Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter

 PC
User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 135 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 135
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 135
  3. Negative: 70 out of 135

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  1. Neian
    Nov 7, 2011
    0
    Very disappointed in this game. Was released on October 28th through Steam, but Paradox changed the release date to the 31st for physical copies and I can see why. The original released version was a Beta, wrong file uploaded to Steam, I understand mistakes happen, so another version was uploaded the following day. Well nothing really changed and the publisher admitted on their forums thatVery disappointed in this game. Was released on October 28th through Steam, but Paradox changed the release date to the 31st for physical copies and I can see why. The original released version was a Beta, wrong file uploaded to Steam, I understand mistakes happen, so another version was uploaded the following day. Well nothing really changed and the publisher admitted on their forums that they knew the product was bad they were going to release and patch it. Menus are grayed out so they cannot be selected, such as options, no scenarios maps but a tab, the encyclopedia which they tell you to use for information appears to be mostly empty. The manual was a draft copy that the published put on the forums, how do you not have a manual completed for release? The graphics are beautiful but without just clicking around its next to impossible to figure out how anything works. No tutorial, no intro missions, no manual, no encyclopedia. Horrible game, horrible release.… Expand
  2. Dexyt
    Nov 4, 2011
    0
    This title is currently unplayable due parts of the game outright missing as well as a large number of bugs. It is very far from being finished. Check back in February or so, by then the developer will probably have patched it up enough.
  3. LongTom
    Nov 5, 2011
    1
    Someday it might be a good game. Right now it's unfinished. Get SOTS 1 Complete Collection, and wait until this one is finished. Or, buy this one, and you can email Kerberos to get a copy of SOTS1 for free. At this point, much of what is working in SOTS1 has yet to be implemented in SOTS2. The game has potential; there are some interesting new ideas in terms of reducingSomeday it might be a good game. Right now it's unfinished. Get SOTS 1 Complete Collection, and wait until this one is finished. Or, buy this one, and you can email Kerberos to get a copy of SOTS1 for free. At this point, much of what is working in SOTS1 has yet to be implemented in SOTS2. The game has potential; there are some interesting new ideas in terms of reducing micro-management as well as new features such as named Admirals with traits, but right now you can't really play a game, too many features don't work and you don't know which ones those are :-)… Expand
  4. EVEWayfinder
    Nov 9, 2011
    0
    Unplayable, buggy...
    AI can't budget and continually runs a deficit and generally crashes its economy
    - drones don't work - defense satellites aren't in the game (but you can research the tech for them) - armor tech can be researched but no one can tell if armor upgrades are actually applied to ships - no way to scrap ships - the meteor swarm random creates a straight line of meteors    Unplayable, buggy...
    AI can't budget and continually runs a deficit and generally crashes its economy
    - drones don't work
    - defense satellites aren't in the game (but you can research the tech for them)
    - armor tech can be researched but no one can tell if armor upgrades are actually applied to ships
    - no way to scrap ships
    - the meteor swarm random creates a straight line of meteors traveling in formation. Speculation is that the meteors use ship/fleet AI.
    - You may or may not be able to upgrade science stations
    - Budget screen - the numbers may or may not be accurate, the sliders may or may not work as intended
    - NPCs sometimes bring stations with them in fleets
    - Diplomacy isn't in yet
    - The Defense Manager screen may or may not work. No one is quite sure how it works.
    - Attacking stations is iffy because the hit box prevents you from getting close enough for your short range weapons to work,
    - You cannot add/design weapons (combat) modules for your stations,
    - Ship refitting isn't implemented
    Tactical Combat, one of the Main Features of the game, is horrid. Ship AI (ship stances, pursuit, close, etc) sometimes works, it's really easy to time out the combat timer before finding the enemy, hell, I have yet to kill a ship despite having 7 CRs shooting at one hiver CR. The tactical combat interface is very clumsy and a huge step backwards compared to SotS 1. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of potential on SotS IIs combat, but it needs a *lot* of work.

    https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=320843#post320843

    --- Undetermined Issues ---

    Zuul (AI section unavailable)
    Zuul (3rd and 2nd tier riders unavailable)
    Zuul (Dancer?)
    Hivers (Defense Boats unavailable)
    Tarka (Defense boats unavailable)
    Liir-Zuul Alliance [Zuul-side] (AI section unavailable)
    Mines (Not available save Fusion)


    --- Technology Tree Issues ---

    Shield Technology:

    Shield Mk. I - (Not working as intended)
    Shield Mk. II - (Not available)
    Shield Mk. III - (Not available)
    Shield Mk. IV - (Not available)
    Meson Shields - (Not available)
    Grav Shields - (Not available)

    Torpedoes Technology:

    Enveloping Anti-Matter Torpedo - (No image)
    Enveloping Fusion Torpedo - (No image)

    Warhead Technology:

