Astrox Imperium

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 851 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Astrox Imperium Game Cover
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Astrox Imperium is a single-player space strategy game that lets you explore, gather resources, build space stations, and manage interstellar politics. Engage in real-time combat with AI-controlled ships while navigating a vast, procedurally generated universe. Experience an immersive narrative with multiple branching storylines based on player choices.

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Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 851 reviews
story20 positive mentions
grinding40 negative mentions
  • The game offers a relaxing and immersive experience, reminiscent of EVE Online but without the toxic player interactions.
  • The developer is highly active and responsive to community feedback, providing regular updates and improvements.
  • The game features a variety of gameplay options, including mining, trading, and combat, allowing players to choose their own path.
  • The game feels unfinished, with many players reporting bugs and issues that hinder gameplay, such as mission failures and UI problems.
  • The life support mechanic can be frustrating, as it limits the time players can spend in space without needing to dock.
  • Some players find the combat and navigation systems clunky and unresponsive, making it difficult to engage effectively with enemies.
  • story216 mentions

    The game's story is currently underdeveloped, with many players expressing a desire for a more engaging narrative to complement the sandbox elements. While missions provide opportunities for progression and skill development, they often feel repetitive and lack meaningful context, leading to a sense of aimlessness in gameplay. Players hope for future updates to introduce a more fleshed-out storyline and dynamic universe to enhance the overall experience.

    • “Ancient wrecks of incalculably large ships dot sectors relating to the backstory.”
    • “There's a lot of missions, even found a few hidden missions from talking to other NPC pilots, so there's a fair bit of depth to gameplay.”
    • “It's awesome and fun enough now in early access; once storyline/equivalent of Eve's mission arcs get implemented, it is going to be even nicer.”
    • “There is no story or anything to make you feel connected to why you are continually grinding missions to get the next ship.”
    • “I'd hoped to see that by now, the game had a fleshed out story to continue a feeling of 'meaning,' but at present, there is still no such thing.”
    • “The main downer is that there's not a whole lot of 'drive' behind it without a story objective - no real sense of progression apart from leveling - but that's okay for some.”
  • gameplay103 mentions

    The gameplay of Astrox Imperium is characterized by its charming mechanics and immersive world, drawing comparisons to Eve Online while offering a more accessible experience. Players appreciate the depth of gameplay, including mining, trading, and exploration, though some mechanics, like life support, have received criticism for being unnecessary. Despite being in early access, the game provides a solid foundation with minimal bugs and a variety of activities, making it engaging and addictive once players overcome the initial learning curve.

    • “With its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and engaging gameplay, it offers a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and addictive once you figure it out.”
    • “It has all the activities you need, like mining, trading, exploration, missions, combat, character progression, build & command your fleet, station building, etc., with a well-designed, simple-to-use UI and easy-to-understand mechanics.”
    • “I will not elaborate why people want to play on an easy level or actually have to avoid tough gameplay, but to all those it is a big middle finger to implement such an elitist 'feature'.”
    • “The gameplay is all 3rd person and 'point and click' style which makes this a very chill game to play.”
    • “Life support is a very annoying mechanic that is absolutely not fun.”
  • graphics85 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as decent, with some users praising the beautiful visuals and immersive environments, while others note that they are not on par with AAA titles. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware, and there are calls for further graphical updates to enhance the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics may not be groundbreaking, they are considered functional and enjoyable, contributing positively to the gameplay.

    • “The world is immersive and the visuals are really nice, the mechanics can be quite confusing at times and the information on them is sometimes hidden in the most obscure locations, however if you are trying to figure out how to do something, google it!”
    • “With its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and engaging gameplay, it offers a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and run very fast; I was hitting 250 fps on my 5-year-old i5 GTX 970 rig until I turned on the VSync to give my video card a break.”
    • “But Eve Online is way better on almost every point: complexity, graphics, user interface, immersion, user experience...”
    • “The graphics are a mixed bag but honestly it does not bother me as the gameplay is what this is all about, not fancy graphics.”
    • “This game looks worse graphically than X3 which came out in 2005.”
  • grinding41 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is a polarizing feature, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the early stages where mining and mission grinding dominate gameplay. While some appreciate the grind as a core element of the experience, akin to games like EVE Online, others criticize it for lacking depth and connection to the game's narrative. Overall, the grind can be mitigated through various gameplay options, but it remains a significant part of the experience that may deter those who prefer a more streamlined approach.

    • “Grinding missions are by far the quickest way to earn skill points to upgrade, but reward little money for time invested.”
    • “There is no story or anything to make you feel connected to why you are continually grinding missions to get the next ship.”
    • “It is an arbitrary money and time sink in a game that is already grindy as hell.”
  • music29 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and ambient qualities, enhancing the overall experience and fitting well within the space sim genre. Many players appreciate the ability to play their own music alongside the game's soundtrack, which is described as chill and engaging, making it suitable for casual gameplay. While some users noted that the music may not be the main focus of the game, it still contributes significantly to the immersive atmosphere.

