DarkStar One

About

DarkStar One is a single player economy simulation game with economy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Ascaron Entertainment ltd. and was released on February 13, 2008. It received neutral reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

DarkStar One is a space action adventure game that lets you explore a vast universe. As captain of the spaceship DarkStar One, you'll upgrade your ship, complete missions, and battle alien races. The game features an open-world environment with real-time combat and a dynamic market economy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 379 reviews

story47 positive mentions

grinding16 negative mentions

Engaging story and gameplay that keeps players coming back, reminiscent of classic space sims like Freelancer.
Decent graphics and sound design for an older game, with a variety of unique alien species and environments.
Fun ship upgrade mechanics that allow for customization and evolution of the player's ship, enhancing the gameplay experience.

Repetitive missions and gameplay can lead to boredom, with many systems feeling similar and lacking uniqueness.
Technical issues such as crashes and bugs, particularly with mission progression and performance on modern systems.
Poor voice acting and cutscenes that detract from the overall experience, making it feel less polished.

story
254 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
73%
8%
The story in the game is generally described as a mix of cliché elements and engaging moments, with a linear progression that often leads to repetitive gameplay. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and mission variety, others criticize the plot for being generic and the dialogue for becoming tedious over time. Additionally, certain missions are noted for their difficulty and potential to disrupt progression, particularly due to level-scaling issues. Overall, the narrative provides a decent backdrop for the gameplay, but it lacks depth and originality.
- “The main story even had two planetary segments and the last mission also has a surprise.”
- “The story is interesting at the beginning and has you flying over the entire galaxy map by the end.”
- “A main story giving a lot of different and surprising situations that keep the game fresh and enthralling.”
- “The story is basically an 80% freelancer rip-off; there were some good fresh ideas and some awful ones to change things up.”
- “As for the actual story and gameplay, it is very linear, and the only reason that you do the side quests and bounty board missions is to unlock systems, get artifacts to level up, or to make money to upgrade in the early to mid-game.”
- “The story is the worst kind of unimaginative cliché that has its place in a kid's cartoon.”
graphics
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The graphics of the game are generally considered decent for its age, with many reviewers noting that they hold up well compared to other titles from the same era. However, there are significant issues with stability at higher resolutions, and some graphical settings can lead to bugs that detract from the experience. While the visuals may not be cutting-edge, they are often described as enjoyable and charming, particularly in the context of space exploration and combat.
- “The graphics are still great considering how it is 15 years old now.”
- “The graphics are really nice (even more considering it's from 2006), the different designs enjoyable.”
- “Excellant graphics and smooth flying controls.”
- “Graphics-wise, it held up; sadly, the game is extremely unstable on 4K and sometimes even on 1080p.”
- “The graphics are awful by today's standards; textures are so low resolution that space backgrounds appear to be an overstretched 80x80 bitmap.”
- “Most of the graphics (stars, planets, asteroids) are just copy/pasted over and over again.”
gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
61%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of engaging space combat and ship upgrading mechanics, though it can become repetitive over time due to linear mission structures and similar tasks. Players appreciate the nostalgic feel and smooth mechanics reminiscent of classic space sims, but some express a desire for more variety and depth in exploration and trading elements. Overall, while the gameplay is enjoyable and accessible, it may lack the complexity and dynamism that some players seek in a space simulation experience.
- “Gameplay is fun.”
- “Explore heaps of space, enjoy immersive space combat, a variety of gameplay approaches, and a hybrid RPG system intermingled with ship upgrades and artifact hunting.”
- “The flight mechanics, including fighting, exploration, docking, etc. are very smooth and easy to get used to.”
- “As for the actual story and gameplay, it is very linear and the only reason that you do the side quests and bounty board missions is to unlock systems, get artifacts to level up, or to make money to upgrade in the early to mid game.”
- “By the time you leave the second system you've seen what the gameplay will be like for the next 20 hours.”
- “The gameplay feels flat and it becomes very tedious after a while.”
grinding
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
5%
84%
The reviews highlight that the game is heavily grindy, with players expressing frustration over repetitive tasks and tedious mechanics required to progress, such as grinding for upgrades and artifacts. While some find the space combat enjoyable, the overall experience is marred by a lack of variety and engaging content, leading to a sense of boredom and tedium. Gamers who appreciate grinding may find some value, but many recommend caution due to the game's repetitive nature and lengthy grind.
- “There is very little downtime and no tedious micromanagement.”
- “Not too grindy compared to Galaxy on Fire 2.”
- “As I slog slowly towards the final end, I would only recommend this to gamers who love both space sims and grinding, and have a very low expectation of a game.”
