Battlestar Galactica Deadlock

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,608 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Game Cover
Better late than never, Battlestar Galactica gets the smart starship tactics game it deserved in BSG: Deadlock.
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"Battlestar Galactica Deadlock" is a tactical space combat game set in the Battlestar Galactica universe. Command a fleet of Colonial ships and defend against the Cylon threat in strategic battles, while managing resources and political challenges on the colonies. Experience a new story in the Battlestar Galactica universe, with beautiful 3D graphics and engaging gameplay.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,608 reviews
story186 positive mentions
grinding66 negative mentions
  • Captures the essence of the Battlestar Galactica universe with great attention to detail in ship design and sound.
  • The turn-based combat system allows for strategic planning and offers a unique gameplay experience.
  • Cinematic replays of battles provide an engaging way to relive the action and enhance immersion.
  • The user interface is clunky and can be confusing, making it difficult to manage fleets and ships effectively.
  • The campaign can become repetitive, with similar mission objectives and enemy encounters throughout.
  • Limited fleet sizes and the inability to control multiple fleets in the same battle can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • story1,068 mentions

    The story of "Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock" is generally viewed as underwhelming, with many players finding it linear, repetitive, and lacking depth. While it attempts to stay true to the lore of the Battlestar Galactica universe, the execution often feels disjointed, with some missions lacking clear objectives or coherence. Despite these criticisms, fans of the franchise may still appreciate the nostalgic elements and the overall premise, especially when combined with the tactical gameplay and engaging combat mechanics.

    • “The story missions keep it fresh and have been good so far.”
    • “Great game, great story, great music.”
    • “The story is well written and interesting, and feels true to the universe.”
    • “The base game story beats are nonsense.”
    • “The story is essentially just sort of there.”
    • “The worst aspect of the game is the story, not compelling and not really surprising.”
  • gameplay478 mentions

    The gameplay of "Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock" is characterized by its engaging turn-based tactical mechanics, which blend strategic planning with real-time execution during battles. While many players appreciate the depth and complexity of the combat system, some criticize the repetitive nature of gameplay and a steep learning curve due to a clunky user interface. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience for fans of the franchise and strategy enthusiasts, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its niche mechanics and pacing.

    • “The turn-based battles work really well and can be incredibly tactical, especially with the armor mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is genuinely fun and engaging.”
    • “The gameplay execution I found to be a perfect means to balance action and strategy, all the while keeping a solid pace.”
    • “Gameplay is boring, controls are confusing and unresponsive at times with a keyboard and mouse or even with a controller.”
    • “The unintuitive user interface and bad camera controls made the core gameplay very frustrating.”
    • “Unfortunately, once you learn the mechanics of combat, the gameplay becomes kind of stale.”
  • graphics284 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the detailed ship models and the authentic aesthetic that captures the spirit of the Battlestar Galactica universe. While some reviews note that the visuals may appear dated or lack high-end polish, they still commend the game's ability to run smoothly on lower-end systems and highlight the immersive atmosphere created by the graphics and sound design. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, enhancing the gameplay experience despite some criticisms regarding their depth and detail.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, and the ability to launch raptors and vipers makes the combat that more immersive.”
    • “The visuals are stunning, and the story is complex.”
    • “The graphics are fantastic and the models of the ships are amazing and beautiful.”
    • “The graphics are really, really dated, the sound is terrible and the mission information and 'story', if you can call it that, are provided with early 2000s quality cartoon pictures of the speaker and early 1990s text boxes with uninspired voice overs.”
    • “The graphics are poor, gameplay is very slow and tedious, and it's another one of those games where you basically have a lot of skirmish missions that don't really seem to be connected to a storyline other than what seems to have been tacked on as an afterthought.”
    • “Graphics are decidedly 'meh.' tooltips/guidance are not effective.”
  • music266 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to capture the essence of the Battlestar Galactica series, with many reviewers praising its atmospheric quality and dynamic shifts during gameplay. While some noted a lack of variety in tracks, the overall composition is described as immersive and reminiscent of Bear McCreary's work, enhancing the game's strategic and emotional experience. Fans of the franchise particularly appreciate how the soundtrack complements the visuals and gameplay, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The music is perfect.”
    • “The soundtrack is truly excellent.”
    • “The music captures the mood and tone of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica show.”
    • “The music was annoying and not very good.”
    • “I ended up just turning the music off and playing something else in the background.”
    • “The voice acting is pretty dire and the music, while reminiscent of McCreary, lacks variety.”
  • grinding67 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players describing it as extremely tedious and repetitive. Players frequently mention the excessive micro-management required, the long campaign filled with repetitive battles, and the lack of engaging tactical play, leading to a frustrating experience. While some find enjoyment in the game's visuals and core mechanics, the grind often detracts from the overall fun, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Building many ships with officers to gain more reputation from colonies is a total waste of time; Cylons just send implacable waves, wiping all these isolated grinding players.”
    • “The campaign is long yet does not feel like it is tedious.”
    • “The overall feel is tedious with no payoff and feels more like something I would have suffered through 15 years ago.”
  • atmosphere54 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its authenticity and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the essence of the Battlestar Galactica universe through its visuals, music, and sound design. Many players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of uncertainty and desperation, although some criticize the voice acting as detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game is noted for its strong atmospheric elements that resonate well with fans of the franchise.