    MW Warheads - (Not deploying as intended)
    Interceptors - (Not available)
    Blast Beams - (Not implemented) Blast Storm - (Not implemented) Heavy Ship Missiles - (Not implemented) Drive Technology: Grav Cannon - (Morrigi) - [No description, not available] Node Maw - (Zuul) - [No image, no description, not available] Node Maw - (Human) - [No image, no description, not available] Far Casting - (Hiver) - [Error in description] Casting - (Hiver) - [Error in description] Warp Pulse - (Tarka) - [Error in description, not available] Curvature Compensator - Liir) - [Unintentionally available, not working as intended] Ballistic Weapons: Grav Pulsar - (No image, not available) Tumbler - (No im Quote: Stationdesign for Naval Bases (Weaponhardpoints) Space Station Upgrades (Some are got to high requirements and cannot be fitted with req. module ammount, some are deactivated on purpose, like the level 5 Science Station that was deactivated in Patch 4th Nov. 2011 for Bugfixing.) Defense sattelites Morrigi Void Mastery Drive (you can research it, but not fit it in designer) Tarkan Warpdrive (Same as the Morrigi. You can research it, but not use it...) Drones, Assaultshuttles, Nodefighters, Battlecruiser and Battleships (All part of the Battlerider Technology tree) Starbase Hangar for Battleriders Cloaking Field Shield Technology of all kind Siege Driver Armorplate fitting in the Shipdesigner Traderoutes (at least you cannot assign any Tradeships to any kind of Traderoutes) Moral boosting systems COL-Launcher Asteroid Monitor construction Special project research Salvage and Reverse engeneering from salvage Gem and Forgeworlds (cause crash at the moment if you wanna choose a typ) Fusion/Antimatter/Leach/Cloak Mines Diplomacy (not all features activated yet, but at least you can declare war at the moment ^^) Delete of old shipdesigns (they are deleted in the designer, but stay in the list of the available productiondesigns for ships at the shipyard) Liir Leviathan "The Black" (its constructed out of modules with weaponhardpoints, it seems not to work propably at the moment) Random encounter slider (you can change it, but it seems to have no effect at the moment when you start a new game) Grand Menace slider (same as above, it seems the Systemkiller as a Grand Menace just appear or dont, random at the moment) MIRV Missile system (Missile shoots and explodes without creating new Missiles) Ship Module "Auxiliry Fission/Fusion" (It increases crew need by 2, but dont give you any bonuses, no speed, no energy, no support bonus at all) theres more, way more but it doesnt fit    … Expand
  5. mpxd
    Nov 2, 2011
    1
    DO NOT BUY until there is a general consensus that game development has been completed.

    As of 2011-11-2, this game is UNFINISHED and UNPLAYABLE, due to a large number of factors, including: = Instability. Often, the game will crash to desktop with no way to continue playing. Sometimes you can load an autosave and continue; sometimes that's it -- your game is over, and to play more you    DO NOT BUY until there is a general consensus that game development has been completed.

    As of 2011-11-2, this game is UNFINISHED and UNPLAYABLE, due to a large number of factors, including:
    = Instability. Often, the game will crash to desktop with no way to continue playing. Sometimes you can load an autosave and continue; sometimes that's it -- your game is over, and to play more you have to start anew.
    = Missing gameplay features. Parts of the game simply have not been implemented yet.
    = Missing documentation. Which is better: a warehouse or a hangar? Don't know? Well, neither does anyone else. But you should probably build one or else you may or may not lose the game 4 or 80 turns down the line.
    = Bugs, everywhere! Want your ships to fire on the enemy? They'd rather float there for a while instead. Retreat then. Oh, wait, now they're firing. And they refuse to move. Great.

    At this point, you'd be spending 40$ on an early beta build of the game.

    The developers have a record of fixing their games over time. On the other hand, as of this launch, they have a record of taking your money while intentionally misleading you about the goods you buying.

    The verdict? In the game's current state, you can't play it regardless of whether you've bought it or not. So until that's no longer the case (and until the price reflects the quality of the game), don't buy.
    IF, on the other hand, you're willing to send the dev team 40$ in the hope that it will help them survive and finish making the game -- by all means, feel free to do so, and you might even get a finished game in the future. Just don't pretend that 40$ bought you a game, and not a promise and access to the beta.    … Expand
  6. Jasuke
    Nov 3, 2011
    0
    Few things to say...
    1) You cannot rate a game that does not work (IT DOESN'T)
    2) It should be a criminal offense to release a game that is as finished as frozen dog turd is a lunch 3) Don't buy it play the original and forget they released the sequel for the next 5 months while they do a billion patches to "fix" the game, though you can't call it fixing since the game is not complete.    Few things to say...
    1) You cannot rate a game that does not work (IT DOESN'T)
    2) It should be a criminal offense to release a game that is as finished as frozen dog turd is a lunch
    3) Don't buy it play the original and forget they released the sequel for the next 5 months while they do a billion patches to "fix" the game, though you can't call it fixing since the game is not complete.
    4) NO JUST NO
    5) Why game spy? Why not just use the steam? A pointless decision in a stream of bad choices that will cost the game and the publishers and the programmers all their public value and this game won't sell well and if it does then there is something wrong! They don't deserve a penny for their efforts so far this is just plainly an insult in the face of the gamers. I mean imagine a game like ES V L Skyrim doing this kinda thing. People would be angry and they should this is an embarrassment to the gaming community and a lesson to be remembered ! Do not rush a game out! We want to play it not be frustrated out of buying any future titles you may or may not make    … Expand
  7. Morddrath
    Nov 2, 2011
    0
    Do NOT buy this title at this point in time!
    This game was released prematurely. The initial release last Friday was the wrong version or so we were told. It had a buggy features like the options menu. The patch on Saturday merely fixed a few issues and disabled the options menu. Yes you heard me right, this title does not have an options menu upon release. Unlike the previous reviewer I    Do NOT buy this title at this point in time!
    This game was released prematurely. The initial release last Friday was the wrong version or so we were told. It had a buggy features like the options menu. The patch on Saturday merely fixed a few issues and disabled the options menu. Yes you heard me right, this title does not have an options menu upon release. Unlike the previous reviewer I have had several crashes, or should I say until I got sick of them. These crashes are mostly caused by missing parts of the game. What is also lacking is a decent tutorial and to top that a lot of tooltips are missing as well. This game should be considered to an early beta build at best.
    Whilst Kerberos and Paradox promise to improve this game and support it for years to come. Would you trust a company that released such an abomination on the market. I agree with many that there is a game underneath all the rubble. I however am not waiting for the rubble to be cleared and have requested a full refund.    … Expand
  8. Mikimax
    Nov 3, 2011
    1
    I played SINS, GalCiv2, Homeworld, and many other games, but THIS!!! This is a game that i could not even find out how to play! There is no tutorial, no tips, no descriptions of anything, wiki is useless, UI is hard to navigate, can't use arrows to navigate the map, etc. This game is purely user unfriendly! I was expecting at least the quality of SINS and dept of Gal Civ 2. This is peaceI played SINS, GalCiv2, Homeworld, and many other games, but THIS!!! This is a game that i could not even find out how to play! There is no tutorial, no tips, no descriptions of anything, wiki is useless, UI is hard to navigate, can't use arrows to navigate the map, etc. This game is purely user unfriendly! I was expecting at least the quality of SINS and dept of Gal Civ 2. This is peace of crap.


