DarkStar One: Broken Alliance

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 22
  3. Negative: 6 out of 22
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. MrMayge
    Jun 14, 2011
    6
    I've always wanted to try a space simulator, but Darkstar One: Broken Alliance might have turned me off from simulators forever.
    The plot goes like this: your father has been murdered by a mysterious criminal, but on the bright side he left you a kick-@$$ ship that can be upgraded with alien artifacts. You must hunt down the vile murderer and bring him to justice, but first you must    I've always wanted to try a space simulator, but Darkstar One: Broken Alliance might have turned me off from simulators forever.
    The plot goes like this: your father has been murdered by a mysterious criminal, but on the bright side he left you a kick-@$$ ship that can be upgraded with alien artifacts. You must hunt down the vile murderer and bring him to justice, but first you must collect enough credits to get to a star system with information.
    From there, you go around collecting credits by killing pirates, pirating for yourself, smuggling, or escorting cargo ships between systems. The missions are pretty much all the same within their respective types.
    The game tells you it has "Over 300 star systems to explore!" That's half true; it does have over 300 star systems, but since about 250 of them consist of little more than a trade station, a planet decal (or picture), and some random debris, that's not saying a whole lot.
    Space battles are fun usually, once you get the controls. The ship's a little slow and the default weapon sounds like a Star Wars reject, but otherwise it's fun.
    I got this game for $5, and I don't think I'd pay a whole lot more for it, but I can't say it's a bad space simulator...just that space is really boring.    … Expand
  2. rhetoricmonkey
    Feb 21, 2011
    8
    DarkStar One: Broken Alliance for the Xbox 360 is currently the only one of its kind as of Feb. 22, 2011.

    Most people who enjoy 4X games, exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination will find this game lacking at the same time playable. It's a fairly shallow game that doesn't offer much customization, although there are plenty of upgrade components. Exploration is comprised    DarkStar One: Broken Alliance for the Xbox 360 is currently the only one of its kind as of Feb. 22, 2011.

    Most people who enjoy 4X games, exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination will find this game lacking at the same time playable. It's a fairly shallow game that doesn't offer much customization, although there are plenty of upgrade components. Exploration is comprised of entering new solar systems via your upgradable warp drives jump distance; which is not only determined by money but mainly where you are in the storyline. When you enter a new system everything in it is listed in a Target List leaving little room for actual exploration.

    Expansion consists of opening new solar systems. There is no station management or player controlled solar systems.

    Exploitation is not worth discussing because of how little it brings to the game.

    Extermination has less to offer than exploitation.

    The graphics are crisp and clean but to me they feel unnatural.

    Overall the game fills a void that has been neglected on the console and that in itself makes this game worth 20 USD and a 7.5 review score in my book. But be warned that this game is for those of us who want a 4X game so badly that we can't score it lower than 7.5.    … Expand
  3. Xaffax
    Apr 29, 2014
    1
    I loved DarkStar One on my PC. So much so that when I accidentally found a version for teh Xbox 360 I immediately bought it. BIG MISTAKE! The Xbox version of this game is done by amateurs who don't know anything a about flight/space sims, and that's why this version is crap that I will never play again. And it simply comes down the controls.
    You see...from the Wright brothers to the Space    I loved DarkStar One on my PC. So much so that when I accidentally found a version for teh Xbox 360 I immediately bought it. BIG MISTAKE! The Xbox version of this game is done by amateurs who don't know anything a about flight/space sims, and that's why this version is crap that I will never play again. And it simply comes down the controls.
    You see...from the Wright brothers to the Space Shuttle one thing in flying remained the same. You push the stick to the right your plane/ship rolls to the right. Push the stick to the left it rolls to the left. This always has been the rule till the morons who adapted the game for the Xbox got their hands on DarkStar One. These IDIOTS managed to map the controls in such a way that you push the right the ship rolls left, and when you push left it rolls right. Besides that it makes the game ridiculous, I have no words to describe my utter contempt for the reviewers who write that this game has good controls...I mean really let them go and review barby dolls, because they obviously have the brain of a three year old girl.
    What makes it even more annoying is that the buttons can be mapped, but the all important axes and their function can't. And because the axes are mapped totally wrong. And "wrong" is the only way to describe it. This game feels like moving a cross hair on a two dimensional field, instead of flying a ship through three dimensional space. The illusion of flight is ruined.
    That's why one is the only reasonable mark this game can get.    … Expand
  4. SpartanEdge
    May 31, 2011
    8
    We REALLY need more games like this on the 360! or any console come to that,Especially as this is the only one like this on it.. So Kudos Kalypso for releasing this game,cos theres people out there(myself included)that have been crying out for a game like this on cosole,for the longest time..(Probably the last decent space combat game on a console,was Starlancer,on the Sega Dreamcast,whichWe REALLY need more games like this on the 360! or any console come to that,Especially as this is the only one like this on it.. So Kudos Kalypso for releasing this game,cos theres people out there(myself included)that have been crying out for a game like this on cosole,for the longest time..(Probably the last decent space combat game on a console,was Starlancer,on the Sega Dreamcast,which is unacceptable).This has got everything you would want from a game like this.You can go where you want,& take on whatever missions you want,& do trading also,Elite style.I like the way that the Alien artifacts you collect,you use to upgrade your ship(The Darkstar One),to the systems you want to work on,& the way it shows visibly in the look of your ship.The combat could be a little better if i'm honest,Could do with being a little slower & more tactical like say Starlancer or The X-Wing games,but its ok,& not too fast & 'wizzy' like Project Silpheed.But all in all,if your looking for a decent Space Combat/Trading game,then this will do nicely.. But can we have more games like this on console PLEEEEEASE.... Is that too much to ask?..… Expand
  5. Winterspark
    Dec 28, 2014
    3
    The only xbox 360 space sim game and it is awful. Flying the ship around feels like wading through mud with poorly mapped (and unchangeable) controls and endless repetitive pointless cut scenes. The game has to load when jumping between star systems... Elite, the original space sim from the 1980s didn't have to load when jumping between star systems! And, my god, the voice acting... makesThe only xbox 360 space sim game and it is awful. Flying the ship around feels like wading through mud with poorly mapped (and unchangeable) controls and endless repetitive pointless cut scenes. The game has to load when jumping between star systems... Elite, the original space sim from the 1980s didn't have to load when jumping between star systems! And, my god, the voice acting... makes all your base are belong to us seem professional.… Expand
  6. flybd5
    Oct 7, 2017
    4
    Taking into consideration the shabby VGA graphics, this game would get a much higher rating if it were not for the rampant bugs. The game hangs on loading saves, some of the features like picking a target don't work after certain situations, which means you have to pick something else and then pick what you want, etc. It's just a very bug-infested game that speaks very poorly of the developers.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. GameCritics
    60
    I certainly understand that it's unrealistic to expect a developer to fill an entire "universe" with stunningly unique content, but while DarkStar One's heart might be in the right place, it needs a top-down overhaul before I can recommend that anyone climb aboard for the journey.
    Read full review
  2. Console Monster
    70
    If you're prepared to put up with a little bit of grinding and can deal with some of the more repetitive missions outside of the main quest, there's a lot here to enjoy. For those hankering for an Elite style fix, there's definitely an amount of homage and given that there's a distinct gap in this genre, DarkStar One is ahead of its competition.
    Read full review
  3. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    70
    Almost unique gaming for the 360, but the one-note gameplay soon becomes routine. [Aug 2010, p.90]
See all critic reviews »