Master of Orion

About

"Master of Orion" is a 4X strategy game where players must expand their empire in a universe with depleting resources. Featuring advanced diplomacy, tactical ship combat, and 60 technology fields, players must conquer alien star systems and defeat the Antarans to secure their supremacy. This game is part of the Master of Orion: Collectors Edition and will be available for stand-alone purchase in the future.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,968 reviews

graphics410 positive mentions

stability152 negative mentions

Faithful remake of the classic Master of Orion series with updated graphics and voice acting.
Engaging gameplay with multiple paths to victory, allowing for varied strategies.
Strong community support with mods that enhance gameplay and fix bugs.

Game suffers from significant performance issues and long processing times in late game.
Real-time combat mechanics can be frustrating and lack the depth of turn-based battles.
Many bugs and unpolished features remain, leading to a less enjoyable experience without community patches.

graphics
891 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
52%
2%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their modern aesthetic and vibrant visuals, significantly enhancing the nostalgic experience of the original Master of Orion titles. Many reviewers noted the impressive detail in ship designs, planetary graphics, and cutscenes, which contribute to an immersive gameplay experience. However, some critiques highlight that while the graphics are visually appealing, they do not compensate for perceived shortcomings in gameplay depth and mechanics compared to earlier entries in the series.
- “The graphics for worlds, solar systems, and the galaxy are all improved and great additions.”
- “The graphics are absolutely gorgeous.”
- “The graphics are great, the voice acting is fantastic, and it's still the same game I've always loved playing.”
- “The graphics of the ships in this game are mediocre to poor.”
- “Despite all the effort for graphics and voice acting, this version seems unfinished and done without enough love for the game.”
- “This game brings back a lot of memories with better graphics, but it feels like a lazy update to the old game.”
gameplay
789 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
70%
7%
The gameplay of the new Master of Orion has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it closely resembles the mechanics of its predecessors, particularly Master of Orion 2, but lacks depth and innovation. While some appreciate the nostalgic elements and streamlined mechanics, others criticize the reliance on outdated systems, such as the pollution mechanic, which adds unnecessary micromanagement. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing and accessible, but it struggles to compete with more complex and engaging 4X titles in the genre.
- “A fantastic strategy game with incredible depth and variation of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is deep and strategic, and the variety of races and technologies adds a level of replayability that is hard to find in other games.”
- “It's a perfect blend of modern mechanics and classic charm, with deep gameplay, epic space battles, and a healthy dose of humor.”
- “The pollution mechanic in the base game makes it frustrating to play to the point of annoyance.”
- “This design philosophy, this disconnecting of reality from gameplay mechanics, this imposition of senseless contrivances, is so loathsome to me that I quit the game, probably to never play it again.”
- “The gameplay is excessively slow and new introductions haven't been well balanced.”
music
194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its orchestral quality and atmospheric fit, while others criticize its repetitive nature, often noting that it loops the same few tracks excessively. Some players appreciate the nostalgic remixes of classic themes from earlier titles, but many express a desire for more variety and distinctiveness in the soundtrack. Overall, while the music is generally well-produced and enhances the game's ambiance, its implementation leaves room for improvement.
- “The game's music is also excellent, with a sweeping orchestral score that adds to the epic scope of the game.”
- “The music is really grand and well executed, and I'm a big fan of the cheeky news reporter robots that are used to notify the player of major events in the galaxy.”
- “The music captures a mix of classical and 1990s science fiction ambience, relaxing yet full of suspense and the wonder of discovering a universe.”
- “The music composed by Dave Govett is some of the best I have heard in these types of games; however, the way his music is incorporated into the game is very poor, where we end up hearing basically the same two musical loops over and over again, ad nauseam.”
- “The soundtrack is like 3 songs that loop over and over again.”
- “The music is just elevator music; I could recommend Endless Space 2 again or I could go to Stellaris, which also has a very good soundtrack, or I could even cite Galactic Civilizations 2, which is free or something these days, apparently, and has at least one good, memorable song.”
stability
165 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
2%