    P.S.
    I don't want to be a rocket scientist to know how to play this game. (I play both Hearts of Iron games and Supreme Ruler which are both very complex games)    … Expand
  9. Iyunzusto
    Dec 29, 2012
    1
    Dec 7 2012. It's ugly, right from the title screen. The ship models are distorted and messy - they look unfinished and cartooney against the sharp, industrial look of Eve Online or Sins. The UI is also hard on the eyes, although the actual starmap looks pretty good. The gameplay is also dull. Exploring and colonizing systems is done via 'missions', which are essentially the same as otherDec 7 2012. It's ugly, right from the title screen. The ship models are distorted and messy - they look unfinished and cartooney against the sharp, industrial look of Eve Online or Sins. The UI is also hard on the eyes, although the actual starmap looks pretty good. The gameplay is also dull. Exploring and colonizing systems is done via 'missions', which are essentially the same as other 4X games except that they take 4x the number of mouseclicks to initiate. To colonize a planet, you don't just build a colony ship.. you have to build a command ship, then a colony ship, then a supply ship, then attach an admiral to create a fleet, THEN select your destination. I've heard this game called 'deep' but 'convoluted' comes to mind. The first time you enter into combat, you're greeted with more of the terrible graphics, and absolutely no inkling as to what tactics might benefit you. Unlike the Total War series, where it's clear that higher terrain is good for archers, while hiding in the woods is a good defense from missiles, etc., instead you are floating around in space with the only discernable strategies being.. move there, or shoot that. The UI is counterintuitive at every turn. You could pick up MOO2 and learn it without looking at a single manual or forum. This game is a dog's breakfast and you will be forced to look at the manual (which is awful) the beginner's guide (which is also awful, but longer) then the wiki (which is entirely incomplete). Here's an excerpt from the beginner's guide: "Once the core modules of a ship have been decided upon, you can begin to arm the space-craft with weapons across the breadth of it's surface. The amount of weapon points available will vary depending on the hull type, size and command, mission and propulsion modules selected". This is the entire section on ship weapon design. Great, so I can put weapons on the ship. Brilliant. What's the point of having mounts in particular locations? Is there a directional advantage? Would there be a benefit to placing certain weapons in certain slots? This game is complex in the same way walking around someone else's house in the dark is complex. Here's another example - trade is fundamental to a successful empire, and these require freighters. There is no section on freighters in the manual and no in-game explanation. What are the devs smoking? All of this aside, once I got into the game and had a dozen colonies with a humming economy, several naval bases and attack fleets, I found I was having the same amount of fun that I was at the start, i.e. none. I think the recent high scores for the game are because people are impressed it's actually out of alpha 1 year after its launch. It's just a shame that the game looks 15 years out of date and is boring as bat sh!t. UPDATE 8 December 2012. After playing this for a whole day, this game is even worse than I thought, so changing the 5 rating to a 1. So many of the mechanics make absolutely no sense. For example, I had 3 fleets defending an outpost planet that was close to enemy territory. Sure enough, the enemy attacks.. but I can only enter combat with 1 fleet while the other 2 wait. Why? There's no logical reason for this.. if you have fleets stationed at a system, they should all be able to fight. Another example - each fleet has a home system. If a fleet leaves the system for a mission, once the mission is completed, it has to return to its home system to refuel and resupply. Why? Why not just fly to the nearest system to refuel? Basically, the developers have invented these mechanics to create their gameplay - and they are all nonsensical. They all serve to make the game more complicated, less elegant, and less logical. Combine that with the steep learning curve and lack of information, and it's just a mess. If you decide to embrace all of their illogical mechanics, you might have a great time after about 20 hours of learning the fundamentals, but I'd rather spend time on a well-made game… Expand
  10. Ursyn
    Jan 23, 2013
    4
    Sequel to one of my favorite strategy games of all time, SOTS 2 is prime example of ambitions overgrowing actual capabilities. Launch of the game was a disaster: it wasn't even a beta. Now, after tons of patches and free expansion with new playable race, Sots 2 is definitely better at every aspect - but it still falls way short of meeting expectations. It's very complex game, with greatSequel to one of my favorite strategy games of all time, SOTS 2 is prime example of ambitions overgrowing actual capabilities. Launch of the game was a disaster: it wasn't even a beta. Now, after tons of patches and free expansion with new playable race, Sots 2 is definitely better at every aspect - but it still falls way short of meeting expectations. It's very complex game, with great variety of options and possible strategies - however, it is also one of the least approachable games I have ever seen. Unclear interface, cryptic tooltips and utter lack of any tutorial in game are obstacles for any new players. If you manage to overcome them, you will find good sides of this game - and they are plenty. However, they all fade when you realize that AI is COMPLETELY broken, and does not present any threat whatsoever. Seriously - computer controlled empires not only cannot beat player, they also fail to defend against random encounters game throws at them and often collapse due to missmanegement of economy and mounting debt. I am willing to bet that anyone giving this game super-high score has not played it long enough to actually measure AI capabilities. Maybe after another year it will get acceptable - for now, if you value single player at least, I recommend to stay away from this game.… Expand
  11. hcookie
    Nov 14, 2011
    0
    What a shame that some game developers and publishers take the easy route and take their fans and customers for granted. While Sword of the Stars 1 had the potential to take the Moo crown, Sword of the Stars 2 has proved that its predecessor might have been....just a one hit wonder.

