Interstellar Marines

About

Interstellar Marines is a single player and multiplayer survival role playing shooter game with horror and science fiction themes. It was developed by Zero Point Software and was released on July 2, 2013. It received neutral reviews from players.

Interstellar Marines is a tactical sci-fi First Person Simulator, inspired by movies like Aliens and games like Half-Life. It offers singleplayer and co-op/PvP gameplay, with dynamic environments and non-scripted AI. The game aims to evolve the FPS genre with its blend of sci-fi, role-playing, and military realism.

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52%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,416 reviews

story98 positive mentions

optimization16 negative mentions

The game has great potential and offers an immersive and atmospheric experience.
Gunplay and movement mechanics are solid, providing a satisfying shooting experience.
The AI is challenging and can create tense moments, enhancing the gameplay.

The game has been in early access for many years with little significant content added.
Development has slowed down considerably, with only one developer remaining.
The player base is very small, making it difficult to find multiplayer matches.

story
509 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and content, with only a few missions available that feel more like training simulations than a cohesive narrative. Players express disappointment over the absence of a substantial single-player campaign and a compelling storyline, despite the initial promise of a rich narrative experience. While some missions are noted for their immersive atmosphere and potential, the overall sentiment is that the game has not delivered on its storytelling ambitions, leaving many players feeling frustrated and unsatisfied.
- “The missions were terrifying and amazing, and they really got the heart racing.”
- “I remember thinking this game had amazing potential and by now I don't even remember how much I paid for it, but reading the story of the developer, it seems like the person/people involved had and even still have a lot of heart for this game.”
- “The first mission, which is just a training mission, sets up the story and puts you right into the action.”
- “The story is basically non-existent at the moment, and there are only a very limited amount of enemies.”
- “There is nothing more satisfying than completing a challenge or a mission in realistic mode in this game.”
- “The game has more detail than some AAA games, but the small dev team with little money limits it and the player base is sort of disappearing because of how slow the game is developing.”
gameplay
484 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The gameplay of "Interstellar Marines" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its tactical mechanics, immersive atmosphere, and solid shooting mechanics. However, criticisms highlight a lack of content, repetitive gameplay, and outdated mechanics that fail to evolve with current gaming standards. While the game shows potential with its unique features and engaging multiplayer modes, many feel it is hindered by slow development and a dwindling player base, leaving it feeling incomplete and stale.
- “The gameplay is fantastic and despite not being a finished game, it feels super polished.”
- “The gameplay is immersive and thrilling, with great sound and level design.”
- “The mechanics are so well done, physics are pretty awesome too, you can even put your mask up and have a good breath.”
- “Now, it is just an empty shell, with old gameplay mechanics that aren't relevant in today's gaming scene.”
- “No actual campaign, only robots sprinting towards the player with no real tactical gameplay.”
- “The gameplay of this game isn’t really anything more than what you would get out of another FPS.”
graphics
312 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
38%
4%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising their quality and immersive atmosphere, particularly the lighting and environmental effects. However, some users noted that while the visuals were impressive at launch, they have since become dated, and there are concerns about optimization and limited graphical options. Overall, the game is recognized for its strong aesthetic appeal, but it struggles with performance issues and a lack of content.
- “The graphics are amazing and the gameplay is rewarding and fun.”
- “The graphics look amazing for an indie title.”
- “The overall atmosphere of the game is great, the graphics and the ambiance play very well together.”
- “The graphics, even now, are astonishingly pretty, and the game may only have two guns but the combat is still intense and thrilling.”
- “Sadly, 2 years later, the graphics still look shoddy, the multiplayer is still one-dimensional, and the single player campaign is basically unplayable.”
- “The graphics are already dated and the lighting was impressive at first... but guess what!”
atmosphere
155 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
