Lord of Rigel

About

Lord of Rigel is a single player turn-based strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Rhombus Studios and was released on August 25, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Lord of Rigel," players step into the role of a spaceship captain, navigating the political landscape of alien races while managing their crew and resources. Engage in tactical combat, diplomacy, and exploration as you uncover the mysteries of the universe and expand your interstellar empire. With a rich narrative and strategic depth, this game offers a unique and immersive space opera experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 140 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game is a fun and engaging 4X experience, reminiscent of Master of Orion 2, with a revamped tech tree and unique races.
The developers are responsive and actively working on updates and improvements, showing commitment to enhancing the game.
The graphics are visually appealing, and the game includes interesting mechanics and strategies that keep players engaged.

The game suffers from significant bugs and performance issues, especially with larger galaxies, leading to slow turn processing and frustrating gameplay.
Real-time combat lacks depth and control, often resulting in players relying on auto-resolve rather than engaging in tactical battles.
The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and management tedious, which detracts from the overall experience.

graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
57%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the attention to detail and overall design, while others criticize them as mediocre or outdated, likening them to games from the 1990s. The user interface is generally considered acceptable but in need of polish, and there are suggestions for improving specific graphical elements, such as the representation of planets. Overall, while some visuals are praised, many feel the graphics do not meet modern standards.
- “The graphics are easy on the eyes.”
- “I played a very tense 3 hour game and enjoyed its attention to detail, visuals, and overall design concept.”
- “It has nice visuals with the galaxy map and ships, race pictures.”
- “The combat is extremely clunky, and the graphics are mediocre at best.”
- “I'd much prefer 2D combat to 3D if you don't have the resources to invest in graphics.”
- “The ugliest game I have seen in the last 10 years; graphically, this game looks like games from 1990. Mechanics are okay, though very similar to MOO2, so that's why thumbs up.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with users noting significant performance issues, particularly in the UI and during late-game scenarios. While some players find the current state acceptable despite these bugs, larger galaxy seeds exacerbate the performance problems.
- “PC performance, especially with larger galaxy seeds, is impressive.”
- “At the moment, I think it's quite good in spite of the optimization issues and bugs.”
- “Especially in the UI side of things, squishing those bugs, performance issues, and other annoyances.”
- “PC performance, especially with larger galaxy seeds, is a significant concern.”
- “Reaching late game causes major performance problems for me.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with multiple reports of severe bugs rendering it unplayable. Users highlight issues such as a malfunctioning AI, a problematic combat interface, and an unintuitive user interface, suggesting that the game was not ready for early access release. Overall, the consensus is that significant fixes are needed to improve stability and gameplay experience.
- “You cannot play this game; it is too buggy and cannot turn off PhysX overlay even though it is off in the GeForce menu.”
- “Game is very buggy and is unplayable. It looks promising if they can fix the soft lockups that prevent progressing into the game further.”
- “This game is very buggy and was not ready for release into early access.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The gameplay is praised for its interesting mechanics and strategic depth, drawing inspiration from the classic "Moo II" while offering a modern interpretation. However, the graphics are criticized for being outdated, resembling games from the 1990s. Overall, the mechanics receive a positive reception despite the visual shortcomings.
- “The game itself is no clone, but an interpretation of MOO II game mechanics in this day and age.”
- “There are a lot of interesting mechanics and strategies to employ.”
- “The mechanics are okay, though very similar to MOO II, so that's why thumbs up.”
- “The ugliest game I have seen in the last 10 years; graphically, this game looks like games from 1990. The mechanics are okay, though very similar to Moo2, so that's why thumbs up.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is praised for its excellent quality and relaxing nature, enhancing the gameplay experience. However, some users have noted that it can abruptly cut off at times, which can be jarring.
- “The music quality is quite excellent and relaxing while you play, though it can abruptly cut itself off.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game enjoyable initially, particularly the drag-and-drop mechanics for managing population. However, as the game progresses into the mid-game, this feature becomes tedious due to the increasing complexity and number of actions required each turn.
- “This gets tedious mid-game when there are many things happening each turn.”
- “For me, the drag and drop of population was fun in the original, even if I acknowledge it became tedious later.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the comedic portrayal of the yalkai, which offers a humorous twist on the concept of elerians, depicted as blue-skinned elvish space women. This clever characterization adds a lighthearted and entertaining element to the overall experience.
- “The yalkai, in particular, are a very funny take on the idea of the elerians, Moo's blue-skinned elvish space women.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is praised for its thematic coherence, blending elements of economic strategy reminiscent of "Master of Orion 2" with tactical combat and a narrative style akin to "Babylon 5," creating a rich and engaging sci-fi experience.
- “It's like a mix between Moo2's economy, Sword in the Stars' space monsters, and tactical combat with a Babylon 5 story, and it thematically fits well.”