    The game is completely broken. Not just a couple of patches broken, but un-compiled code, not yet coded,    What a shame that some game developers and publishers take the easy route and take their fans and customers for granted. While Sword of the Stars 1 had the potential to take the Moo crown, Sword of the Stars 2 has proved that its predecessor might have been....just a one hit wonder.

    The game is completely broken. Not just a couple of patches broken, but un-compiled code, not yet coded, we're still project managing broken. Truth be told, if you bought a physical copy of the game, that DVD Rom is worth more as a beer coaster than the content contained therein.

    The Retail release is practically an Alpha Build...and from what I can gather...might even be an early Alpha. There is no way this game went through any Beta Testing or any form of quality assurance. Because if they did, they're all liers. The game doesn't start, if you even get to play it, you'll crash within 5 turns. You're lucky to get to turn 20 without crashing to desktop.

    I thought Empire Total War was bad, that game crashed if you stared at it hard enough. But SOTS 2 has taken that crown. Just by thinking about SOTS 2, some one is crashing this very minute.

    In the immortal words of Dr. McCoy. "It's dead Jim"    … Expand
  12. Brannoc
    Nov 6, 2011
    0
    Do yourself a favor and skip this product. It's difficult to even use the word "game" to describe it; one day publishing and development houses will realize that pushing a product that requires months, or even years, to market is simply not a valid business practice. The product is lacking in tool tips, contains many bugs that result in a crash to windows, lacks memory optimization whichDo yourself a favor and skip this product. It's difficult to even use the word "game" to describe it; one day publishing and development houses will realize that pushing a product that requires months, or even years, to market is simply not a valid business practice. The product is lacking in tool tips, contains many bugs that result in a crash to windows, lacks memory optimization which results in horribly slow load times when changing UI options, the list goes on and on. From most studios this would barely qualify as an engine test.

    To add icing to the cake the developers made the choice to lie on release day and say they had simply uploaded their beta engine and that the real game would be forthcoming within 24 hours. Sadly this was simply a sales tactic. Like I said, skip this title and go spend your $40 at a casino, at least you might have accidental fun there.    … Expand
  13. stoicfaux
    Nov 7, 2011
    0
    The game is unfinished. Key game elements are either unimplemented, broken, disabled, or just buggy. There's no point in playing until Kerberos finishes the game.
  14. JonoR
    Nov 18, 2011
    2
    The only reason to buy the game in this state is to take part in a paid beta, but if you want to buy a game to enjoy and play with few problems than don't buy this game. It has many issues and is very unstable, not to mention that it has incomplete features. The current release is pretty much unacceptable for a "released" game.

    The fault for this lies with the developer, not the    The only reason to buy the game in this state is to take part in a paid beta, but if you want to buy a game to enjoy and play with few problems than don't buy this game. It has many issues and is very unstable, not to mention that it has incomplete features. The current release is pretty much unacceptable for a "released" game.

    The fault for this lies with the developer, not the publisher. The developer is the one who comes up with the ideas and has to realise them and they have to do it within an agreed upon period, so given the game is so broken and incomplete the blame has to be squarely on the Kerberos. It's clear they aimed far too high for either their skill or manpower (or a combo) to meet within the development period. However, most disappointing was that they kept fans in the dark about the state of the game, which is made worse by the fact several of those who worked on the game were highly active with the community. You can also put some blame on the publisher for not saying anything either and while it is easy to say they should have given Kerberos more time, they can only be expected to sink so much money without a return into a project. All in all the release by both parties should have been better handled.