29%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and tense qualities, enhanced by dynamic lighting, sound design, and environmental effects like weather changes. Players appreciate the unique blend of sci-fi horror elements, creating a genuinely scary experience, especially in dark settings where stealth and strategy are crucial. Despite being in early access, the game's atmospheric depth and engaging mechanics have left a strong impression, making it a standout title in the genre.
- “It has great atmosphere and tension; sound matters, silencers have an effect, and there are smart and deadly enemies, be they melee zombies or armed guards.”
- “The atmosphere is intense and immersive.”
- “This game has possibly the best atmosphere I have ever seen in a game.”
- “The atmosphere and overall presentation of this game is amazing, but unfortunately updates are so infrequent and the updates themselves usually contain a trivial amount of new content.”
- “The atmosphere that the game creates in the basic stealth missions turns it into a slight horror game!”
- “I don't think there are words for how upsetting it is to see this rough gem unfinished; the atmosphere, difficulty, and planned features were all incredible and basically set the bar for tactical shooters for me, and almost nothing compares to even this unfinished buggy early access release, which is a terrible shame.”
optimization
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
58%
23%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including low frame rates and lag, particularly on mid-tier hardware. While some users note that the game runs smoothly under certain conditions and appreciate ongoing developer efforts to improve performance, others express frustration over the lack of optimization, especially for lower-end systems and specific platforms like Mac. In summary, while there are signs of improvement, the game still requires substantial optimization work to enhance the overall experience.
- “Multiplayer was optimized to an okay amount, lag reduced to under a second.”
- “The part I liked the most about this is in the description of the update: 'the next step we want to do is improve performance even more with speedtree and boost the graphics even more with physically based shaders, global illumination, linear lighting, and deferred rendering 2.0.'”
- “While the game can be laggy and glitchy at times; when it runs smoothly you will have a great tactical experience.”
- “The game is not optimized, as I have a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (a decent mid-tier card) and the game barely achieves 60 fps when running at 4:3 resolutions (640 x 480) on low settings!”
- “With this in mind, this game is very poorly optimized and runs at a persistent 15-20 frames for me with very choppy movement, which further takes away from my experience.”
- “Great potential, but the game suffers from huge performance issues.”
stability
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting a range of bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer and co-op modes. While some users find the core gameplay enjoyable and relatively polished for an early access title, others express frustration over persistent issues and a lack of significant updates over the years. Overall, it appears that while the game is playable, it still suffers from notable stability problems that can detract from the experience.
- “Still some performance optimizations planned apparently, although it works excellently on my NVIDIA GTX 760 card running under Linux, and for an early access game, it seems to be relatively bug-free.”
- “Going through the demos, you can see where this game is going and how much effort and care is taken to ensure a proper bug-free experience.”
- “Bought it as early access; the game was buggy, hasn't moved much, and not many players in my region.”
- “The devs haven't delivered most of what they are promising and the game is far from being fun; I can't play more than 15 minutes, I just can't bear how buggy and unstable it is.”
- “This game is nowhere near finished; just be warned - it is buggy and laggy as hell, but I do see good promise in this game.”
monetization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
4%
91%
The monetization of this game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many users expressing disappointment over the lack of updates and the presence of deceptive advertising. Players feel that the game fails to deliver on its promises, suggesting it should be free-to-play given its incomplete state and the absence of meaningful content. Overall, the sentiment is that the developers are more focused on profit than providing a polished gaming experience.
- “It has a fun and unique co-op experience, fun PvP, skins (no microtransactions), single-player missions, and multiple types of missions.”
- “Clearly a cash grab; don't trust these people, and I'm surprised Valve is still letting them sell this!”
- “This is nothing more than a cash grab for a project that was clearly over the devs' heads.”
