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. Monte28
    Jun 2, 2012
    9
    June 3rd, 2012. The game is stable and i have 22 hours played and no crashes or freezes. The game has alot of features but is very complicated. The UI isnt bad its just there are so many menus you can get lost sometimes. Overall its the best 4x title i have ever played and its stunning graphics and mechanics is just awesome. The reason i take a point off is the fact there are a bit ofJune 3rd, 2012. The game is stable and i have 22 hours played and no crashes or freezes. The game has alot of features but is very complicated. The UI isnt bad its just there are so many menus you can get lost sometimes. Overall its the best 4x title i have ever played and its stunning graphics and mechanics is just awesome. The reason i take a point off is the fact there are a bit of things here and there that are EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING. Such as the fact you HAVE to assemble a fleet to protect ever single system you own. This is so frustrating its unreal. Plus combat gets annoying because you cant freely move the camera, you have to double click on your units and then the camera follows. So really the game just needs a few tweaks and it would be perfect.… Expand
  2. mrpepperkitty
    Jul 4, 2012
    8
    Mrpepperkitty back here almost a year after that fateful release day, and I must say Kerberos has pulled through, defying all the skeptics out there (Myself initially included). Kerberos' efforts are beyond dedicated, and if you don't believe me you can go on their site and browse the thousands of fixes and additions that have been made to the game. Or don't believe that, and buy it. IMrpepperkitty back here almost a year after that fateful release day, and I must say Kerberos has pulled through, defying all the skeptics out there (Myself initially included). Kerberos' efforts are beyond dedicated, and if you don't believe me you can go on their site and browse the thousands of fixes and additions that have been made to the game. Or don't believe that, and buy it. I just bought the game again, and at turn 30 am still going strong. I have to admit the UI is still a little clunky and it might be hard for beginners, but the game and all of its featurey goodness is there now. It has finally begun to capture the magic of the original, and hopefully soon with the stream of updates that has yet to cease, it will surpass its predecessor. I think the worst game of 2011 may soon be one of the best of 2012!… Expand
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. DaveLister
    Nov 3, 2011
    5
    Older gamers remember Master of Orion 2 being a great Sci-Fi 4X game. Then MOO3 was terrible.

    Sword of the Stars 2 is a similar case, except that it is because SOTS2 is not finished. If you are looking for an excellent turn-based + RTS Sci-Fi 4X, "Sword of the Stars: Ultimate Collection" is worth your time and money. (Available on Steam, etc.) Note: SOTS is complex, so RTFM. As    Older gamers remember Master of Orion 2 being a great Sci-Fi 4X game. Then MOO3 was terrible.

    Sword of the Stars 2 is a similar case, except that it is because SOTS2 is not finished. If you are looking for an excellent turn-based + RTS Sci-Fi 4X, "Sword of the Stars: Ultimate Collection" is worth your time and money. (Available on Steam, etc.) Note: SOTS is complex, so RTFM.

    As for SOTS2 it is going to take time for the developers to finish it, so my recommendation is to play the first SOTS for a couple months before you try the new one.    … Expand
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. Metametheus
    Nov 3, 2012
    10
    Bought SotS2 without playing the first games, also got it right when it came out... complete mind you. Wanted a game that was like a more advanced model of Masters of Orions and pretty much I have it now with Sword of the Stars 2, the game has evolved so well in the past year since its early conception. Much of the game is geared towards a strategy / simulation genre in a turn-based 4XBought SotS2 without playing the first games, also got it right when it came out... complete mind you. Wanted a game that was like a more advanced model of Masters of Orions and pretty much I have it now with Sword of the Stars 2, the game has evolved so well in the past year since its early conception. Much of the game is geared towards a strategy / simulation genre in a turn-based 4X Strategy universe. Very complex, very hard to get into when you first start playing, but very well designed. Complete ship designing from the command - role - engine systems, and design of the weapons and what goes into it. Gives a whole new spin on Development and Deployment game mechanics where no one can predict what you will roll out next. The multiplayer is outstanding, long... but outstanding, its never the same game twice when playing with another person and gets persistantly better everytime you play it. Again its long, even with small 1 on 1 maps.