    • “The game faithfully recreates the atmosphere and aesthetics of the Battlestar Galactica universe, immersing players in its rich lore and iconic spacecraft.”
    • “Atmosphere is amazing in general, with sound effects, visuals, music, and UI/camera style all contributing to the effect of being RDM BSG.”
    • “Perfectly captures the feel, atmosphere, and music of Battlestar Galactica, and the auto-cam replay view is a lot of fun to watch after each battle.”
    • “Really cheesy voice acting which takes away from the atmosphere and seriousness of a battle.”
    • “Great game so far and feels pretty deep with different strategies up for play, but even with a massive brand behind it, the developers forgot to bring any atmosphere to the game. Having the AI spam 'so say we all' is not atmosphere; the show had some great one-liners and always had great dialogue, and this game has nothing like it. It's so generic and boring but makes up for it in visuals.”
    • “If you enjoyed Battlestar Galactica, then this would be an enjoyable game; however, if you enjoyed the remake, this does not have the same atmosphere as the remake.”
  • replayability46 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety of ship classes and difficulty levels that enhance replay value, others find the campaign's linearity and lack of depth limit their desire to replay it. Many suggest that additional customization options and DLCs significantly improve replayability, but some still feel that once the campaign is completed, there is little incentive to return. Overall, the game offers decent replayability, particularly for fans of the franchise, but it may not satisfy those seeking extensive long-term engagement.

    • “The variety of ship classes, weapons, and squadrons make for enduring replayability.”
    • “There is a lot of content and replayability if you want to increase difficulty levels in subsequent playthroughs.”
    • “The campaign offers a good amount of replay value, as you can utilize the customizations to form new strategies and new ways to deploy your fleets.”
    • “The short of it is that this game is fun to a point, but it isn't what I hoped it would be and it doesn't have much replayability.”
    • “However, the replay value of the campaign is limited because the main missions are always the same and at the same locations.”
    • “The game's biggest weakness is a lack of replayability.”
  • optimization23 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance even on older hardware, others encounter significant technical issues, including bugs, crashes, and inconsistent frame rates. The game's visuals are generally praised, but there are calls for better optimization and adjustments to gameplay mechanics, such as AI behavior and map sizes, to enhance the overall experience.

