Duke of Alpha Centauri
- December 28, 2016
- EGAMER
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Duke of Alpha Centauri" is a thrilling space shooter game with stunning graphics and various levels, each featuring unique enemies and designs. As you progress, upgrade your ship's systems and unlock new ship upgrades to enhance your battle abilities. With adjustable difficulty settings, this game is accessible to players of all skill levels for endless space warfare fun.
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Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a great soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience.
- Gameplay is simple to pick up but offers a good progression system with upgrades for the ship.
- It's a fun and relaxing shoot 'em up that can be enjoyed casually, especially for achievement hunters.
- The game is very short, with many players completing it in under 2 hours, leading to a lack of replay value.
- Gameplay can become repetitive and lacks challenge, with many players finding it too easy even on higher difficulties.
- There are long loading screens between levels, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- music111 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising its enjoyable and varied soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. While some noted that certain tracks can become repetitive over time, the overall quality of the music and sound effects is considered a highlight, contributing to a fun and immersive atmosphere. However, a few critiques mention that the music sometimes feels out of place or lacks depth, particularly in relation to the game's short length and minimal narrative.
“Great music, crystal clear graphics and a good difficulty progression making this game very entertaining, for those who like shooting stuff in space.”
“I especially liked the music; it wasn't overly intense, and it provided positive encouragement while playing the game.”
“The soundtrack is awesome, so I was a bit disappointed when I completed a wave and got pulled out of the vibe of the game.”
“The music doesn't fit the game at all, sounds like bought tracks, plus the game just randomly shuffles them and plays one during whatever level you're in.”
“I only wish that the music wouldn't just fade out on the loading screen and would finish the song playing before returning to the main menu theme.”
“Otherwise, short of the soundtrack, this game falls short.”
- graphics66 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the vibrant colors, beautiful backgrounds, and well-animated elements, while others find them merely decent or even simplistic. Many highlight the impressive visuals in comparison to other titles, though some feel the graphics do not live up to the "amazing" label suggested in the game's description. Overall, the graphics are generally considered solid, contributing positively to the gaming experience, but not without some criticisms regarding their depth and detail.
“Its visuals are nothing short of breathtaking, surpassing the disappointments of many other games I've encountered.”
“Graphics are excellent, fantastic backgrounds and well animated and colorful ships and asteroids.”
“Great music, crystal clear graphics and a good difficulty progression making this game very entertaining, for those who like shooting stuff in space.”
“The graphics are decent, although at times, the enemies look like toys to me.”
“Graphics: ok, not great, the levels and ships really aren't much to look at, the particle effects are simplistic, like you'd see in a DirectX or OpenGL demo in 2005.”
“The asteroids are much weaker graphically than everything else on the screen so they distract.”
- gameplay64 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it fun and engaging, particularly in terms of tactical weapon use and level variety, while others criticize it for being repetitive, simplistic, and lacking challenge. Many noted that the mechanics could benefit from more depth and variety, as well as a more compelling narrative. Overall, while the core gameplay functions well, it often feels stale and uninspired, leading to a less enjoyable experience for some players.
“I wholeheartedly recommend it if you have an affinity for stargazing and planet exploration, along with engaging gameplay mechanics.”
“The gameplay is fun if relatively simplistic.”
“You are constantly firing with your basic weapons, and you have to employ some tactical gameplay in the use of your missile and energy beam so you don't run out of charge.”
“I tried it and... there was as much time in loading screens as gameplay.”
“The game mechanics are very stale and provide no challenge.”
“The core mechanics actually work though, and if the developer had put some more work into it, maybe giving it a story mode with actual levels and variety it could have been a very fun game, but as is it just gets really boring and repetitive after the first few minutes.”
- story38 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 26 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its lack of story and dialogue, with many players expressing disappointment that a title like "Duke of Alpha Centauri" offers no narrative or character development. Most reviews highlight that the gameplay consists of short, repetitive missions without any meaningful storyline, leading to a sense of boredom despite the game's decent mechanics and soundtrack. Overall, the absence of a compelling story detracts significantly from the gaming experience.
“Some may think a game like this doesn't need a story, but if 'I Am Bread' can have a story, then so can this.”
“The core mechanics actually work, though, and if the developer had put some more work into it, maybe giving it a story mode with actual levels and variety, it could have been a very fun game.”
“This game is simple, and I expected as much, and it plays well. However, with a name like that, I almost expected there to be a narrative or a story, or at least a character holding that title somewhere in the game.”
“There's no real story that I've seen thus far... nor is there any real dialogue.”
“With a name like Duke of Alpha Centauri, I was hoping there would be some kind of story to the game, but I was disappointed.”
“The core mechanics actually work though, and if the developer had put some more work into it, maybe giving it a story mode with actual levels and variety, it could have been a very fun game, but as is it just gets really boring and repetitive after the first few minutes.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding amusement in the abundance of Steam achievements and quirky loading screen tips, though some question the comedic value of the gameplay itself, which focuses heavily on repetitive enemy destruction. While the visuals and music are enjoyable, the overall humor may not resonate with everyone, particularly due to the lack of competitive elements.
“The amount of Steam achievements this game has is hilarious.”
“The funny thing is it actually all looks okay – while none of it is exactly mind-blowing, the backgrounds and ships are nice and vivid, and there’s a healthy dose of creative commons music that I will admit to tapping my toe to once or twice.”
“Hilariously, there’s a tip on the loading screen that states what to do 'if you feel vulnerable', which might as well just be removed from the game completely – because it’s never going to happen.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many users noting a lack of engaging content after the initial playthrough. While multiple difficulty levels and an endless mode offer some replay potential, it often leads to boredom quickly, especially given the short gameplay duration of around two hours.
“Multiple difficulty levels and an endless mode provide a good amount of replayability before boredom sets in.”
“The variety of difficulty levels and the inclusion of an endless mode significantly enhance the game's replayability.”
“With multiple difficulty settings and an endless mode, the game offers substantial replayability, keeping it engaging over time.”
“No replay value, and only 2 hours of very easy gameplay.”
“No replay value.”
“Multiple difficulty levels with an endless mode present a little bit of replayability before boredom sets in.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a mixed experience regarding stability; while some find the game runs relatively bug-free with minor issues like inconsistent volume, others have encountered significant bugs that detract from gameplay, leading to low ratings.
“The game runs relatively bug-free in my experience; the only bug I've encountered is inconsistent volume between the loading screen and the rest of the game. But barring that, I have no complaints.”
“3/10 - extremely buggy (7/10 if controller bug was fixed)”
“3/10 - extremely buggy (7/10 if controller bug was fixed)”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly easy and repetitive, leading to a tedious experience that becomes boring after just a few levels. While some acknowledge it as a minor issue, the consensus leans towards it being a significant drawback.
“But far too easy and repetitive, to the point of being tedious and boring after the first couple of levels (how long it takes to become overpowered).”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is perceived as artificially enhanced, with some players suggesting that the loading screens are a deceptive tactic to create a sense of depth and immersion, ultimately overshadowing the game's short and simplistic levels.
