Horizon
- February 6, 2014
- L3O Interactive
- 4h median play time
Micromanaging your cosmos expansion...look to the Horizon
Get on Steam"Horizon" is a single-player Science Fiction Turn Based Strategy game, offering about 4 hours of playtime. It features advanced turn-based tactical combat, full tactical ship control, and exploration of a vast, interactive galaxy with ten unique alien species. Colonize, trade, and defend your territory to expand humanity's reach beyond the known horizon.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic 4X games like Master of Orion, with engaging turn-based strategic and tactical movement.
- The combat system is well-designed, providing a satisfying tactical experience that encourages players to think strategically about their fleet compositions and movements.
- The developers have shown commitment to improving the game with regular updates and patches, addressing many bugs and gameplay issues since its initial release.
- The game suffers from a clunky and unintuitive user interface, making it difficult for players to manage their empires effectively, especially as they expand.
- AI opponents can become overwhelmingly powerful too quickly, leading to frustrating gameplay where players feel boxed in and unable to compete, even on easier settings.
- The game lacks depth in its technology and research systems, often resulting in repetitive gameplay where advancements feel insignificant and do not lead to meaningful changes in strategy.
- graphics48 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many reviewers describing them as dated, crude, and reminiscent of early 2000s or even 1990s visuals. While some players appreciate the gameplay mechanics and find the visuals acceptable for a 4X title, the general consensus is that the graphics are subpar and detract from the overall experience. Despite the lack of visual appeal, some players argue that the game's fun factor compensates for its graphical shortcomings.
“Good graphics and 4x gameplay.”
“Plus the graphics are fairly good for this kind of game.”
“I'm very glad that they didn't waste their time on graphics honestly because then we would have a bad game to play.”
“The graphics are really dated, the soundtrack is really dated, the tutorial is annoying, as in it makes you explore this probe, and as you go to board it, the advisor comes on and tells you oops I forget to tell you you need to have this part installed, so you have to fly back to Earth to then add it, and the UI takes a lot of getting used to - not intuitive at all.”
“The graphics are sub-standard and the interface is unforgiving.”
“The graphics are laughable at times (all the ground units look like someone created them with a 3-hour trial of a modeling program).”
- gameplay45 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this 4X space strategy game is marked by a mix of complexity and unintuitiveness, with many players finding the mechanics clunky and poorly explained. While some aspects, like planetary conquest and research mechanics, show potential, the overall experience is marred by a confusing user interface and frustrating combat systems. Despite its deep mechanics, the game struggles to hold players' interest due to its outdated design and lack of polish compared to other titles in the genre.
“I'm happy to say that as of today, after many patches and gameplay improvements, Horizon is a good 4x space strategy game.”
“Solid 4x game with quite good and interesting gameplay mechanics, but suffers in the looks department. If you like 4x games and flashy graphics aren't a must, pick this up and you will have fun.”
“Fun combat, rewarding gameplay, not for the faint of heart.”
“Most of its gameplay mechanics do work - but way too complex and too unintuitive.”
“Over-complicated mechanics and bad UIs are common problems for 4X games, and this one really exemplifies both of those flaws.”
“I find the gameplay here impossibly difficult; there is only one basic strategy of expansion as quickly as possible, which proves impossible against AI opponents who seem to have an endless stream of better equipped and easily replaceable ships and space stations to which there is no defense.”
- story22 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as a mix of engaging and lackluster elements, with some players appreciating the attention to detail and the variety of quests, while others find the storyline weak and poorly implemented. Many reviewers note that the quest system can be confusing and lacks clear objectives, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the tactical fights and ship modeling are highlighted as enjoyable aspects, contributing to a sense of satisfaction for those willing to navigate the game's complexities.
“I really like the storyline and attention to details.”
“It was enjoyable to play the game and see the different powers come to life with the provided storyline.”
“Good controls, good story, great ecosystems.”
“The 'story mode' is weak (in my opinion - but, admittedly, at least it has one...).”
“The quests feel odd and difficult to figure out what to do.”
“Sadly, it isn't implemented very well and 'clunky' doesn't express the level of frustration you'll feel with it.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it soothing and fitting for the space theme, while others describe it as subpar and unmemorable. A few users opted to mute the game and listen to alternative music instead, indicating that the soundtrack does not enhance the overall experience. Overall, the music is seen as dated and lacking in impact, contributing to a less engaging atmosphere.
“For example, the unique music played when you enter into the communication screen with a species.”
“The music is very soothing, calming, and low key.”
“You don't get tired of hearing the same music; it fits the space age theme of the game very well.”
“Music is a little subpar.”
“The music isn't memorable in any positive or negative way.”
“The soundtrack sounds like something I ate yesterday making a reappearance.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and convoluted, particularly in combat, which lacks depth and relies heavily on ship numbers and firepower. While some elements have been streamlined compared to similar titles, the overall experience is marred by repetitive tasks and a lack of engaging mechanics.
“The combat can be really tedious and there's not a lot of substance to it; it basically falls down to who has more ships and bigger guns.”
“This is probably the most tedious space combat of any of this genre I have played in a long while.”
“The game does have a tactical battle feature, but it's pretty tedious.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with a Steam rating of 57% reflecting its buggy state at launch. Users report numerous glitches, particularly with gameplay mechanics like planet bombardment and tooltips, leading many to suggest waiting for further updates before purchasing. Overall, the consensus is that the game feels unfinished and should have been released in early access.
“The game is rated at 57% on Steam, and well-reviewed on other pages are far worse. The 57% rating is well-deserved, especially considering that the game was left in a very buggy state.”
“Solid premise, buggy as hell - surprised this isn't up as an early access game.”
“Based on the comments posted when this game was still in development just a month ago, I think they released this buggy game way too early. I would wait to buy this game for several more months to not reward the developer for releasing the game when it wasn't finished and to give the developer time to nail down all the bugs, which I really hope they do instead of abandoning and moving on to another project.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low due to its simplicity and high price point compared to other indie titles, with players reporting only 30-40 hours of gameplay. While some enjoy the battle system and find value in tinkering, many feel it lacks the depth needed for extended replayability.
“A decent game, not on Master of Orion 2 level, but has replayability and the ability to tinker.”
“The game itself is also way overpriced for an indie game. I can buy 3-6 indie games for the same price and entertain myself for hundreds of hours. This I played a couple of times from start to end, maybe 30-40 hours or so; it's got very low replayability.”
“It does suffer from low replayability.”
“The battle system was enjoyable, but the overall simplicity of the game reduces replayability.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted as entertaining, but some players feel it lacks depth, suggesting that it may rely too heavily on comedic elements without offering substantial gameplay. Comparisons to "Master of Orion II" highlight a nostalgic humor that resonates with some players.
“The game is reminiscent of Master of Orion II, and that's hilarious.”
“It's funny, but... that's all there is.”
