Space Empires V

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 76
  3. Negative: 11 out of 76
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  1. MichaelI.
    Jun 22, 2007
    5
    I was hoping for a Master Of Orion game and instead ended up with this. It's not as engaging as I thought it'd be. I wish I had played the demo first. I bought this off of steam 3 months ago and only played it for a week.... I miss MOO.
  2. PhoenixD.
    Nov 11, 2006
    7
    Pros: If you liked the previous games, this has everything they had and more. Excellent 4X, several rounds of improvements already. Cons: Bugs UI is..weird. At best. Bugs. MP can be difficult, as some of the savegames get very large. Bugs. AI hasn't improved any (might be fixed with mods) Did I mention its buggy?
  3. Roadtrip
    Mar 15, 2011
    6
    I recently downloaded both Space Empire IV & V from Steam and am not sure why there is so much praise here for V. Both games are played in a two dimensional plane (galaxy layout & space battles) but whereas IV had a clean layout V tries to add 3D visuals and ends up with a very cluttered interface. SE-V does offer a technological tree with amazing variety, a multitude of ship buildingI recently downloaded both Space Empire IV & V from Steam and am not sure why there is so much praise here for V. Both games are played in a two dimensional plane (galaxy layout & space battles) but whereas IV had a clean layout V tries to add 3D visuals and ends up with a very cluttered interface. SE-V does offer a technological tree with amazing variety, a multitude of ship building options, and many planet improvements as well, but the time required to drill down to see details or to govern your entire empire from an overview is tedious at best. I spent a lot of time in this game turning planet labels on/off just to be able to see other planets in the same vicinity.… Expand
  4. theirrelephants
    Jan 19, 2015
    6
    I wanted to give this game more than a 6, I really did. However, there are a few things that keep me from doing so.

    Some of the glaring problems the game has: Buggy multiplayer and bugs in general. I spent 6 hours trying to play this with a friend and couldn't get it to work. Believe me when I say we tried everything. Sometimes when you end the turn, the game will crash for no    I wanted to give this game more than a 6, I really did. However, there are a few things that keep me from doing so.

    Some of the glaring problems the game has:

    Buggy multiplayer and bugs in general. I spent 6 hours trying to play this with a friend and couldn't get it to work. Believe me when I say we tried everything. Sometimes when you end the turn, the game will crash for no apparent reason. Don't expect any more bug patches coming out either, as this game is nearly hitting the decade old mark as I type this.

    Terrible AI: I put it on hard with a low bonus (I assume this means the AI cheats) for my first game, and there was absolutely no challenge involved. The AI will accept and send treaties for absolutely no reason. I was getting smashed by one of the AI's in a sector I didn't have a fleet in, and while he rejected my first three peacemaking attempts, he accepted the fourth for seemingly no reason. I hadn't destroyed any of his ships and my fleet was still nowhere near his. Now I would have written this off as him being involved in a war somewhere else on the map, but it consistently happens with ANY computer opponent.

    That being said, it's still a heavily enjoyable 4x with unique mechanics you wont find in any other game, such as being able to modify the map and cut off entire systems from computer players/your opponents, isolating your systems until someone else manages to go down a very, very research heavy tree in order to reopen warp points. You can even create your own planets! Which is what makes it such a shame that the multiplayer doesn't work.    … Expand
  5. whitesun11
    Dec 12, 2016
    7
    It's a decent 4x game. It has some deepness indeed and vast modding capabilities. What I disliked most is the user interface. Just too many unnecessary clicks. Some things regarding your empire could be seen and done easier. The graphics is not the strongest thing in this game, although I understand, that it is not very important thing in games like that.

Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. GameSpot
    66
    Space Empires V is a space strategy game with plenty of depth and complexity, but it's so riddled with bugs and issues that it is ultimately tough to recommend.
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  2. PC Gameworld
    83
    It’s a great-looking but clunky implementation of the classic “aliens, spaceships and lots of micromanagement” formula.
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  3. GamesRadar+
    60
    If you stick with the smaller campaigns, you can focus on mastering the interface and designing the ultimate space fleet. Sometimes Space Empires V takes its commitment to customization too far, but there’s never any doubt who the emperor is.
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