    The game is been patched with the aim of making it work, but it will take some time. Best plan would be to wait 6 - 12 months and have another look at the game unless as I said, you wanted to take part in a beta test. So far for me this game has not been worth its price. You can see the potential in the game, but I didn't buy the game to look at it and imagine the cool things it could do so I can't give it anything outside of the red zone.    … Expand
  15. Mind
    Nov 5, 2011
    0
    Seriously, what is this piece of **** Half the game is missing and it is so buggy I can't even get a ship to the closest star. And I have tried many times, random crasches etc. And this is now, after a bunch of patches have been applied. Well thats capitalism for you. Never finish anything. There is an ongoing trend today to sell games that are not quite finished. This trend is going tooSeriously, what is this piece of **** Half the game is missing and it is so buggy I can't even get a ship to the closest star. And I have tried many times, random crasches etc. And this is now, after a bunch of patches have been applied. Well thats capitalism for you. Never finish anything. There is an ongoing trend today to sell games that are not quite finished. This trend is going too far as it seems this game isn't even half finished. So when can I play the game I bought? Next year? And it's our own fault for letting them do it. But not anymore, I will **** never buy a game I haven't actually pirated and tried first anymore. **** snakeoil salesmen. >:-(… Expand
  16. mixedupjim
    Nov 10, 2011
    0
    Released as a non working piece of software. Developers are trying to patch it into something resembling a working game. Whether they will succeed is not clear. Check out the forums to see if this game has been fixed before buying.
  17. Cailore
    Dec 8, 2011
    0
    Even after more than a month of half-hearted patches, this game is unplayable. Great parts of the game menu is still greyed out, and a grand total of NONE of the "features" on the box have been implemented.

    Having the audacity to charge people $40 for a pre-beta version of the game is insane. If, and I really mean if, this game ever get's into playable form it might be pretty cool, but    Even after more than a month of half-hearted patches, this game is unplayable. Great parts of the game menu is still greyed out, and a grand total of NONE of the "features" on the box have been implemented.

    Having the audacity to charge people $40 for a pre-beta version of the game is insane. If, and I really mean if, this game ever get's into playable form it might be pretty cool, but if history teaches anything, it's that companies that are willing to screw customers this badly are emptying their bank accounts and buying tickets to the Caribbean. It's been compared to MOO III, but that comparison might actually be unkind to MOOIII.    … Expand
  18. dereknor
    Dec 1, 2012
    2
    With the new patches and extension, the game is working much more stable. But it still feels very unfinished. there are still bugs that should be there, many things are totally unexplained and you need to read them up in forums or somewhere in the internet. It feels strange to play it. I still get headache because I just dont understand most of the game. I mostly fight agains the game andWith the new patches and extension, the game is working much more stable. But it still feels very unfinished. there are still bugs that should be there, many things are totally unexplained and you need to read them up in forums or somewhere in the internet. It feels strange to play it. I still get headache because I just dont understand most of the game. I mostly fight agains the game and User interface itself then agains the Other races or players in the game. I'm a great fan of sots 1 from the first day, and I would highly recommend Sots 1 for anyone who like these games. But in my opinion, sots 2 is just a shadow of sots 1 with better graphic. This game is good for hardcore fans or people who just want to support Kerberos. But its not a game for people who just heard about Sword of the Stars or want a finished game to enjoy.… Expand
  19. amirabiri
    Nov 10, 2011
    0
    This is not a game, this is an epic blunder. As a professional software developer seeing what Kerberos have done with this release fills me with anger. Complete incompetence at every level. And the result is an unplayable mess that crashes every 10 minutes.

    What makes this worse is that they are still selling the game without notifying prospective buyers of the state the game is in. Then    This is not a game, this is an epic blunder. As a professional software developer seeing what Kerberos have done with this release fills me with anger. Complete incompetence at every level. And the result is an unplayable mess that crashes every 10 minutes.

    What makes this worse is that they are still selling the game without notifying prospective buyers of the state the game is in. Then when we demanded refunds they came up with a series of what can only be gently described as insults to our intelligence excuses of why they are dragging their feet.

    The bottom line is that not only this pile of bugs and mess barely deserving to be called a game in unplayable and unenjoyable, you MUST NOT buy it because you will not get your money back once you realize what you've bought. It's a trap.

    Avoid! Avoid! Avoid!    … Expand
  20. peekitup
    Nov 14, 2011
    0
    Do not buy this game. It is an incomplete game and a complete mess. After releasing what they told us was an early build, they then updated it with a more broken build. Major game features are either missing, or included but obviously implemented incorrectly. The developers need to go back to Comp Sci 1 to learn how to test for bugs.

    I repeat, do not buy this game, you will be very    Do not buy this game. It is an incomplete game and a complete mess. After releasing what they told us was an early build, they then updated it with a more broken build. Major game features are either missing, or included but obviously implemented incorrectly. The developers need to go back to Comp Sci 1 to learn how to test for bugs.

