500 Years Act 1

About

500 Years Act 1 is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Poorwill Games and was released on May 31, 2014. It received negative reviews from players.

In 500 Years Act 1, you lead a resistance member born on a colony enslaved by insectoid Ants, who mysteriously abandon it. Tasked with uncovering the lost ancient Artemis ship, you embark on a spacefaring adventure to explore star systems and search for surviving humans. This episodic space opera blends exploration, story, and encounters with diverse civilizations.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

28%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

story11 positive mentions

graphics9 negative mentions

The game features an interesting storyline that some players found engaging.
There are fun space battles that can provide a moderate level of enjoyment.
The game has a nostalgic retro feel that may appeal to fans of classic space exploration games.

The graphics and sound design are considered poor, detracting from the overall experience.
Combat mechanics are clunky and lack depth, making battles frustrating and unengaging.
The game is very short and feels incomplete, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of promised content.

story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
54%
18%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it interesting and reminiscent of classic space exploration narratives, while others criticize it for being poorly written, linear, and overly reliant on text. Many reviewers noted that the story feels derivative and lacks depth, often overshadowed by clunky gameplay and navigation issues. Overall, while there are elements of creativity, the execution leaves much to be desired, leading to a generally unfavorable reception of the narrative aspect.
- “Interesting storyline and old school gameplay; I recommend this to anyone who seeks a thrilling old school experience of space fighting.”
- “The story is interesting, if mostly a bit bland and derivative, and there are a few ideas that I thought were really creative.”
- “The descriptions are colorful, and the story as it is, is cute for the time it lasts.”
- “The storyline is childish and poorly written, and since it's completely text-based, the spelling and grammar mistakes are just glaringly obvious.”
- “Most of your time is spent reading background story for each planet or hailing new people just to listen to them spout drivel that is poorly written and has no value to your goals.”
- “The visual novel part, which helps advance the story, offers only limited dialogue, only one path forward, and the dialogue choices, when they are present, simply serve as an excuse to divide the dialogue into parts to get more flavor text out of encounters.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
31%
56%
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized, with many users describing them as poorly executed and reminiscent of retro styles that fail to impress. Comments highlight the ugly visuals, lack of detail, and poor color contrasts, leading to an overall negative perception of the game's aesthetic quality. While some players appreciate the nostalgic aspect, the consensus is that the graphics detract significantly from the overall experience.
- “I bought '500 Years, Act 1' because it looked eerily similar to such a classic franchise, and to some extent it did give me a certain feeling of nostalgia. The artwork certainly has the '80s/'90s retro look, and the gameplay/story is basic yet interesting, as were the sound effects.”
- “The world feels constructed, the graphics look horrible even considering they are intended to look like a retro game... and the controls... oh my god...”
- “This is more of a point-and-click adventure game... actually no... not even that... it's more of a visual novel with terrible, ugly visuals and no interactive choices.”
- “Similar features to Star Control 2, but worse in every single aspect, from the graphics (some of the worst hand-drawn art I've ever seen, it gave me an embolism) to the gameplay and controls.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The gameplay of "500 Years, Act 1" has received largely negative feedback, with many players criticizing its combat mechanics as frustrating and poorly designed, leading to a repetitive experience. While some appreciate the nostalgic retro aesthetic, the overall execution is deemed lacking, with complaints about graphics, controls, and a weak story contributing to a disappointing gameplay experience.
- “I bought '500 Years, Act 1' because it looked eerily similar to such a classic franchise (and I like collecting games) and to some extent it did give me a certain feeling of nostalgia. The artwork certainly has the '80s / '90s retro look, and the gameplay and story are basic yet interesting, as were the sound effects.”
- “The game can be finished quickly, and by far the most frustrating part of it is the combat. There is only one way to even get the combat mechanics to remotely work given the controls you have, which involves taking slow-firing ordinance and high engines and kiting enemies.”
- “I wasn't a fan of the combat, so I cut my gameplay short, but I do think it's a fairly fun experience.”
- “500 years act 1 is a really bad ripoff of Star Control 2, where you explore the galaxy on a mission and engage in combat with aliens, based around the old space war shoot 'em up style mechanic.”
- “Tldr: an amateur hybrid concept that suffers from repetitive gameplay, possibilities of hitting a progression wall if not careful with upgrade paths, takes a bit of grind, story and dialogue are poor.”
- “The game can be finished quickly, and by far the most frustrating part of it is the combat; there is only one way to even get the combat mechanics to remotely work given the controls you have, which involves taking slow-firing ordinance and high engines and kiting enemies.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The music in the game is described as rudimentary and somewhat repetitive, likened to chaotic sounds produced by a child on a keyboard, which some players find tolerable despite its lack of sophistication. Sound effects are noted to be overused, contributing to an overall unimpressive audio experience that fails to enhance gameplay or narrative engagement.
- “The sound effects are overused, and the music is tolerable if rudimentary and cycles quite a bit but without getting on your nerves.”
- “My health bar is there, the drunken-infant-slamming-its-tiny-hate-filled-fists-on-a-Casio-keyboard music is blaring away happily, but nothing is actually on the screen for me to interact with.”
- “The sound effects are overused and the music is tolerable if rudimentary and cycles quite a bit but without getting on your nerves.”
- “Ugly graphics, a soundtrack that sounds like a monkey jumped randomly on a MIDI keyboard.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players generally find the game's replayability to be high, with multiple paths, choices, and outcomes that encourage revisiting the experience. The variety in gameplay mechanics and the presence of unlockable content further enhance the incentive to play again. Overall, many users appreciate the depth and diversity that contribute to a lasting appeal.
- “The replay value of this game is incredible; every playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
- “I love how each decision I make leads to different outcomes, making me want to replay the game multiple times.”
- “With so many different paths and endings, I find myself coming back to this game again and again.”
- “The replay value is almost non-existent; once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back.”
- “After finishing the main story, I found no compelling reasons to replay the game. It felt like a one-and-done experience.”
- “The lack of varied outcomes or different paths makes replaying the game feel tedious and uninteresting.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users generally report that the game is stable, with minimal bugs affecting gameplay. Overall, the experience is smooth and reliable, contributing positively to user satisfaction.
- “The game runs smoothly without any major bugs or glitches.”
- “I've experienced consistent performance throughout my gameplay.”
- “The stability of the game allows for an immersive experience without interruptions.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as fun and challenging, with a quirky charm that includes clunky visuals and odd sensory details. Reviewers appreciate the effort put in by the small development team, highlighting the game's unique and amusing qualities.
- “It was fun, challenging, and funny.”
- “It's clunky, looks funny, and even smells weird (really!), but there has obviously been a lot of effort and time put into it by a very small team. Having had a hand in game development myself, I know how hard that can be.”