- “Just a cheap cash grab with false claims; never trusting this company ever.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The music aspect of the game has received mixed reviews; some players appreciate the immersive ambient sounds and environmental noises that enhance tension, while others criticize the lack of a proper soundtrack, which was even advertised but not included. However, there are also positive mentions of a vibrant soundtrack that adds depth to the experience, suggesting that while the music may not be central, it can still contribute significantly to the game's atmosphere. Overall, the game's sound design, including weapon sounds and ambient effects, is generally praised, even if the musical component is inconsistent.
- “A luscious and vibrant soundtrack, despite being early access there are some beautiful pieces here.”
- “The music is good.”
- “Buy this game just to get its music.”
- “No music, just thudding footsteps and space ambience.”
- “The devs bit off more than they could chew; they didn't even include the soundtrack despite it being advertised in the supporter bundle.”
- “Not much music-wise, but the sounds of the weapons are awesome and the environmental noises are spot on.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often described as unintentional, stemming from its early access status and the developers' seemingly carefree attitude towards customer feedback. Players find amusement in various aspects, such as quirky gameplay mechanics, humorous in-game events like the Christmas terminator mode, and the game's self-aware commentary on its flaws. Overall, while the game may disappoint in some areas, its comedic elements provide a lighthearted take on its shortcomings.
- “Wargames is essentially Interstellar Marines' take on a 'survival battle arena' (much akin to PUBG). What's funny is that this was added way before the craze for these types of games became popular, and as a result, was seen as neat and novel at the time of addition.”
- “At Christmas, they add a funny Terminator PvP mode where one player is totally overpowered with a special-damage weapon and armor, so you have to take the T-IM101 down as a team or you die several times :)”
- “It's hilarious when you shoot somebody subterraneously, as they pop out of the ground and shoot skywards.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
28%
45%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the variety in single-player missions and the unique multiplayer experience that enhances replay value, others criticize its lack of depth and content, particularly in its early access state. Frequent updates from developers do contribute positively to replayability, but some users feel the game has lost its initial charm and potential for replay.
- “There is a good amount of replayability for the game in its current state.”
- “Though in early access, the game still feels pretty complete, packing in some replayable single player missions, co-op, and a unique multiplayer experience.”
- “The missions have a lot of different ways to complete them, increasing the replayability of the game by a lot.”
- “Yes, it is in early access, but the game is lacking replay value.”
- “It has no replayability because of its complete emptiness.”
- “Sadly, this game was more playable 7 years ago than it is now.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is marked by a deep sense of disappointment and longing, as players recognize its potential and the passion behind its design, yet feel let down by a lack of meaningful updates and emotional engagement due to faceless enemies. The game's ability to evoke strong feelings through its ambience and gameplay is overshadowed by the frustration of unmet expectations and stagnation over time. Overall, while it can create powerful emotional reactions, the lack of depth in character interactions diminishes its impact.
- “Not because it is bad or empty, but because it is heartbreaking to see a game that (with what little was put into it) had passion and refinement in it every step of the way.”
- “The gameplay is solid and responsive, frames are smooth on my PC, audio can create the greatest ambience and emotional reactions to contact and stealth I have ever felt in a game.”
- “All in all 10/10 would cry again.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with reviewers noting a lack of depth and storytelling, resulting in generic characters that resemble basic archetypes rather than fully realized individuals. The character design is also deemed unappealing, with soldiers described as "idiotic looking" and lacking the sophistication expected from advanced space marines. Overall, the game fails to deliver engaging character arcs or meaningful development.
- “Interstellar Marines is a basic game, no story, no character development, just Halo-esque soldiers killing, for some reason, evil robots.”
- “And character design... look at those idiotic looking soldiers, supposedly the most advanced space marines of the universe.”
- “-character design.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players acknowledge that while the game is improving, the grinding aspect remains tedious due to repetitive missions. Despite this, many still find enjoyment in the game, appreciating the efforts of the remaining developer.
- “It's getting better - but it's still pretty tedious.”
- “The missions can get a little tedious after playing them over and over, but the game is still fun.”
- “Apparently there is only 1 active developer left, and he's slowly grinding away as best he can. Those of us who still play this game understand.”