Space Commander: War and Trade

About

Space Commander: War and Trade is a single player arcade role playing shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Home Net Games and was released on November 4, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Space Commander: War and Trade is a single-player space-sim offering diverse campaigns from arcade shooter to sandbox RPG. Build and customize your fleet, choose from various career paths including mercenary, trader, or space pirate, and upgrade your commander skills to fit your unique playstyle. Engage in combat, trade, or piracy to gain experience and progress through the game.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

Space Commander: War and Trade screenshot

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69%

Audience ScoreBased on 386 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding16 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay with a variety of roles such as trading, piracy, and combat.
Functional graphics that create an immersive atmosphere, despite not being cutting-edge.
Freedom of choice in gameplay allows players to pursue different paths and strategies.

Repetitive missions and tasks, especially in the later stages of the game.
Combat can feel unbalanced, with some missions being overly difficult compared to the rewards.
Lack of a comprehensive tutorial or guidance, making it challenging for new players to understand mechanics.

story
121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
88%
2%
The game's story is generally perceived as underwhelming, with many players noting that while it starts off engaging, it quickly becomes repetitive and lacks depth. Players express frustration over mission rewards not adequately covering repair and fuel costs, leading to a grind-heavy experience that detracts from the enjoyment of the narrative. Additionally, the limited post-story content and the simplistic nature of side missions contribute to a feeling of emptiness once the main storyline is completed.
- “The storyline screams of plot-manipulation and I've barely started the tutorial.”
- “The story is slightly above average and is ripe for expansion.”
- “The trading part can feel a bit repetitive sometimes, just like any trading game, but there is a storyline with a lot of dialogue and some progression, from piloting a single light fighter ship to managing a trading empire.”
- “After the first jump gate finished building, there's no more storyline.”
- “Once you complete the story, it becomes really dull and not worth playing, but it can be fun having a lot of your ships and taking down a big ship.”
- “The outcome of every story or mission is the same: fight some bandits or pirates or other party.”
graphics
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
20%
8%
The graphics of the game receive generally positive feedback, with many users praising their quality and visual appeal, especially for a free title. However, some players noted issues like screen tearing and dated visuals reminiscent of mobile games. Overall, the graphics are considered good and accessible, performing well on lower-end systems without demanding significant resources.
- “The graphics and sound are very good.”
- “The performance is also really good, and paired with the good graphics it looks like a game that costs way more than free.”
- “If you ever enjoyed Freelancer, this is an even better game, no time wasting, just get straight into the action and the visuals are impressive.”
- “But do not let that discourage you, it is a fun occasionally challenging little space sim. The controls are over simplistic and the graphics are nothing to write home about, but it's a fun little free game that I keep downloaded for when my rural internet goes out and I can't hop on Star Citizen.”
- “The visuals don't look terrible for a mobile app, unusual for sure, but the end result here is just a very shallow game that looks like it might be a competitor to X, or Privateer, or any other great space sim... but it's just not, it's a simple mobile app and won't satisfy serious PC gamers.”
- “The graphics look dated, or pulled straight from a mobile game, as expected.”
gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
59%
11%
Gameplay in this title is a mixed bag, with some players finding it initially engaging but ultimately repetitive and simplistic, particularly in combat mechanics. While the space combat is praised for its fluidity and nostalgic elements, many reviewers express a desire for more complexity and depth in gameplay systems, especially regarding targeting and economic interactions. Overall, the game offers a decent experience with potential for improvement, but it suffers from a lack of engaging content and depth in its mechanics.
- “The space combat is fluid and crisp, the mechanics are nice. I like the auto-targeting that still doesn't feel cheap; you have to maintain a lock on the target, be in range, and have a clear field of shot, which is not very easy at times.”
- “The game has great combat mechanics, and I love it.”
- “Space fight mechanics are solid with very few bugs that I've encountered.”
- “At first, it almost seems impossible and unplayable after 10 or 20 hours of gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately, the combat mechanics are rather simple and are prone to getting stale.”
- “Game world feels empty, game mechanics are very simplistic and underwhelming, soundtrack is low quality, but the biggest offender is combat which is horrible; you can only target your weapons at a very small distance and even bombers can only fire in what is basically melee range.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely viewed as tedious and time-consuming, with many players expressing frustration over the slow progression and difficulty in earning in-game currency. While some find enjoyment in the grind and appreciate the challenge it presents, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, suggesting that the game is designed to encourage microtransactions for those who wish to bypass the grind. Overall, the reception is mixed, with a clear divide between players who embrace grinding and those who find it excessive.
- “Makes this a grind to level up ships... kind of tedious.”
- “It can also be insanely hard to get money, as it's just grinding and being killed over and over again till you win.”