    I repeat, do not buy this game, you will be very disappointed. Come back in a year when they finally get into beta testing.    … Expand
  21. Dethstar
    Jan 1, 2012
    1
    Just awful. One to avoid. Terrible control / UI. Wierd engine and for me at least, a refusal to scale properly to my screen. Its like an Alpha or a Beta except nothing seems to be improving over time.
  22. quassel
    Nov 4, 2011
    0
    paying 40â
  23. Joush
    Nov 4, 2011
    0
    This game is currently a broken and unplayable mess and seems likely to remain so for at least another 4 months, if the company that released it manages to stay in busness it may be in a playable state at that point. At this point, well after launch, it crashes constantly with most subsystems in an unfinished state.
  24. Walpurgisnacht
    Nov 4, 2011
    0
    I bought this game, because of the original Sword of the Stars game. I bought my version on Steam. Right after downloading I wondered why the options menu wasn´t accessible. Then in my first game I was just shocked. Bugs over bugs and crashes after crashes. I couldn´t believe that a company would really release a game in such an unfinished state. The I found outI bought this game, because of the original Sword of the Stars game. I bought my version on Steam. Right after downloading I wondered why the options menu wasn´t accessible. Then in my first game I was just shocked. Bugs over bugs and crashes after crashes. I couldn´t believe that a company would really release a game in such an unfinished state. The I found out what happened. Acc. to the forums and posts from Paradox and Kerberos officials they knowingly released a version that was in a state that was more a beta-version as a finished product. They apologized for that and promised to fis it. But I can´t understand and assist a company with my money for such a fraud. My advice would be:
    Please, check the forums to get a complete view of this mess.
    And - DON´T BUY THIS GAME NOW - LET THEM FIX IT FIRST.
    LET THEM NOT BE SUCCESSFULL WITH SUCH A BAD WAY TO TREAT THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS.    … Expand
  25. murut87
    Jan 11, 2012
    0
    Buggy, extremely complicated game,and unplayable...3 things that you should know about this game.First,why Options are buggy like disappearing text ? And why i can`t fullscreen? Developer should need to fix the bug before publishing it.Second,if i know how to play this game,i should be playing this game and i can`t find any of it until i see the encyclopedia....but that doesn`t help me toBuggy, extremely complicated game,and unplayable...3 things that you should know about this game.First,why Options are buggy like disappearing text ? And why i can`t fullscreen? Developer should need to fix the bug before publishing it.Second,if i know how to play this game,i should be playing this game and i can`t find any of it until i see the encyclopedia....but that doesn`t help me to memorize it.Third.....unplayable.Bored and No fun on this game,and waste your money.Deserve a zero score.… Expand
  26. Morring
    Dec 22, 2011
    0
    I'd think this was a joke, if it didn't cost money. Before you hit a game killing crash, repeating itself each time you try to load the game, you will probably witness: one of the most clunky, user-unfriendly interfaces ever seen in a game, placeholder technologies with no real effect, some weapons not dealing any damage, or dealing a different damage from what stated, or being incrediblyI'd think this was a joke, if it didn't cost money. Before you hit a game killing crash, repeating itself each time you try to load the game, you will probably witness: one of the most clunky, user-unfriendly interfaces ever seen in a game, placeholder technologies with no real effect, some weapons not dealing any damage, or dealing a different damage from what stated, or being incredibly inaccurate as to be almost useless. Your ingame tutorial: a few screenshots of the interface with brief explanations of a few functions. Ridiculous AI. But wait! The realtime battles look great! Design your ships and go PEW PEW while battling for the galaxy! Too bad your fleet will often spawn so far from the enemy that you may spend all the time available for the battle trying to get in fighting range. You make choose to add more time to the battles: now you just have to spend five minutes being frustrated before getting started. You may also organize your fleet in a formation! Too bad as soon as the battle starts all the ships are just standing in line, regardless of what you chose. Now, the list of missing features and bugs in the existing ones is longer, but this is way more than I need to give this heap of failure a zero. The devs are working on it, while the game is still sold with no mention of its current state, as if this was a complete, working game. This is why I'm reviewing it as such. If someone chose to show some respect for the players by simply selling it as a paying beta to support the project, it would just be a game with a decent chance of becoming actually good, before or later. My advice: wait a few months, and if you like what you see get it for cheap at the next steam sales. Dont buy it now: it may get good, but some annoying stuff like the clunky interface seems to be here to stay.… Expand
  27. murtle52
    Jan 9, 2012
    0
    I really hope that one of these days someone has the balls to take legal action against developers who knowingly release unfinished broken games .
    This wasn't even ready for beta stage.
    If I had the money I would call my lawyer and hold these thieves accountable.
  28. DOMT
    Jan 20, 2012
    0
    As the mods on the Paradox forums are constantly saying in every thread they dont lock/delete that asks how the updates are going "Remember the game is not complete yet, no matter how much we want it to be it's just not done/finished/1.0." A MONTH AFTER RELEASE and they arent even at 1.0 yet. Run screaming from this filth. And Im sorry, anyone who gave this game a green review is lying. Or a dev.
  29. Urza
    Mar 15, 2012
    0
    It's a broken incomplete mess. It never should have been release. Don't buy it on Steam or Gamers Gate regardless of how cheap it is when it's on sale. Don't support this developer or publisher.
  30. GM_Pax
    Jan 20, 2012
    1
    IN BRIEF: absolutely horrid. Spend your money elsewhere! IN DEPTH: I bought the Complete Collection of Sword of the Stars 1, and while I found it to be a very challenging game with a steeper learnign curve than I was accustomed to, it was also an _enjoyable_ game. Despite losing time and again, I kept going back for more, because with each loss, I _learned_ something new. AndIN BRIEF: absolutely horrid. Spend your money elsewhere! IN DEPTH: I bought the Complete Collection of Sword of the Stars 1, and while I found it to be a very challenging game with a steeper learnign curve than I was accustomed to, it was also an _enjoyable_ game. Despite losing time and again, I kept going back for more, because with each loss, I _learned_ something new. And eventually, enough lessons let me start holding my own ... well, against the AI set in easy mode, anyway. I do not claim to be a great general, ha! Based on that, I then bought SotS2. And right now? I don't just want my money back, I want the TIME I spent trying to figure the game out, given back to me. Yes, it really is that bad. The game seems stable enough right now, but the interface makes it still unplayable. At least, to someone like me, who is not omniscient. I can't figure out how to start up Trade within my empire - despite researching the technology, and building a dozen or more freighters. I have yet to find a way to scrap old, obsolete ships - except throw them at the enemy, to be uselessly blown up in combat. I also very much dislike the fleet management setup; if I build a fleet to explore the galaxy, for GODS SAKE, I don't want it coming all the way back home after every system it surveys! I haven't yet found a way to relocate a fleet from one system to another, either. Which, in turn, leads to another problem: you can't build a fleet piecemeal at multiple stars. You have to build the WHOLE fleet at ONE system ... because there's no way to permanently reassign a ship built in system A, to a fleet based out of system B. Not that I've been able to find, anyway! All in all, I'm not really fighting the AI very much in this game; I'm fighting the arcane, counter-intuitive UI. And I'm not learning anything with each loss this time around, either - because I just can't tell what I've done wrong, or what I've neglected to do. The blasted game doesn't TELL ME enough about what's going on, for that! SotS1 was a great game, and I'll keep playing it for a long time to come. SotS2 is a stinker, and it's coming off my hard-drive just as soon as I'm done writing this review.… Expand
  31. Neffmoo
    Jan 27, 2012
    0
    There are no more refunds. They stopped 30th of november. No one knows why, because the game still is not done yet BUT sold. The game is STILL unfinished and now they are actively defrauding people by selling them an unfinished product as if it were finished.
  32. Failgame
    Jan 27, 2012
    0
    http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?569607-Meta-Thread-Refunds%2Fpage11 follow the convo between castellion and capt badger. Castellion straight lies to him lol

