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Space Empires V

69%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
stability, optimization
70% User Score Based on 698 reviews
Critic Score 50%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom $1.67
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About

Space Empires V is a turn-based strategy game that offers a rich galaxy exploration and empire building experience. Players can design their own ships, conduct research, and engage in tactical combat in a procedurally generated universe. The game also includes diplomacy and espionage elements, providing a variety of ways to interact with AI-controlled factions and expand your interstellar empire.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Space Empires V screenshot
Space Empires V screenshot
Space Empires V screenshot
Space Empires V screenshot
Space Empires V screenshot
Space Empires V screenshot
Space Empires V screenshot

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 700 reviews
graphics16 positive mentions
stability42 negative mentions
  • Amazing complexity of governing empire and fleet, offering extensive customization and a deep tech tree.
  • Great turn-based strategy gameplay with real-time combat options, allowing for tactical decision-making.
  • Highly replayable with a strong modding community, particularly with the recommended Balance Mod that enhances AI and gameplay.
  • The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes, slow performance on modern systems, and a clunky user interface.
  • The AI is often criticized for being predictable and lacking depth, making single-player experiences less challenging.
  • Requires significant effort to get running smoothly on modern operating systems, which can be frustrating for new players.
  • graphics
    86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated and clunky, with many users noting that they do not hold up well against modern standards. While some appreciate the nostalgic value and the improvements over previous iterations, the overall consensus is that the graphics detract from the gameplay experience, making it harder to navigate and enjoy. Additionally, performance issues and bugs on newer operating systems further hinder the visual experience.

    • “Great graphics for its time.”
    • “This game pairs the solid empire-building gameplay from SE4 with the 3D graphics and high-octane combat of Starfury to make for an epic experience.”
    • “The graphics are slightly dated but hold up well compared to most conventional standards.”
    • “Old and clunky ancient UI and graphics.”
    • “The new design makes the game harder to play; desired information harder to find, necessary actions more inefficient in their execution, while the graphic revision somehow appears uglier and more dated than previous editions.”
    • “The UI sucks, nothing is explained, and the graphics are kind of garbage; I can't tell what anything is even supposed to be.”
  • stability
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, bugs, and performance issues, particularly on modern operating systems. Many players suggest that extensive troubleshooting and the use of mods are necessary to make the game playable, while some express that the core gameplay has potential despite its rough edges. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess" that requires significant effort to enjoy.

    • “The real-time space combat should not be overlooked - it's actually not buggy at all and very enjoyable.”
    • “It is ancient, buggy, unstable, and requires mods to make it remotely playable.”
    • “Game has great potential but is buggy and impossible to finish because of crashes.”
    • “Unplayable on modern systems - a buggy piece of crap - Valve, sort it out, get this crap off the store.”
  • gameplay
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a mix of classic 4X mechanics with some modern enhancements, offering solid empire-building and ship customization, though it suffers from outdated graphics and occasional performance issues on newer systems. While some players appreciate the depth and tactical elements, others find it lacking in quality of life improvements and criticize its repetitive music and blandness. Overall, it remains a notable entry in the genre, especially with the support of mods to enhance the experience.

    • “As someone who has loved space 4X games since their origins, I would say that, by both its design and its actual gameplay, this is hands-down the best space 4X game ever made.”
    • “This game pairs the solid empire-building gameplay from SE4 with the 3D graphics and high-octane combat of Starfury to make for an epic experience.”
    • “Overall, Space Empires: V delivers consistent quality and satisfying gameplay despite coming out a decade ago.”
    • “The gameplay is essentially like any of the Gal Civ games with worse graphics. It does have some FPS issues with Windows 10, so be aware of that.”
    • “Boring, boring, and bland. The music is terrible, and the gameplay is boring. If you want a real game, buy Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion. That game is worth every penny; this game has bland written all over it. I mean, yeah, it's a classic, but it sucks.”
    • “The game itself isn't that complicated, but as I said before, the gameplay is really bad.”
  • optimization
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users reporting significant performance issues, crashes, and instability on modern operating systems. Players often need to manually fine-tune settings to achieve acceptable performance, which can be frustrating, especially for those less patient. Despite its potential and engaging gameplay, the lack of polish and optimization detracts from the overall experience, leading many to recommend against purchasing it.