92%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, freezes, and significant bugs that render it nearly unplayable, especially in late-game scenarios. Players have noted that issues such as turn processing delays, combat freezes, and disappearing structures severely impact gameplay, leading many to recommend unofficial patches to mitigate these problems. Overall, the game is perceived as unfinished and riddled with glitches, making it a frustrating experience for many users.
- “I had no glitches, crashes, or slowdowns; it was a beautiful seamless experience.”
- “It has AAA graphics and voice acting, and despite a few examples, it is bug-free and performs well on a technical level.”
- “For an early access game, it is incredibly bug-free.”
- “Frequent crashes to desktop or freezes in gameplay make the game unplayable.”
- “Game is so buggy after several years since its release.”
- “The game is buggy and was not well tested in late game.”
story
103 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
73%
11%
The reviews highlight a mixed reception regarding the game's story aspect, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of a cohesive narrative or campaign mode. While some appreciate the backstories of individual races and the engaging espionage mechanics, others feel that the game fails to deliver a compelling overarching storyline, making it feel more like a series of disconnected missions rather than a unified experience. Overall, the desire for deeper storytelling and character interactions is a common theme among players.
- “Baldur's Gate 3 is a good example where good voiceovers in a very rich storyline with alternate paths are a key investment!”
- “The game's single-player campaign is engaging and well-written, with a variety of missions that test the player's strategic abilities.”
- “Good simple gameplay, story, and world-building.”
- “Throughout the whole game, I was left wondering when some sort of story would show up.”
- “The game has almost no storyline and very few side interactions.”
- “However, the total lack of a campaign or any kind of story, except for lore built in the game, discourages me.”
optimization
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
64%
17%
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly in late-game scenarios where turn processing can take several minutes, even on high-end systems. Many players report severe performance issues, including lag and freezing, which detract from the gameplay experience. While some users have noted improvements with unofficial patches and mods, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized for modern hardware, leading to frustration during extended play sessions.
- “The graphics are really stunning for a 4x strategy game and it feels very well optimized for a game still in early access.”
- “The game runs smoothly on my older system and looks fantastic.”
- “With optimization and time, this will shape up to be a great 4x title when all the wrinkles get ironed out.”
- “Game is slow to load on turns, pointing at poor optimization.”
- “Edit: this game has the worst performance I have seen in my life. Late game, in a huge galaxy, it can freeze a high-end PC made 5 years after this game was released for over a minute between turns, and for a good 3 minutes on game load.”
- “This game hasn't been optimized to take advantage of modern hardware, and about halfway through a long game, most actions take several seconds to execute. AI turns take forever, and you're left pondering your life choices more than you're comfortable with.”
replayability
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players find it highly engaging and addictive with various strategies and races to explore, others feel it lacks depth and can become repetitive over time. Mod support enhances replayability for some, but concerns about the game's longevity and depth persist, with some reviewers noting that it may not hold up as well compared to its predecessors. Ultimately, the game offers a solid experience for fans of the genre, but its replay value may vary significantly based on individual preferences and play styles.
- “The gameplay is deep and strategic, and the variety of races and technologies adds a level of replayability that is hard to find in other games.”
- “This game has a high replay value and has a lot to do in-game from designing ships to assigning population tasks on a planet (think Civ in space) and a lot more besides.”
- “Fun 4x game that's easy to understand and has plenty of replayability.”
- “It's fun, but it definitely gets old and doesn't offer a lot of replay value, in my opinion.”
- “After you've explored what the game has to offer, the replay value falls off.”
- “The game feels short and with so few races and differences, it has little replayability.”
humor
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its quirky moments and the comedic elements of the Galactic News Network (GNN), which features amusing voice acting and humorous commentary. However, some reviewers feel that the humor can be hit-or-miss, with certain jokes coming off as cheesy or overly forced, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the game successfully incorporates humor to enhance its charm, opinions vary on its effectiveness and execution.
