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Master of Orion 3

It wasn't the first 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) strategy game, but in 1992, the original Master of Orion was the most polished. The game featured an amazingly deep galaxy in which your empire competed with a dozen or so computer-controlled others for domination. The most recent update
51%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
graphics, gameplay
50% User Score Based on 133 reviews
Critic Score 55%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindowsCloudCloudMac OSMac OS
Buy Nowfrom $9.99
Buy NowGet on Steam$9.99

About

"Master of Orion 3" is a strategy game that places you in charge of one of 16 alien races, each with unique abilities and traits. Your goal is to dominate the galaxy through diplomacy, war, exploration, and research. With dynamic galaxy generation, no two games are the same, ensuring a fresh challenge every time. Use espionage and sabotage to gain an edge over your opponents and secure your place in the annals of space history.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Master of Orion 3 screenshot
Master of Orion 3 screenshot
Master of Orion 3 screenshot
Master of Orion 3 screenshot
Master of Orion 3 screenshot

50%
Audience ScoreBased on 135 reviews
story3 positive mentions
graphics3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a high level of automation, allowing players to focus on grand strategy rather than micromanagement.
  • The terraforming system is interesting and adds depth to gameplay, providing a unique aspect to the strategy.
  • Despite its flaws, some players find the game enjoyable and appreciate its complexity and depth once they learn the mechanics.
  • The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and management frustrating for players.
  • The AI is poorly designed, often making illogical decisions that detract from the overall experience.
  • Many players feel the game is incomplete and lacks polish, with numerous bugs and issues that hinder gameplay.
  • graphics
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game are widely criticized for being outdated, blurry, and poorly executed, resembling those of early 4X titles. Despite some upgrades, many users feel the visuals are subpar and lack polish, contributing to an overall frustrating user experience. While the game offers complex mechanics and depth, the graphical presentation is a significant drawback that may deter players seeking modern aesthetics.

    • “Great graphics, fast turns, no lag, complex development of science; much of planet development is automated.”
    • “Graphics, interface, and programming makes it look like Master of Orion 1 beta.”
    • “The graphics are surprisingly wonky and blurred.”
    • “There have been upgrades, but the graphics have not really improved and are hopelessly out of date.”
    • “The graphics may be severely dated, and the UI will be a challenge, but the content makes the effort more than worthwhile.”
  • gameplay
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has been criticized for its overly complex and unintuitive mechanics, which detract from player engagement and enjoyment. Many players find the realism attempts to be ineffective, leading to confusion, particularly with spaceflight mechanics, and a lack of excitement in diplomacy and combat. While some acknowledge improvements over previous titles in the series, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, with a notable absence of charm and humor that could enhance the experience.

    • “While Masters of Orion 3 (MOO3) is not a perfect game in terms of its mechanics, it has a certain charm and humor to it that is lacking from many games.”
    • “Years later and I'm still not sure I fully understand the mechanics of spaceflight in this game; it seemed that the fuel depots had to be within so many lightyears of your destination (direct line of sight), but the ships could only go through hyperspace corridors which could be longer than that.”
    • “This game is a great conversation starter for talking about inspiring player engagement in mechanics and presentation, as this game fails (and barely attempts) to engage the player at every instance, except one - the title.”
    • “Also too many mechanics with emphasis on realism that just doesn't work for a video game how they are implemented.”
    • “Completely unintuitive gameplay even after following the tutorials, no exciting diplomacy or combat.”
    • “Years later and I'm still not sure I fully understand the mechanics of spaceflight in this game; it seemed that the fuel depots had to be within so many lightyears of your destination (direct line of sight), but the ships could only go through hyperspace corridors which could be longer than that?”
  • story
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a mixed bag; while it offers a comprehensive narrative for fans, some players feel it doesn't align with the established lore of previous titles. However, many appreciate the immersive experience and depth of the storyline, despite some clunky user interface issues.

    • “The story, by the way, is fantastic.”
    • “Once you get past the UI that is clunky at times, there is a deep immersive experience as you slowly plot your way to galactic domination.”
    • “First and biggest of it is the full moo story in the manual; if you're a moo fan, this is your chance to learn the full story.”
    • “The story of this game doesn't even match up with the lore from the other games.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous bugs, inconsistent data displays, and a tendency to freeze, leading to a frustrating user experience. Many players feel that the game's unfinished features and outdated graphics further exacerbate these problems, making it difficult to justify its price.

    • “In truth, a bug-infested micromanagement nightmare with half-finished features, a buggy UI, revolting graphics, and a pathetically fuzzy font.”
    • “Buggy data displays where one screen will tell you a planet has characteristics X and a different screen will tell you the same planet has characteristics Q.”
    • “49.99 is too much for a very dated MOO 1 and 2 and a buggy MOO 3.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Moo 3's initial reception was mixed, but the introduction of mods significantly enhanced its replayability, offering more playable races than its reboot. While some players find the replay value acceptable, opinions on its overall replayability remain varied.

    • “There are more playable races than the reboot; few games have as much variety to this day.”
    • “Moo 3 was a disappointment to some when it came out, but mods for this game raised the replay value.”
    • “Replayability: yeah, okay, sort of.”
    • “More playable races than the reboot... few games have more to this day.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is noted for its uniqueness, effectively distinguishing the realms of grand strategy and combat, which, despite being interconnected, possess entirely different looks, feels, and atmospheres. This separation enhances the overall immersive experience.

    • “The atmosphere of the game makes it truly unique.”
    • “I love how the realm of grand strategy and the realm of combat are completely alienated from each other; even though they are both part of the same game, they are separate entities in look, feel, and atmosphere.”
    • “I also love how the realm of grand strategy and the realm of combat are totally alienated from each other, as they are both very much part of the same game but completely separate entities in look, feel, and atmosphere.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, characterized by repetitive actions such as bombarding planets without much engagement or variety. This leads to a sense of monotony and frustration during gameplay.

    • “To make matters worse, wars feel sluggish and grindy, with you just bombarding one planet after another, moving down the lanes.”
    • “Grindy, sluggish, with not much to do really.”
  • music
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's music features a diverse range of battle themes that enhance the distinctiveness of each race, contributing to a unique atmosphere. However, there are no standout musical tracks associated with specific techs. Overall, the soundtrack effectively complements the game's varied character dynamics.

    • “The varied battle music enhances the atmosphere, making each encounter feel unique and engaging.”
    • “Every race has its own distinct musical theme, adding depth and character to the gameplay experience.”
    • “The soundtrack perfectly complements the game's setting, immersing players in the world with its diverse musical styles.”
    • “The battle music is varied, but there are no unique themes for each race, which makes them feel less distinct.”
    • “The soundtrack lacks variety and fails to create an engaging atmosphere during gameplay.”
    • “While the music is decent, it doesn't enhance the overall experience and often feels repetitive.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Masters of Orion 3 is noted for its unique charm and humor, which adds a distinctive appeal despite its mechanical shortcomings. This aspect of humor sets it apart from many other games in the genre.

    • “While Masters of Orion 3 (MOO3) is not a perfect game in terms of its mechanics, it has a certain charm and humor to it that is lacking from many games.”

55%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

Buy Master of Orion 3

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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