- “Game designed to keep you frustrated and grinding for funds, or throwing your real life money into their microtransactions.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The monetization model of the game is heavily criticized for its reliance on microtransactions, which many players feel are necessary to progress and enhance gameplay. While the game is free to play and offers some options to earn in-game currency through ads, it is perceived as a cash grab designed to frustrate players into spending real money. Some users note that while in-game purchases exist, they do not significantly impact gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about the overall monetization strategy.
- “Yes, there are in-game purchases, but this game is free to play and looks great even on a low-end graphics card or integrated system!”
- “It has some in-game purchases for ships and credits, but it doesn't affect the gameplay at all.”
- “A nice spaceship game; yes, it is free and yes, it has microtransactions, but in my first two hours of gameplay, this has not been a problem.”
- “It's an honest game if you do not pay, because the controls are not yours; the spaceship drives itself into debris and enemies, giving you damage. You can only evolve through money and in-game purchases, which by the way drives me away from the game.”
- “Game designed to keep you frustrated and grinding for funds, or throwing your real-life money into their microtransactions.”
- “Typical cash grab.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The music in the game is generally appreciated for its pleasantness and ability to enhance the ambiance, despite being somewhat repetitive. However, some players criticize the soundtrack's quality and feel that it does not compensate for the game's simplistic mechanics and lackluster combat experience. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, it is not enough to elevate the overall gameplay.
- “The music and ambient effects really help to enhance the experience.”
- “Though repetitive, the music and flying around just for the ambience is enough for me.”
- “I nearly forgot to mention that the music/soundtrack is great.”
- “The game world feels empty, the game mechanics are very simplistic and underwhelming, the soundtrack is low quality, but the biggest offender is combat, which is horrible. You can only target your weapons at a very small distance, and even bombers can only fire in what is basically melee range.”
- “Though repetitive, the music (or your own) and flying around just for the ambience is enough for me.”
- “Which helps to pay attention to music and ambient effects.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting a lack of bugs or glitches, while others have encountered serious issues that hinder gameplay, such as AI problems and enemy spawning errors. As a port, the game has not seen significant updates to address these stability concerns, which is disappointing for many users.
- “Because it's a port, it never really saw much in the way of updates to fix some buggy controls or expand the game, which is very sad and actually very common for this developer.”
- “There are some bugs and glitches, like enemy fighters spawning under the surface when fighting on planets, and the AI combat is rather lackluster.”
- “There are some serious glitches that prevent you from playing the game.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by enjoyable combat mechanics and strategic elements, particularly with shields not functioning in certain environments. While some players found the space flight mechanics reminiscent of atmospheric flight, the overall sound design is praised for being pleasant and immersive.
- “The combat is really fun, and the shields not working in the atmosphere add to the strategy and skill tests.”
- “I was initially annoyed that the space flight resembled flight within the atmosphere more than actual space flight, but I'm willing to set that aside because of the other features of the game.”
- “The sound is pleasant, atmospheric, and not too annoying.”
- “I was annoyed, at first, that the space flight more closely resembled flight within the atmosphere than actual space flight, but I'm willing to set that aside because of the other features of the game.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, particularly on Linux, where it runs flawlessly without performance issues. Users appreciate the good graphics and overall performance, suggesting it feels more premium than its free price tag.
- “On Linux, the game runs flawlessly with no performance problems, which suggests it may not be built with the Unity engine, as games using that engine often have performance issues.”
- “There are no performance problems.”
- “The performance is really good, and combined with the impressive graphics, it feels like a game that costs much more than it actually does.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as unexpectedly amusing, with players finding comedic value in absurd situations, such as a ship exploding due to turret failure. Overall, the humor effectively enhances the gaming experience.
- “Absolutely surprising and funny!”
- “Sure, it's funny when a ship blows up due to a turret failure, but it works.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while the game offers engaging content that encourages replayability, the wacky controls, particularly with mouse and keyboard sensitivity issues, can hinder the overall experience. Adjusting settings may improve playability, but the control challenges could affect the desire to replay the game.

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19h Median play time

17h Average play time

14-23h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Space Commander: War and Trade is a arcade role playing shooter game with science fiction theme.

Space Commander: War and Trade is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS, Phone and others.

On average players spend around 17 hours playing Space Commander: War and Trade.

Space Commander: War and Trade was released on November 4, 2020.

Space Commander: War and Trade was developed by Home Net Games.

Space Commander: War and Trade has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Space Commander: War and Trade is a single player game.

Similar games include Starpoint Gemini 2, Rebel Galaxy Outlaw, Starpoint Gemini Warlords, Endless Sky, Battlevoid: Harbinger and others.

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