - combat is real-time, lacks control, and there is very little tactics involved. You can control movement of the ships and pick targets, but the ships fire on their own. The game doesn't really let you win in smart ways if your army is smaller
    - empty space doesn't offer as much tactical variety as 2D terrain in other 4x games (e.g. Civ). Though you can still get some variety of combat by experimenting with different ship designs
    - there is no gamepedia. Often I had questions about a specific rule, or how much something costs, or how something works - and there was no answer anywhere. E.g. how many HP do military outposts have? Where can I see their current HP? Do they repair over time, can they be repaired? How much food needs to be accumulated for the next citizen to grow?
    - minor GUI things, e.g. can't see the tech tree while picking a bonus from a just researched tech; they should have tested the game more for usability

    Overall, it's a decent, playable remake, but with too many animations and some questionable real-time combat. 8/10 for now, but it could be a 9/10 if they just fixed the minor things (e.g. the military outposts) and added a gamepedia.    … Expand
  15. Psiraphim
    Mar 21, 2019
    10
    Если у меня спросят: "Есть ли такой римейк, который воссоздал старую игру так, что в нее можно играть и старым фанатам и новчикам, при этом ничего не сломав и не испортив?" - я отвечу: "Это Мастер Ориона 2016 года".
    Игра полностью воссоздает второго Мастера Ориона на современном движке. Да, она может ничего принципиально нового не добавила - это и не нужно было. Это признание в любви к    Если у меня спросят: "Есть ли такой римейк, который воссоздал старую игру так, что в нее можно играть и старым фанатам и новчикам, при этом ничего не сломав и не испортив?" - я отвечу: "Это Мастер Ориона 2016 года".
    Игра полностью воссоздает второго Мастера Ориона на современном движке. Да, она может ничего принципиально нового не добавила - это и не нужно было. Это признание в любви к второй части, перенесено только то, что было в нем. Разработчики не стали "из рпг делать шутер", или добавлять лутбоксы. Римейк мог быть намного хуже, а продолжение могло быть хуже трешки, хотя куда уж хуже.
    Я очень признателен разработчикам. Вы молодцы!    … Expand
  16. YigidOx2
    Mar 19, 2021
    9
    Graphics and atmosphere are beautiful. It's necessary to set up strategy and it's fun to play.

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
93
#93 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. Everyeye.it
    Nov 23, 2016
    78
    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.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Nov 18, 2016
    75
    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]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 5, 2016
    80
    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]
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