    • “I used to love this game as a kid, and Captain Kwok's balance mod makes it great fun even these days, although you do have to do some finagling to get it to run smoothly on modern systems.”
    • “This game allows more freedom and options than any game I have ever played, and it is for this reason that I tolerate its performance issues with modern hardware so that I may gleefully kill aliens with crewless kamikaze viral spore carrying frigates again.”
    • “The game requires a lot of manual finetuning by the player to get it to run smoothly on any system with a modern OS.”
    • “Do not bother buying it as it doesn't work on modern systems, is unoptimized, basically lost in space, waiting for a return which will probably never happen.”
    • “The performance of the game is abysmal with lots of lag if you manage to put it in fullscreen.”
    • “I'm really intrigued by the game, and I was going to just bite the bullet and play through the bad performance, but after it made my computer crash completely, I decided it's just not worth it.”
  • music
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its quality and variety, while others find it repetitive and bland. Several users noted that the in-game audio can sound muffled, contrasting with the clearer quality of the music files outside the game. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for some, it fails to impress others who describe it as boring or limited.

    • “It's a great complex game with great music, great diplomacy, great variety.”
    • “The music is great and doesn't get too repetitive or boring.”
    • “Music and sound are pretty good and never tiresome.”
    • “The music is also quite horrible.”
    • “Boring, boring, and bland; the music is terrible. Gameplay is boring. If you want a real game, buy Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion. Now that game is worth every penny. This game has 'bland' written all over it. I mean, yeah, it's a classic, but it sucks.”
    • “Only a little criticism I have, and it's only minor, is that the music in-game tends to be on a massive loop and the music selection is a little limited, so you could hear the same song being played over and over again before it changes track, just to do it again.”
  • replayability
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its exceptional replayability, offering a wealth of customization options, expansive tech trees, and diverse strategies that keep players engaged. Despite some criticisms of its interface, the depth and variety in gameplay ensure that players can enjoy countless hours of unique experiences, particularly in multiplayer settings. Overall, it stands out as a highly replayable title within the 4X genre.

    • “If you want a game that will deliver endless replay value, this is the game for you.”
    • “Like all the SE games, the deep research trees, customizable ships, production and fleet management, and easy-to-load custom ship models make the game endlessly replayable.”
    • “Underneath the underwhelming, clumsy, and confusing interface is a very intelligent 4X game with more choices and replayability than its more glamorous competition (looking at you, GalCiv 2). It must be modded to show its full potential (Capt Kwok's balance mod).”
    • “Replay value: depending on your mood, as this game for me is mood dependent: should I spend hours tailoring a civilization around a specific goal or should I just mess with the AI and build like crazy?”
    • “Replayability is one of its better selling points, with the expansive tech tree, custom races, and insane ship builds and strategy; it is very difficult to lose interest.”
  • atmosphere
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is intricately tied to the planet types and the races inhabiting them, with different atmospheres affecting settlement conditions—requiring domed colonies for incompatible environments. Players appreciate the strategic depth this adds, particularly in a turn-based format, making it appealing for those who enjoy thoughtful gameplay.

    • “Planets (and races) have both an atmosphere and planet type.”
    • “The atmospheres of planets will determine how well your species settles, either having to live under atmospheric domes or under an open sky.”
    • “Colonies of a different atmosphere are domed.”
    • “What atmosphere do they breathe?”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be both tedious and fascinating, with a steep learning curve that requires managing orders one at a time across a vast empire. While the micromanagement offers depth, it can become overwhelming and repetitive, especially as the number of planets increases, due to the lack of mass command options. Overall, the experience is marked by a mix of engaging complexity and frustrating monotony.

    • “The learning curve for this game is long and tedious.”
    • “Enjoy giving orders tediously one at a time across your huge empire until you figure out queues, because the game isn't going to nudge you in that direction one bit.”
    • “The micromanagement has some cool things going for it, but it gets really tedious after having a certain number of planets, because appropriate mass commands and the like are just missing.”
  • story
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story revolves around the impact of small decisions that accumulate over time, leading to tactical advantages in the overarching quest to dominate the galaxy. This narrative structure emphasizes player choice and strategy.

    • “The game is about small decisions that add up over time into tactical advantages in the quest to dominate the galaxy.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a playful yet relentless approach, where players experience repeated setbacks that are presented in a lighthearted manner, evoking laughter despite the frustration. This blend of slapstick and absurdity creates a unique comedic experience that resonates with users.

    • “Forget not holding your hand; SE5 is pushing you down in the street over and over and laughing at you while you try to cross.”

50%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

Buy Space Empires V

32h Median play time
32h Average play time
32-32h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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