- “But what sets Master of Orion apart from other space strategy games is its humor.”
- “The game doesn't take itself too seriously and is full of quirky and funny moments to keep you entertained throughout your gameplay.”
- “The news broadcasts are funny, the lines the characters say are filled with cute geek references, and the visual polish feels like watching an animated movie at its best moments.”
- “Oh, I almost forgot how annoying and unfunny the GNN is.”
- “Awful (not funny) advisors, starlanes (WTF), awful tactical combat, awful GNN broadcasts, boring pollution mechanics... I could go on and on.”
grinding
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the micromanagement of colonies and resources tedious, especially in the late game when managing multiple planets becomes overwhelming. While some appreciate the depth and strategic elements, others feel that the repetitive tasks and slow progression detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of monotony. Despite some improvements in gameplay mechanics, the consensus is that the game can often feel like a grind, particularly for those accustomed to more streamlined experiences in other 4X titles.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The world-building is simple, but not tedious; they need to fix the production function, you should be able to 'idle' your production if you need to for whatever reason.”
- “What starts as a sleek interface with pretty cut scenes and space combat quickly turns into a tedious 'colonize every planet, build every building, research all technologies, make some ships, and watch boring combat where choices don't matter.' Somehow worse than Moo3.”
- “Managing the population allocation and the build queue is fine for a couple of planets, but gets to be a tedious grind when you get 15 and painful for large maps.”
- “The bad: much of the game is spent tediously waiting for things to complete.”
atmosphere
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
29%
10%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful graphics, immersive music, and strong voice acting, creating an inviting and engaging experience for players. Many reviewers appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic 4X titles, although some note a lack of depth and distinctiveness compared to other games in the genre. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a significant strength, enhancing the enjoyment of its strategic gameplay.
- “The voice acting of the AI factions is very good, and the whole game has a nice atmosphere as a result.”
- “It's a rather niche and simple 4X game, but the art, voice acting, and music create a very inviting atmosphere.”
- “The graphics, soundtrack, and general atmosphere of the game are great.”
- “You have the droning, depressing atmosphere of ES2, where the soundtrack was basically ripped out of songs of praise (google it if unsure what that is - choir singing. Horrible).”
- “I didn't get the atmosphere or the mood of a vast and overwhelming universe full of dangers and artifacts, which I always expect to experience playing 4X space strategies.”
- “It is lacking depth (tactical combat, AI, diplomacy, espionage, heroes, Antarans,...), comfort (especially order colony ships from the planet overview...) and atmosphere (missing animation for ground combat, star destroyer ...).”
emotional
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a mix of nostalgia and disappointment among players. While some appreciate the heartfelt remakes and inspiring music that evoke memories of past experiences, others express frustration over gameplay mechanics that lack emotional depth, particularly in combat and character development. Overall, the game succeeds in creating an emotional connection for some, but falls short for others due to its reliance on nostalgia and the absence of impactful choices.
- “Heartfelt remake of the greatest 4X game ever.”
- “Playing it made me feel like it did back then, and that's what I wanted.”
- “Excellent music and voiceover work made me feel inspired in the way that a space orchestra really should do - to put forth your most noble effort to expand your race's horizon.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been heavily criticized, with players expressing frustration over constant advertisements that interrupt gameplay and contribute to a feeling of being exploited for profit. Many reviewers label the game as a cash grab, suggesting it relies on nostalgia while delivering a subpar experience.
- “Every time I start the game, I am forced to watch 10 seconds of advertisement.”
- “The perfect example of a cash grab using a famous series.”
- “Now I see that this was just another cash grab seeking to take advantage of an existing fanbase so they can milk the nostalgia for all it's worth before presenting a steaming pile of shiny crap.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers appreciate the character development for its nostalgic ties to the original game's designs, highlighting how the new character designs effectively draw inspiration from the series' best elements.
- “Many of the character designs of the original species really hearken back to the first game's designs, and it's great to see that they drew inspiration from the best the series had to offer.”