    Originally Posted by Castellon View Post So I inquired about your situation and was informed that you have had many replies, but you just do not want to hear what they are telling you. What ? I do not want to hear    http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?569607-Meta-Thread-Refunds%2Fpage11 follow the convo between castellion and capt badger. Castellion straight lies to him lol

    Originally Posted by Castellon View Post
    So I inquired about your situation and was informed that you have had many replies, but you just do not want to hear what they are telling you.
    What ? I do not want to hear what they are telling me ?! I can not believe you actually wrote this! Do you want me to post my whole correspondence with support so EVERYBODY can see that what you wrote is simply NOT TRUE ?

    Last reply I got is from December 2nd! That was TWO WEEKS AGO. And since that time the situation drastically changed. (Your support guys made a mistake by sending my info to Steam, which was not my retailer). After that I placed FOUR comments asking for further updates. And nobody replied my to #7981 ticket yet.

    I am with contact with one of your employees on facebook, but that is a totally different story (I'm interested in ticktets, since support is the official way).    … Expand
  33. EMPulse
    Feb 1, 2012
    0
    Don't buy this till you hear from at least 20 people they can play past turn 10! I preordered. we were told the wrong version got uploaded to Steam by the owner of Kerberos, who posts as Mecron on their forums. Well 3 months later no one has found the version that SHOULD have been uploaded so it's safe to assume there is no other version and the events lamented by Mecron were all completeDon't buy this till you hear from at least 20 people they can play past turn 10! I preordered. we were told the wrong version got uploaded to Steam by the owner of Kerberos, who posts as Mecron on their forums. Well 3 months later no one has found the version that SHOULD have been uploaded so it's safe to assume there is no other version and the events lamented by Mecron were all complete CRAP. This wasn't even an Alpha build on release. It's not much better 3 months later, after the patch of a few days ago I crashed on turn 10. Wait till you get it in the Steam Christmas sale, Christmas 2014 though.… Expand
  34. Kumerian
    Feb 23, 2012
    0
    DO NOT BUY indeed. the current status is utter crap, unplayable and not likely to change anytime soon.

    Although the first installment of this game was possibly the best 4X I've ever played, the launch of SOTS2 is the worst launch in the history of utter crap. I have *never* been part of something this unprofessional in my life. Kerberos *should* go broke over this. At launch the game    DO NOT BUY indeed. the current status is utter crap, unplayable and not likely to change anytime soon.

    Although the first installment of this game was possibly the best 4X I've ever played, the launch of SOTS2 is the worst launch in the history of utter crap. I have *never* been part of something this unprofessional in my life. Kerberos *should* go broke over this.

    At launch the game couldn't start. In a week's time there had been 5 patches and it didn't improve anything. Now, 5 months later, the game is still nowhere near complete. And there is no way to get your money back either, which is quite possibly the worst part.

    I feel violated.    … Expand
  35. tsjb
    Feb 7, 2012
    1
    FIVE months since this games release and this game is still unplayable, even if you manage to get the game running without crashing nearly all the the features are completely buggy (the ones that are there anyway, alot of them are still missing).