    Only downside is its still relateively incomplete, but for what its content is at the moment, its worth a 10... now I just need a 10 + 1 for that little extra credit for when its complete.    … Expand
  14. Cecilo
    Nov 22, 2012
    9
    I will say first, That this game WAS horribly broken at the release of it. Kerberos has as they have in the past shown that they are willing to fix their mistakes. The Game is very much playable and enjoyable in it's current state. (Nov 22nd, 2012). The game is deep and not a copy cat upgraded graphics game. It has new mechanics and new types of ships. New tech. New Weapons. And more. IfI will say first, That this game WAS horribly broken at the release of it. Kerberos has as they have in the past shown that they are willing to fix their mistakes. The Game is very much playable and enjoyable in it's current state. (Nov 22nd, 2012). The game is deep and not a copy cat upgraded graphics game. It has new mechanics and new types of ships. New tech. New Weapons. And more. If you like 4x games. Please, do yourself a favor and buy this game.… Expand
  15. Treliant
    Nov 5, 2012
    9
    I bought and started playing this Game shortly after its release over a year ago and like many others was very disappointed. I saw a lot of potential in the game even back at the start and will give Kerberos serious credit for not giving up and putting in the time to make this game shine. A quick look at the reviews by date of submission will tell you all you need to know about how farI bought and started playing this Game shortly after its release over a year ago and like many others was very disappointed. I saw a lot of potential in the game even back at the start and will give Kerberos serious credit for not giving up and putting in the time to make this game shine. A quick look at the reviews by date of submission will tell you all you need to know about how far this game has come and what state it is in now.
    The game has 6 distinct races that vary widely enough in there mechanics that it feels like you are playing a brand new game with each one, a randomized tech tree that guarantees a think on your feet approach to playing (no perfect path to victory every time here), In depth ship design with a nice array of weapon types to choose from and absolutely stunning RTS Space combat. The game really does remind me of Shogun 2 in space.
    Having said that The UI can be clunky at times and directing your ships in RT combat can require some intense micro because of it. The game is very complex and there is a very steep learning curve but fortunately the Kerberos forum community is very active and helpful and most questions are answered within minutes of posting. The AI is decent for newcomers to the genre but most people will quickly figure out its weaknesses and shouldn't have too much trouble taking it down. For veterans of the genre there is a fairly active multiplayer community on steam that will step up the challenge if that's what you are looking for. The developers have been listening very closely to the community and have stated they plan on continuing to update both the UI and AI shortcomings. If they put in even a small fraction of the effort they have applied over the last year I have no doubts this game will make the step from great to outstanding.    … Expand
  16. Birdyman
    Nov 17, 2012
    8
    November 17, 2012 - I registered to metacritic just to write this review. I do seriously enjoy this game and while is USED to have its fair share of glitches and whatnot, Kerberos has turned this ship around. It speaks a lot when a company stands by their product for over a year - constantly making upgrades and patches to make it what it should have been. Yes, it is arguable why it wasNovember 17, 2012 - I registered to metacritic just to write this review. I do seriously enjoy this game and while is USED to have its fair share of glitches and whatnot, Kerberos has turned this ship around. It speaks a lot when a company stands by their product for over a year - constantly making upgrades and patches to make it what it should have been. Yes, it is arguable why it was released in such a poor state in the first place but that is in the past. Hats off to all the developers for the extreme amount of hard work it took to overcome the pile this used to be.This game is fantastic if you are looking for a very complex and deep 4x strategy game - I mean each race has their own means of traveling between stars! I love the fact that the tech tree is randomly generated - meaning one game you might be able to get the super-ginormous-fusion cannon and the next game, you can only get basic lasers. It adds a unique factor to the game and forces you to modify your strategy. As an added bonus - Kerberos has just announced a FREE expansion which includes another race as well as some other bonuses! So why just the 8? Truthfully, last time I played with a bud (before the "All clear"), there were some minor glitches and fixes still needing to be done. I have yet to confirm if these have been fixed but have no doubt they will be in due time. Off to play!… Expand
  17. edda
    Nov 17, 2012
    10
    To say I was disappointed by this game on release is an understatement. They should have kept it off the shelves so to speak and released when it was ready. Which is pretty much now 1 year later. For those who are interested in buying this game now, go for it. Its good value at $29.99 and seems to go on sale often. I am very happy with the support from kerberos-productions. ITo say I was disappointed by this game on release is an understatement. They should have kept it off the shelves so to speak and released when it was ready. Which is pretty much now 1 year later. For those who are interested in buying this game now, go for it. Its good value at $29.99 and seems to go on sale often. I am very happy with the support from kerberos-productions. I expected this game to get dropped and possibly take them with it. They are clearly passionate about their game. Thanks for the four free ship skin DLC's that the initial purchases have already been given and the promised free, to existing owners "End of Flesh" expansion. Thanks again for the continued support.… Expand
  18. 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
  19. darkcerb
    Nov 30, 2012
    9
    As of today December 1st 2012 the game has received an "enhanced edition" free makeover so it seemed a good time to put up a quick review. One of the worst launches in game history has turned into a fully functional 4x space sim, ignore the vast amount of launch reviews here if you're a fan of the genre games like sins of a solar empire or even the civilization series you'll enjoy this.