    • “The game runs smoothly and I haven't had any sort of hard crash, but the Cylon AI could use a little more tweaking from my experience, or perhaps shrinking the map sizes would help, as nothing is worse than spending 10 minutes boosting engine power to most of your ships to chase a random Cylon ship that's decided to go on a sightseeing tour.”
    • “The game is visually good and also well optimized - I played it on an old laptop with ultra settings.”
    • “Juggling fleet composition and command limits can be interesting to maximize your fleet performance.”
    • “Some players have reported encountering technical issues such as bugs, crashes, and performance optimization problems.”
    • “The game could be better optimized.”
    • “I get random crashes constantly, the UI is less than helpful even when I have no issues, and other performance-related issues including the mouse or keyboard randomly stop working.”
  • stability17 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report significant freezing and bugs, others have found it mostly playable with only minor visual glitches. Many users suggest that performance improves with better hardware, and the developers are actively addressing issues. Despite some frustrations, the game is generally considered stable enough for enjoyable gameplay.

    • “I re-bought the game after building a new PC with an MSI Z790 WiFi A motherboard, i7-13700K, 64GB DDR5 6000 RAM, and a lot of new SSD storage, and the game runs great now.”
    • “As far as I can see, it is mostly bug-free and playable from day one.”
    • “Otherwise it freezes and shuts down; it took me about 15 minutes of a Google search to find the fix.”
    • “Cons: several bugs/glitches and AI is inconsistent in different battles.”
    • “Love the game, but it freezes in a battle while the game continues and the music plays, so I cannot see anything.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the comedic elements like funny robot characters and nostalgic sound effects, while others find moments intended to be dramatic unintentionally hilarious or cringe-worthy. Additionally, frustrations arise from gameplay mechanics that lead to absurd situations, such as protecting fragile objects that explode easily. Overall, the humor can be hit or miss, depending on the player's perspective.

    • “Lots of the sound effects are taken straight out of the show, which definitely tickles my fanservice funny bone.”
    • “The floating shipyard is hilarious because it's so important that they put... like maybe 3 guns on it??”
    • “Few missions can get a bit frustrating where you need to protect things that explode the moment something even looks at them funny.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    The game is praised for its emotional depth, particularly for fans of the TV series, with many highlighting impactful moments that enhance the overall experience. While some players may not feel a strong connection to the source material, the campaigns are noted for their emotional and psychological intensity, effectively immersing players in the battles reminiscent of the show. Overall, the combination of sound and visuals contributes to a powerful emotional engagement.

    • “It has a lot of emotional moments in it that I won't spoil, but for fans of the TV series, this will be a beautiful discovery.”
    • “The campaigns are amazing and well thought out, and I found one of them to be quite emotional.”
    • “The sounds and sights of the battle are really killer and really emotionally put you back into the TV show.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, with players appreciating the value of the DLC and the absence of aggressive microtransactions, especially in contrast to other titles. However, some users express disappointment with misleading advertising and the overall quality of the game, suggesting that it may not meet expectations set by its promotional materials.

    • “After playing some of the story, I went out and got the DLC because I had fun. With all the Call of Duty games and cash-grab indie games that sneak around Steam after your money (I literally saw a ported mobile game once, complete with microtransactions), a game like this is rare.”
    • “Holy unholy monetization schemes, Batman!”
    • “Holy unholy monetization schemes, batman!”
    • “Misleading advertising campaign reveals medium quality graphics, a lack of excitement and really deflated storytelling.”
    • “After playing some of the story, I went out and got the DLC because I had fun, and with all the Call of Duty games and cash-in indie games that sneak around Steam after your money, a game like this is rare.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Reviews indicate a desire for improved character development, with some feeling that the current portrayal of officers seems superficial and lacking depth. There is a hope for more thoughtful scriptwriting in future seasons to enhance character arcs.

    • “I hope that Black Lab invests more time in the script writing and character development in season 2.”
    • “It's my hope that Black Lab invests more time in the script writing and character development in season 2.”
    • “Character development for officers feels tacked on.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

Buy Battlestar Galactica Deadlock

Play time

15hMedian play time
15hAverage play time
5-24hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 19 analyzed playthroughs

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