    I love the company that makes this game which is why I waited almost half a year before saying anything but as it stands right now this game is    FIVE months since this games release and this game is still unplayable, even if you manage to get the game running without crashing nearly all the the features are completely buggy (the ones that are there anyway, alot of them are still missing).

    I love the company that makes this game which is why I waited almost half a year before saying anything but as it stands right now this game is still in a very early beta stage, the release was nothing more than a buggy alpha which never should have been released nevermind sold to the public.

    I spent 5 months giving them the benefit of the doubt, but this in my opinion is unacceptable.    … Expand
  36. PcDragon
    Jun 11, 2012
    2
    If you're considering to buy this game, please note that if you DO NOT know the game system/have not played SOTS original, this game is NOT for you. Is other commenters have said, this game is not totaly finish, and there are alot of problems with the gameplay. If you really want to play SOTS II due to the awesome grafhics, please note (again) you will ONLY buy it for the grafhics then. ItIf you're considering to buy this game, please note that if you DO NOT know the game system/have not played SOTS original, this game is NOT for you. Is other commenters have said, this game is not totaly finish, and there are alot of problems with the gameplay. If you really want to play SOTS II due to the awesome grafhics, please note (again) you will ONLY buy it for the grafhics then. It is not an enjoyable experience (yet)! Though it you're smart, and like the 'make your own space battle ships and take over the intire universe' gameplay, play the first one. Its much more stable and alot easier for newcommers.… Expand
  37. Kexler
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    5 months have gone by since Kerberose released this product and I optimistically held out that they would fix it in a timely manor and make my Steam Pre-order $40 worth it. I was incredibly wrong to have such optimism and not take the offered refund. The game is barely playable because of the amount of "crash to desktop" and End Turn cycles taking an obscene amount of time to run. It5 months have gone by since Kerberose released this product and I optimistically held out that they would fix it in a timely manor and make my Steam Pre-order $40 worth it. I was incredibly wrong to have such optimism and not take the offered refund. The game is barely playable because of the amount of "crash to desktop" and End Turn cycles taking an obscene amount of time to run. It appears on a 3 player map after turn 100, end turn cycles can take 5 to 10 minutes to run. Some screen transitions, going from starmap to to research for example, can take around 30 seconds to load. CPU idles around 30% load and GPU seems to idle around 11%. Key features are still missing. The game is like ordering a new car and the dealership promises delivery. Instead they drop off a kit and a team of mechanics take up camp on your driveway. The mechanics have put the car together but it is still missing the accelerator, turn signals, brakes and for some reason has a 8track tape player. So you can only look at your car, and maybe drive it a little bit but you aren't going far with it.

    Some day it may run, but so far it is not looking. I suggest not buying this one. Kerberose Productions should be made example of what not to do to your fanbase and paying customers.    … Expand
  38. Muminus
    Jul 6, 2012
    2
    As for July 2012 this game is still bad. Yes, the most (all?) bugs have been fixed, game does not crash and looks good. But that is not enough to make it a good game. The UI is still horrble, its very hard to find out what is really going on in your empire, what possible threats are incomming (be that some space menaces attacking your planet or simple over-spending of your budget). OnAs for July 2012 this game is still bad. Yes, the most (all?) bugs have been fixed, game does not crash and looks good. But that is not enough to make it a good game. The UI is still horrble, its very hard to find out what is really going on in your empire, what possible threats are incomming (be that some space menaces attacking your planet or simple over-spending of your budget). On strategic level, game is very complicated, but that does not transfer to wide variety of strategic options, on the contrary, you get drawn into finding out some small details (like why the hell can't I send my ships to system X). Space combat is quite boring, plays by itself and if you have bigger fleet, you win, if smaller, you loose and nothing you can click can change it (well, maybe you can retreat if you are lucky to find out how, i wasnt). Research system is ok, although I personally do not like the randomized tree and time-wasting feasibility studies, but thats personal preference. To summarize: the devs fixed the crash bugs during last 8 months. Now they should spend at least the same time to make this game fun - but I'm not sure they are willing to.… Expand
  39. geewhiz
    Jul 22, 2012
    3
    Finally bought this game because some reviewers suggested that many bugs had been fixed. Unfortunately many remain and the game frequently crashes. It is also a pity that the developers have produced a sequel with longer lags and less visual appeal than the original.
  40. Gurusmurf
    Nov 4, 2013
    1
    Clunky interfaces that seem to be designed to maximize the number of clicks needed to perform routine functions. Frustrating movement system and combat system. Normally when something like this happens one is rewarded with stunning graphics, but not so here. The graphics are merely alright and not worth the abysmal gameplay. If you liked the originals you probably won't like this.

Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
44

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 14
  3. Negative: 7 out of 14
  1. CPUGamer
    Feb 13, 2012
    30
    Bottom line is that on paper, this is an incredibly deep and varied game, but time and again, the reach of the programmers vastly exceeds their grasp. Even months after release, there's so little in this game that's working as intended, that only the most desperate die-hard fan of the genre should even consider this game.
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  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Feb 13, 2012
    79
    Sword of the Stars 2 had one of the worst launches ever. At present condition (January) the code is quite playable, game is sometimes even fun. Kerberos will upgrade the game and it seems to be getting better and better. [Feb 2012]
  3. Absolute Games
    Dec 23, 2011
    35
    Sword of the Stars 2 is what happens when a space opera becomes a hostage of amateurish idealists.
    Read full review
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