Smugglers 5

About

Smugglers 5 is a single player role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Niels Bauer Games and was released on April 11, 2014. It received neutral reviews from players.

Smugglers 5 is the fifth installment in the turn-based single-player space trading game series. Will you be a greedy trader, an ambitious fleet pilot or a ruthless pirate? Board enemy ships, manage factories, conquer star systems and forge your own galactic empire - ultimately, your actions will have an impact on a galactic scale.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

55%

Audience ScoreBased on 132 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

The game offers a vast universe with multiple factions, professions, and the ability to create a pirate empire, providing a variety of gameplay options.
Combat can be challenging but rewarding, with a random skill system that encourages improvisation and strategic thinking.
The game has a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic space trading and combat games, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.

The game suffers from significant bugs, including crashes and unresponsive elements, which can hinder the overall experience.
Combat is heavily reliant on random chance, leading to frustrating moments where players can lose despite having superior ships and skills.
The user interface is outdated and poorly optimized for modern screens, making it difficult to navigate and enjoy the game fully.

story
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
77%
13%
The game's story is criticized for being simplistic and poorly executed, with a focus on an Amero-centric narrative that lacks depth and engaging plotlines. Players find the quests repetitive and uninspired, often leading to frustration due to bugs and a lack of mission tracking for non-government tasks. While there are some interesting elements, such as illegal goods and faction interactions, the overall storytelling fails to elevate the gameplay experience.
- “If you like space or pirate games, you should check this out; there are several different storylines and endings based on how you choose to play.”
- “The only good parts were the smaller flavor missions that appear when you visit planets and the variety of choices in the skill trees.”
- “It's like a game from the early 90's, minimal graphics but big on story, and next-turnitis sets in faster than you can expect.”
- “In terms of plot, this game names all its sectors things like 'New Ireland' or 'New Germany' or 'New Italy', but the story is unabashedly Amero-centric.”
- “So, the story basically goes that the federation (or empire, as it's called anytime it's supposed to be the bad guy, because empires are bad, 'mmmkay?) passed some 'tyrannical' laws, so some of the colonies started a rebellion after having a tea party.”
- “The universe is lifeless and repetitive, the missions are always the same crap, the challenge isn't great either.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
76%
14%
The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being outdated and overly simplistic, resembling a low-quality, two-dimensional design reminiscent of late-90s titles. Many reviewers note the absence of graphics settings and the lack of visual appeal, suggesting that the game is better suited for those who prioritize gameplay depth over graphical fidelity. Overall, while the visuals may not meet modern standards, they are deemed acceptable for players willing to overlook them in favor of the game's strategic content.
- “Behind the simple visuals and the easy to learn rules and interface, there is a lot of content hidden.”
- “They won’t win any prizes graphically, but they really make it up for it with depth, polishing, and gameplay.”
- “While not graphically appealing to today's standards, it makes up for it in depth and gameplay.”
- “It's old and graphics-challenged.”
- “The graphics can be boiled down into this sentence: "it's two jpeg images set on a black background with one of two basic overlay effects on them and no concern for consistency or integrity of the images themselves or the overlays."”
- “The gameplay and graphics would have fit right in with late-90s iterations of games like Taipan!”
gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
60%
16%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of depth and repetitiveness, with many players finding the mechanics either underdeveloped or overly simplistic. While some appreciate the strategic elements and potential for addictive play, others criticize the lack of narrative and end-game content, leading to a formulaic experience that can become tedious after a few hours. Overall, the game struggles to balance its ambitious features with execution, resulting in a gameplay experience that may not meet modern standards.
- “There are many ships, faction politics, a trade mechanic with a black market aspect, tons of skills and abilities, and a large map.”
- “It's pretty simple in terms of gameplay, but it is very fun and quite addictive.”
- “It is rough and unpolished in some areas, but there is a lot of good gameplay to be had.”
- “The second problem is that the smuggler's guild DLC is not useful at all because even if you succeed in this DLC, you are required to pay a fee for owning a pirate base, and that can kill you financially during the gameplay.”
- “Though eventually even such lofty ambitions lose their luster disappointingly quickly as gameplay becomes almost formulaic.”
- “This game is also missing the end-game content, so bad luck if you thought you might like to lead your own fleet or do anything cool. The game becomes rather bland after a couple of hours of gameplay, with all combat being nearly identical, with only a slight mix-up due to you only being able to use abilities when the RNG decides you can...”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the early grind can be enjoyable, the lengthy process of earning credits for larger ships and leveling up skills can become tedious and monotonous. Combat frustrations, such as frequent misses and limited ability availability, further contribute to the grind, making it feel more like a chore than a rewarding challenge. Overall, dedication is required to progress, especially for those who opt for certain character paths.
- “Early grind is fun, but earning 10 million credits for the largest ship is tedious unless you take the smuggler start.”
- “Sounds fun, but think more like old school NES Dragon Warrior style grinding, and watch out because every 5 battles will either be a smaller ship with random chance on its side or an overpowered larger ship that will tear you apart.”
- “With enough dedication, you can eventually reach the higher ranks and unlock more activities, but you'll have to slog through a fair bit of early grinding, especially if you choose the civilian route.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly on modern systems. Many feel that the game is unfinished and not worth its price, citing frequent crashes, lag, and a clunky interface as major drawbacks. Overall, players express frustration over the game's lack of polish and stability.
- “It's old and buggy, especially with modern systems.”
- “Please fix these glitches so I can stop feeling like I wasted my time and money... I don't have a lot of either.”
- “It is an unfinished buggy mess and not the latest version of this game.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's optimization is lacking for screens larger than 1366x768, resulting in tiny visuals, while it runs smoothly on smaller displays. Although it is easy to download and performs well on lower resolutions, the repetitive gameplay may detract from the overall experience.
- “It is very small, simple to download, and it requires minimal resources from the computer; it runs smoothly.”
- “Zero optimization for any screens bigger than about 1366x768; everything is tiny.”
- “It's so much more profitable than anything else that anything else is a waste of time in terms of optimization, but it's also rather dull to just keep running the same routes over and over.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
While some players find enough engaging features to warrant a few playthroughs, many criticize the game for its lack of polish and limited replayability, particularly due to a rigid skill system and repetitive combat. Overall, the campaign offers little incentive for repeated play, despite some interesting elements that may attract players initially.
- “There are some interesting features in this game, and for the price, it's worth the money - there is replayability and plenty of options to keep you engaged for a couple of run-throughs.”
- “The game offers enough details for replayability.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes makes each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “That said, the game is extremely unpolished, combat gets old after a few hours, trading is boring from the very beginning, there is absolutely no replay value to the campaign, you can't mix skill types because you are forced to follow a set career and skill path (one of six), and the game tells you to buy the expansion every time you leave the game.”
- “There are some interesting features in this game, and for the price is worth the money - there is replayability and plenty of options to keep you engaged for a couple of run-throughs.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is criticized for being excessively loud with no adjustable settings, leading to a frustrating experience for players. Additionally, there are issues with the music cutting out unexpectedly, which detracts from the overall immersion.
- “The music is deafening, with no way to adjust the volume other than turning it off.”
- “The music tends to cut out at various random intervals, and I only really noticed it when it suddenly stopped.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that while the game's intricate details can initially feel overwhelming, they soon appreciate the emotional depth and possibilities it offers, enhancing their overall experience.
- “I was a bit overwhelmed at first by all the details of this game, but it didn't take me long to realize that the basics are simple. What made me feel overwhelmed was, in fact, the possibilities offered here, and that is what makes this game great.”