- “A system that had a lot of potential, but is so grindy that the artifacts are behind these boring ways to obtain them... please... 4 upgrades to have 3 cannons, and I need to grind for money to buy better weapons and upgrades... grind, grind, grind.”
- “The gameplay feels flat and it becomes very tedious after a while.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its atmosphere and dynamic quality, others find it repetitive and limited in variety. The soundtrack is often predictable, with encounter music playing before the action fully loads, which can detract from the experience. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the gameplay, its lack of diversity and occasional technical issues have been noted.
- “The music is neat and also dynamic.”
- “I just like the atmosphere of it, the music, the gameplay.”
- “The music is often a dead giveaway as you load into a system and the encounter music plays before it fully loads.”
- “Music is repetitive but good... it certainly gets the mood going for fights and exploring.”
- “Soundtrack is ok but there are not many tracks.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
10%
70%
The game's stability is mixed, with some players experiencing significant bugs and crashes, particularly on newer systems, while others report a generally stable experience with few glitches. There are concerns about the lack of recent patches due to the developer's apparent inactivity, leading to inconsistent performance across different setups. Overall, while some users enjoy the game despite its dated and buggy nature, others find it frustratingly unstable.
- “Works well on a modern computer and runs great on Linux.”
- “The game has always been stable and no glitches for me, from a time when games were developed properly.”
- “Crap game, extremely buggy and crashes a new system.”
- “Like many others out there, the game freezes on the third training mission and there's no way past it.”
- “The game is pretty buggy though.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by its amusingly absurd scenarios, such as engaging in illicit trade while evading law enforcement, and the intentionally poor voice acting that adds a layer of comedic charm. Players also enjoy the humorous names of space systems, contributing to an overall lighthearted and entertaining experience.
- “Smuggling drugs, video games, or androids is the best and most fun way to make money in the game; I was laughing at how tense it was hauling 100+ tons of illicit trade goods while aiming for the perfect trade station approach vector and working the afterburner to dodge all the cops buzzing around.”
- “The voice acting is woefully, hilariously bad.”
- “Funny names of space systems.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive background ambience, engaging music, and overall gameplay experience. While some criticism is directed at the poor voice acting, the environmental dialogue from pilots and space stations contributes positively to the atmosphere. Many players express a desire for even more realistic elements, such as life-scaled solar systems, to enhance the experience further.
- “The atmosphere and the background ambience are just too good to pass up.”
- “I just like the atmosphere of it, the music, and the gameplay.”
- “The environmental speech from other pilots and space stations still adds to the atmosphere.”
- “Other reviewers have criticized the terrible voice acting, and this is something I have to agree with - it is terrible for the most part, but the environmental speech from other pilots and space stations still adds to the atmosphere.”
- “Nowadays we would probably even get life-scaled solar systems which would add to the atmosphere.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game is criticized for its low replayability, with many players noting that it becomes repetitive after a few hours. While some find it enjoyable for short bursts, the lack of diverse builds and engaging content limits its long-term appeal.
- “Truthfully, I have yet to complete the game, but from what I've played, it has been fun. However, I cannot comment on replayability.”
- “No replay value.”
- “However, at the time of writing this, 7 hours in, it's becoming more and more apparent just how repetitive this game becomes, and offers you no replay value.”
- “- Low replayability value (you could go for a different build, but meh).”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is present but limited, with reviewers noting that it lacks depth and progression.
- “There is some character development, but not much.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the game.”
- “I expected more depth in the character arcs, but they remained static and uninteresting.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find "Darkstar One" less emotionally engaging than "Freelancer," which allows for deeper emotional investment. However, "Darkstar One" still elicits strong reactions, with moments that can provoke laughter and tears, showcasing its potential for emotional impact.
- “I laughed, I cried, I flew into a black hole and shouted, 'Murph!'”
- “Compared to Freelancer, where you can easily get emotionally invested, Darkstar One is a bit harder to get a feel for in that regard.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
The game's optimization is generally praised for its forgiving performance, especially considering its age, making it accessible for players. However, some users suggest that "Darkstar One" may offer a better balance of performance and the desired freelancer experience at a low cost.
- “In all, it's a fun and affordable space simulator that satisfies the freelancer itch with very forgiving performance, especially considering its age.”
- “For those seeking a freelancer experience at a low cost and with minimal performance demands, Darkstar One is likely the better choice.”
- “But for something more in line with that freelancer feeling at a low cost and with minimal performance cost, Darkstar One is probably the better choice.”