  20. Tarax
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    While the game came out in bad shape. Those times are now long gone. Today The game Is pretty Amazing now. Sure there a some bugs here and there,and a few "missing" features. But compared to how it was at the start, its nothing that disturbs the game play at all. I love playing this game now.
  21. R3DSKULL
    Dec 1, 2012
    9
    While this game had a rocky start unlike any major company kerberos stood by its product and repaired its mistake. What went from a terrible release to the best space 4x strategy game ever. This game is not perfect yet, hence the 9 not 10 score. But its worth every penny, for it's replay alone. Its blindingly addictive, 6 hrs can pass and you didn't even realize. With its latest enhancedWhile this game had a rocky start unlike any major company kerberos stood by its product and repaired its mistake. What went from a terrible release to the best space 4x strategy game ever. This game is not perfect yet, hence the 9 not 10 score. But its worth every penny, for it's replay alone. Its blindingly addictive, 6 hrs can pass and you didn't even realize. With its latest enhanced edition kerberos gives the new expansion, End of Flesh with the new version of the game. this adds yet another race. now 7 races totally different experience with each race, super in depth gameplay and an awesome random tech tree/Forest that changes the game every time you play. This is a game you could play again and again and it would change so much you would learn something new each and every time. The GFX are great and kerberos continues to stand by its product and set an example everyone in the industry should learn ////cough/// blizzard. ITs nice to see a game with what i would have agreed with 44 metascore coming to fruit, and in desperate need of a change. A far far better game than endless space. Dont let old reviews scare you away this is a brand new game worth every bit of time and money you spend on it.… Expand
  22. omniste
    Aug 20, 2012
    9
    This game has finally been patched to a suitable release state. And what a game. Sword of the stars 2 is perhaps the most expansive and full featured 4x strategy game available today. Ship design excels with an expansive research tree and excellent macro management design for your empire. Whilst the occasional crash is still an issue, the autosave more than compensates for this. The timeThis game has finally been patched to a suitable release state. And what a game. Sword of the stars 2 is perhaps the most expansive and full featured 4x strategy game available today. Ship design excels with an expansive research tree and excellent macro management design for your empire. Whilst the occasional crash is still an issue, the autosave more than compensates for this. The time has come that the negative reviews can now be largely ignored and the game easily picked up at a bargain price. Give it a try, if you enjoyed the original, or any 4x strategy game you'll find something to love here.… Expand
  23. HerrKohlrabi
    Nov 22, 2012
    10
    Nov. 22. 2012.
    While the game still has a small number of bugs and missing features, it is the greatest sci-fi 4x game I have encountered so far. It does well in comparison with Sins of a Solar Empire, Endless Space, Masters of Orion etc, but is a totally different game. One comparison would be a Total War game in space, but that doesn't do SotS II justice at all. Sword of the Stars II    Nov. 22. 2012.
    While the game still has a small number of bugs and missing features, it is the greatest sci-fi 4x game I have encountered so far. It does well in comparison with Sins of a Solar Empire, Endless Space, Masters of Orion etc, but is a totally different game. One comparison would be a Total War game in space, but that doesn't do SotS II justice at all. Sword of the Stars II has great lore, beautiful and fun tactical battles, and great strategic gameplay, and the different aspects of the game ties together really well, creating a sum larger than its parts.
    The game does have a great deal of complexity though, and the game differs from it's peers in several aspects, which might scare away newcomers to the game and to the genre.
    Players that are able and willing to do just a little reading in the beginners guide, the manual, the wiki or the forums won't have any trouble.
    Give the game a few hours, and you'll never regret your decision!    … Expand
  24. 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
  25. Tarrak
    Jun 8, 2012
    9
    It took a good while, but the game is finally becoming what it was supposed to be. And it is great, more stable than many other games. It isn't the same as SotS Prime, but it has grown into something more, something different. There are aspects that might not immediately be interesting to everyone, but the gameplay overall should be highly desirable to all 4X players. I got burned like soIt took a good while, but the game is finally becoming what it was supposed to be. And it is great, more stable than many other games. It isn't the same as SotS Prime, but it has grown into something more, something different. There are aspects that might not immediately be interesting to everyone, but the gameplay overall should be highly desirable to all 4X players. I got burned like so many others when the game came out, but I decided to not take the refund option. At this time I'm no longer sorry and no longer angry, I'm quite glad.
    If we are to be mad about the launch, we must also give credit where it is due. More than 50 patches has been uploaded. That is dedication most big companies would never even think of.    … Expand
  26. 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
  27. Seboss
    Jun 8, 2012
    7
    This game has a troubled history to say the least. But the developers have been beating it into shape via relentless patching and support and it's now fairly close to its intended glory.
    It's not yet in a 1.0 state, but it's definitely getting there. And since the game can be found for a very cheap price, I'd definitely recommend it.
  28. 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.
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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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