Shattered Horizon

About

Shattered Horizon is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Futuremark and was released on November 4, 2009. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Shattered Horizon" is a first-person shooter game set in zero gravity, where players fight in space stations and planetside colonies after a catastrophic event on Earth. The game features space-based combat with a focus on movement and strategy, allowing players to use their movement and weightlessness to their advantage. It also includes a variety of weapons and tools to help players navigate the zero-gravity environments and defeat their enemies.

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+19

Skip User Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 397 reviews

graphics36 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Shattered Horizon offers a unique zero-gravity FPS experience that allows for innovative gameplay and tactics, making it stand out in the genre.
The graphics are stunning, providing an immersive environment that enhances the feeling of being in space.
The game mechanics, including the ability to disable your suit for stealth, add depth and strategy to the combat.

The multiplayer community is virtually non-existent, making it difficult to find players and often resulting in gameplay against bots.
The game has been removed from sale, limiting access for new players and contributing to its declining player base.
Despite its innovative concept, the game suffers from poor optimization and a steep learning curve, which can deter new players.

graphics
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
40%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and immersive environments, showcasing impressive detail and a breathtaking atmosphere, particularly in zero-gravity settings. Developed by Futuremark, known for their graphics benchmarks, the game features beautiful graphics that are demanding on hardware, requiring a capable graphics card to fully appreciate the eye-candy effects. While the visuals are often described as spectacular and groundbreaking for its time, some users note that the gameplay may not live up to the same standard, and performance can be an issue on lower-end systems.
- “My outlook on existence profoundly expanded as I was transported to a zero gravity moonscape with awe-inspiring visuals.”
- “The graphics are amazing, with a shattered moon surrounding the Earth like an asteroid belt as well as various structures such as the International Space Station and other structures such as a mining station on one of the asteroids, an abandoned research station, and the Ark (the shattered remains of parts of the moon that settled into the Earth's orbit).”
- “Not only are the visuals jaw-dropping but the audio is perfect, with an epic orchestral score and sharp sound effects; this game has it all.”
- “Considering it was developed by Futuremark, creators of those spiffy benchmark programs, the graphics were hardly as mind-blowing as I expected.”
- “However, do beware that lowering the graphics settings makes little if any performance improvement, so if you have a weak graphics card, don't buy this game.”
- “You need a DirectX 10 or higher graphics card and this game is very CPU intensive.”
gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
42%
7%
The gameplay of this game is characterized by its unique zero-gravity mechanics and innovative combat system, offering a fresh take on the first-person shooter genre. While some players find the controls awkward and the overall combat lackluster, many appreciate the immersive environments and tactical choices available, such as managing your spacesuit for stealth. Overall, it is seen as a hidden gem with stunning visuals and a novel gameplay experience, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its complexity and optimization issues.
- “This unique gameplay gives you complete freedom of movement, and is a very, very novel experience.”
- “The gameplay is a ton of fun, the graphics are unbelievable, the maps are immersive and fun to explore, and the multiplayer is nice and smooth.”
- “Extremely fun and innovative gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is not fun at all.”
- “The mechanics of it are awkward, and overall, the combat is lackluster.”
- “Although it features some unique elements such as the ambience of space and 3-dimensional fights, it is poorly optimized, has a very lazy 2D interface, and bland gameplay with very little to do besides shooting other players.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The game "Shattered Horizon" lacks a dedicated single-player story mode, focusing instead on multiplayer gameplay where players compete against each other without missions. While there is a minimal backstory involving a conflict between an international space agency and a moon mining cooperative, it is not fully developed and leaves players wishing for a more substantial narrative experience. Overall, the absence of a single-player campaign detracts from the game's storytelling potential.
- “There's even a bit of a storyline that could easily be the backstory for a single player campaign.”
- “Okay, so the backstory isn’t the greatest, nor does it make the most sense… all you really need to know is the international space agency and the moon mining cooperative don’t like each other.”
- “This game is completely multiplayer-oriented; there is no single player story mode.”
- “There is not a single player story to the game; it's just a single player practice section to get ready to play people online.”
- “I just wish there were single player missions.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly for low-end PCs, with users reporting minimal performance improvements even at lower graphics settings. Many players find the engine underwhelming, leading to poor performance and a lack of engaging gameplay despite its unique space elements. Overall, it requires a robust system to run smoothly, making it less accessible for those with weaker hardware.
- “FPS in space, with awesome graphics... a true test of your PC's performance, and it's also fun to watch people drift off into space.”
- “Beware, it takes a bit of hardware to run smoothly.”
- “I liked the game, but it's not optimized for low-end PCs (Intel 3000 graphics, something like that), and the servers are empty most of the time.”
- “Having said that, the game is poorly optimized and has very few customization options.”
- “However, do beware that lowering the graphics settings makes little if any performance improvement, so if you have a weak graphics card, don't buy this game.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The music in the game is highly praised for its excellence and unique "spacy" quality, created by a composer known for work on Max Payne and Alan Wake. Players find it enjoyable and reminiscent of themes from popular series like Lexx and Halo, enhancing the overall gaming experience. Many users note that the music significantly contributes to the game's fun and intensity.
- “The music is created by a composer who worked on Max Payne and Alan Wake, and it's totally different—so 'spacy' and enjoyable, reminiscent of themes from the TV series Lexx and the Halo main tune.”
- “Great idea, good controls, perfect music, interesting maps, and decent graphics.”
- “That awesome music was one of the main reasons I bought this game!”
- “This is the most fun I've ever had in a space game, and if you turn the music off, it is the most intense as well.”
- “The music is created by a man who worked on Max Payne and Alan Wake music, and it's totally different; so 'spacy' and enjoyable, reminding me of themes from the TV series Lexx and the Halo main tune.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning visuals and immersive sound design, effectively capturing the eerie silence of space. Players appreciate the realistic depiction of the solar system, enhanced by the presence of asteroids and comets, which contributes to a sense of isolation and authenticity. Overall, it is regarded as one of the best representations of the dark, empty, and silent nature of space in gaming history.
- “Great visuals and sound make for a breathtaking atmosphere.”
- “Don't pay attention to the fact that this is an MP and DX10 only game; this is the best game about space I've played in the last 20 years. No other game before has come so close to capturing the atmosphere of real dark, empty, silent, and zero-g space!”
- “Speaking of space atmosphere, there is sound which is 'sound simulation' from your suit (best not to think too much on that) but there is a key to turn off simulated sound, giving you the eerie silence of space and the astrocosmonaut breathing (again, like 2001).”
- “Don't pay attention to the fact that this is a multiplayer and DX10-only game; this is the best game about space I've played in the last 20 years. No other game before has come so close to capturing the atmosphere of real dark, empty, silent, and zero-g space!”
- “I like the way asteroids and comets are floating around in the atmosphere; I suppose you would call it a solar system.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game attempts to incorporate humor, many users feel that the poor performance of the game engine detracts significantly from the comedic elements, making the experience frustrating rather than amusing.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is criticized for being unstable and plagued by numerous bugs, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
- “Worthless, buggy game.”