    • “The music in Astrox Imperium is great.”
    • “The ambience is superb, the replayability is quite high, and the music track, while perhaps a little short, is haunting and atmospheric.”
    • “This game has some amazing ambient space music that is really very cool and adds to the atmosphere.”
    • “I own a lot of games (on and off Steam) and on virtually all of them, one of the very first things I end up doing is going into the sound settings and turning the music off.”
    • “Graphics and music are just passable, but these are clearly not the main focus of this title.”
    • “There's no sounds when you shoot, get shot, get locked, anything really other than music.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    Overall, the game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on older hardware, and offers a variety of customization options that enhance gameplay. While it provides an immersive experience with a focus on productivity and efficiency, some users have reported overheating issues on certain systems, suggesting that further optimization may be needed. The developer's ongoing improvements indicate a commitment to enhancing performance and user experience.

    • “Bottom line, this game runs smoothly on old equipment, it's fun for a few hours, and the developer continues to improve it.”
    • “It's absolutely immersive... its practical application of productivity and efficiency are well worth buying this game for, and will help you in real terms with production optimization and efficiency.”
    • “There's a grand variety of skills, items, modules, and ships, and it seems everything is quite interconnected, offering many ways of customization and optimization of how you want to achieve your goals.”
    • “However, I don't know if this is an optimization problem or what, but the game makes my laptop struggle to run smoothly.”
    • “Maintenance - performance and failures need to be added to ships.”
    • “Having a crew system tied to ship performance would add risk if a certain amount was lost in combat.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, featuring stunning visuals and an immersive ambient soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the haunting music and superb ambience, which effectively set the tone and contribute to high replayability. Overall, the combination of graphics, sound, and environmental design creates a captivating and atmospheric gaming experience.

    • “The ambience is superb, the replayability is quite high, and the music track, while perhaps a little short, is haunting and atmospheric.”
    • “The different systems and ships all look great, and the whole atmosphere is very immersive.”
    • “This game has some amazing ambient space music that is really very cool and adds to the atmosphere.”
  • stability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report it as relatively polished and bug-free compared to other early access titles, there are notable glitches affecting training missions and AI behavior. Some users have experienced issues with pathfinding and graphical glitches, but the developer's commitment to addressing these problems and engaging with the community is commendable.

    • “More polished and bug-free than many 'fully released' (a.k.a. non-early access) games I've played before.”
    • “It's pretty much bug-free, fully featured, and stable at the time of writing.”
    • “From the sole developer's relentless pursuit of a bug-free product to communicating with his community, he is second to none.”
    • “There are glitches that will cause the training missions to bug out and become unusable, as well as the regular missions.”
    • “My ships fly sideways and don't ever reach their objective. Some of the ally AI is tricky to trigger in certain scenarios, pathfinding can be really bad, and there are some graphical glitches.”
    • “It's buggy when I'm learning about fleet management and drone management at the same time.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Astrox Imperium offers high replayability due to its expansive space sandbox environment, diverse game modes like sandbox and HSE, and a variety of skills to explore. The game is accessible for players with physical limitations, enhancing its appeal, although some control improvements are suggested. Overall, the combination of engaging gameplay and atmospheric elements contributes to its strong replay value.

    • “Astrox Imperium is a fun space sandbox with great promise and infinite replayability.”
    • “The ambience is superb, the replayability is quite high, and the music track, while perhaps a little short, is haunting and atmospheric.”
    • “It's very replayable, with many sectors and many skills.”
    • “The recently added sandbox mode and house mode (a sector-by-sector clear-the-map of baddies game mode) add a lot of replayability to the game already.”
    • “The game lacks significant content updates, making it feel repetitive after a few playthroughs.”
    • “Once you complete the main story, there isn't much incentive to replay the game, as the side quests feel too similar.”
  • humor3 mentions

    Players find the humor in the game to be a significant highlight, often engaging in laughter and singing along to songs like "Father Christmas (Give Us Your Money)" while playing. Despite the graphics not being top-tier, the entertaining and funny gameplay experience keeps players thoroughly engaged.

    • “The whole time jumping back and forth to the sectors, we were laughing and singing the Kinks song, 'Father Christmas (Give Us Your Money).' If you've never heard the song before, I highly recommend a quick YouTube search for it.”
    • “Ok, the graphics are not AAA models, but I don't care because it is entertaining, enjoyable, and funny to play.”
    • “That's awesome and funny.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is generally well-received, with most players appreciating the depth and progression of characters, though there is one noted exception. Additionally, the game incorporates character growth through a diverse range of skills and educational elements.

    • “The character development is incredibly satisfying, with a wide range of skills to explore.”
    • “I appreciate how the game incorporates character development through education, allowing for a diverse skill set.”
    • “Every aspect of character development feels rewarding, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
    • “I was disappointed by how little the characters evolve throughout the game.”
    • “The choices I made didn't seem to impact the character development in any significant way.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect has drawn mixed reviews, with some users expressing frustration over advertised features like fleet building and mercenaries that do not function as expected. While the developer's solo effort is respected, the lack of effective gameplay tied to these monetized elements has led to disappointment among players.

    • “I respect the developer, it's just a single person doing everything; however, I'm frustrated with the fact that I see the ability to raise fleets and build things during advertisements, then go to do it and it doesn't work.”
    • “Despite the advertisements, building doesn't benefit you, and the mercenaries are broken. For that, you should play Starpoint Gemini Warlords.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

13hMedian play time
27hAverage play time
4-60hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs

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