Sword of the Stars

 PC
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 23
  3. Negative: 3 out of 23
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. PC Gamer
    89
    While Sword of the Stars doesn't possess the battlefield variety of the "Homeworld" games that inspired it, it remains an ambitious and engrossing strategy triumph. [Nov. 2006, p.78]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. PC Zone UK
    83
    In much the same way that "Total War" proved that the war game could be stunning to look at, accessible and fun, SOTS is almost as impressive in its own low-budget way. [Oct 2006, p.76]
  3. GameShark
    83
    One of the best “pick up and play” renditions of a 4X space strategy title I’ve seen to date, and with the possibility of third-party mods opening up and even an expansion pack, I’m looking forward to seeing that the future brings for this interesting title.
  5. Boomtown
    80
    In spite of some minor ambiguity as concerns the control interface, it's a game that has a fairly shallow learning curve, yet promises much in the way of long term amusement for those who don’t like their 4X to be too taxing.
    All this publication's reviews
  6. AceGamez
    80
    If you let it, Sword of the Stars will consume your life. You'll forget you have a girlfriend or a job, you'll rush home from school (or simply not go) to carry on playing and that's exactly what a great sim should do.
    All this publication's reviews
  7. IGN
    77
    I love the slick, high-tech look of the interface. A little more functionality would be nice, of course, but the game looks much more futuristic and advanced than any other space empire game on the market.
  8. GameZone
    76
    The lack of variety of units is hurtful, but not as much as the lack of information when selecting parts for your ships or after a battle has been fought.
  9. Game Informer
    75
    Even with a well-balanced multiplayer experience, I can't say that Sword of the Stars is incredibly ambitious, but it's definitely an entertaining and accessible way to extend your galactic influence. [Sept. 2006, p.99]
    All this publication's reviews

Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 73 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 73
  3. Negative: 15 out of 73
  1. Neian
    Oct 31, 2011
    0
    Very disappointed in this game. Was released on October 28th through Steam, but Paradox changed the release date to the 31st for physicalVery 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.… Full Review »
  2. OrdvaagMcSizzle
    Jan 12, 2009
    0
    You can always tell who the fanboys and shills are in these comments because they always give the game a 10 and their entire comment isYou can always tell who the fanboys and shills are in these comments because they always give the game a 10 and their entire comment is dedicated to addressing and refuting other people's comments, rather than justifying the 10 rating. They want you to think that it's a crime to not like a game, and to call a turd a turd. This game is a turd. It is a 4X game for people who don't like 4X games. Why they can't just go back to playing The Sims, who knows. Conversely, therefore, people who do like 4X games will not like this game, because it lacks everything that makes 4X games good and distinctive and addictive.… Full Review »
  3. eldaras
    Nov 17, 2011
    8
    Sword of the stars is a great game with lots of replayability. The graphics are (or were) not bleeding edge when the game was released and theSword of the stars is a great game with lots of replayability. The graphics are (or were) not bleeding edge when the game was released and the voice over is really bad. But the game... the game is really, really good. for example, the technology tree is not the same on each game, which forces the player to think about new strategies, and the different combinations of weapons and ship types makes it even more challenging.

    The tutorial that comes with the game is RUBBISH, but if you want to learn how to play it and the different technologies the the site http://sots.rorschach.net/ is a great resource (it was build by the same guy who did the tutorial videos). I have to say that given that the game is quite complex, no tutorial might be enough to explain all the game (imagine a Flight Simulator tutorial in a super-real game).

    Games also takes a while to finish (~3-4 hours for a short game with 60 stars). I've never played a big game (350 stars, 8 players), but I reckon that it might take about a week and get boring when each player has already researched all the technologies.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »