Smugglers 5
- April 11, 2014
- Niels Bauer Games
Get on SteamSmugglers 5 is a turn-based space trading and combat game set in a vast, procedurally generated universe. As a captain of a spaceship, players engage in various activities such as trading goods, completing missions, and battling enemy ships. The game offers multiple factions to align with, various ship customization options, and a rich, engaging storyline.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a variety of play styles, allowing players to choose from different factions and professions, which adds depth to the gameplay.
- It has a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic space trading and combat games, appealing to fans of the genre.
- The turn-based combat system and trading mechanics can be engaging, providing a casual gaming experience for those who enjoy strategy.
- The user interface is clunky and poorly optimized for larger screens, making it difficult to navigate and read text.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, leading to a frustrating experience with lost progress and unresponsive elements.
- Many gameplay mechanics feel unfinished or unbalanced, such as the random nature of combat abilities and the lack of meaningful progression.
- story25 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being overly simplistic and Amero-centric, with a lack of depth in its factions and missions. Players find the narrative repetitive and uninspired, often feeling lost without mission reminders, and the universe itself is described as lifeless. While there are some interesting elements, such as illegal goods and varied skill trees, the overall storytelling fails to engage, leaving players wanting more substance and coherence.
“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.”
“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 lack of cool graphics would be okay if there was more of a storyline.”
- gameplay23 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its depth and mechanics, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking polish. Many users noted that the game becomes formulaic and lacks engaging end-game content, leading to a decline in enjoyment after a few hours. Overall, while there are interesting elements and potential for fun, the execution leaves much to be desired, making it feel outdated and unrefined.
“There are many ships, faction politics, a trade mechanic with a black market aspect, tons of skills and abilities, and a large map.”
“But, it has some surprising depth to the gameplay.”
“It's questing system is surprisingly deep, graphics are okay for a 2D space game and gameplay is fresh and unique.”
“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, only slightly mixed up due to you only being able to use abilities when the RNG decides you can.”
“Honestly, if this game were 15 years old or free on some flash site or a $2 iPhone title, I'd say it's great, but it's certainly not worth $10, considering the lack of depth, repetitive gameplay, and unpolished nature of the game.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being extremely basic, resembling outdated visual styles with minimal detail and no adjustable settings. Many reviewers describe the visuals as akin to early 90s games, consisting of simple 2D images and lacking any significant artistic integrity or consistency. While some players find the graphics acceptable for the game's simplistic, turn-based gameplay, those seeking modern or high-quality visuals are advised to look elsewhere.
“It's questing system is surprisingly deep, graphics are okay for a 2D space game and gameplay is fresh and unique.”
“The gameplay and graphics would have fit right in with late-90s iterations of games like Taipan!”
“It will keep you entertained for a while and will be worth it to those who are willing to put the time into it - assuming you can put up with old-fashioned graphics and sounds for quite a few hours.”
“It's just a graphical Windows Forms game... looks like Visual C++ or VB6.”
“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 big difference is the graphics, which are non-existent.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is described as tedious and reminiscent of old-school RPGs, requiring players to engage in repetitive battles for minimal rewards. Combat can be frustrating due to frequent misses and limited special abilities, leading to a sense of monotony, especially for those pursuing specific character paths. While dedication can eventually unlock more content, players should be prepared for significant early-game grinding, particularly if opting for a civilian role.
“For anyone wanting to create a smuggling empire, good luck grinding for the smallest of profit margins.”
“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 be able to slog through a fair bit of early grinding, especially if you choose the civilian route.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues such as freezing and crashes. Many feel that the game is unfinished and not worth its price, expressing frustration over the lack of timely fixes and the overall clunky interface. Overall, players describe the experience as frustratingly unstable and in need of significant improvements.
“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.”
“Plenty of bugs as well, random crashes to desktop, unresponsive program, and sound glitches to name a few.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game suffers from poor optimization on larger screens, resulting in tiny visuals for resolutions above 1366x768. While it runs smoothly on lower settings and is easy to download, the lack of optimization detracts from the overall experience, making it feel repetitive and uninspired.
“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.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is criticized for being excessively loud with no adjustable settings, forcing players to turn it off entirely. Additionally, it suffers from random cutouts, which can be jarring, although players often only notice the abrupt stops.
“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.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability due to its unpolished mechanics and a rigid skill system that discourages experimentation. While some players find value in the initial run-throughs and features, many feel that the campaign lacks depth and variety for repeated play.
“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.”
“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.”
