Star Control: Origins
- September 20, 2018
- Stardock Entertainment
- 28h median play time
Star Control: Origins does a great job bringing back the classic game's humorous aliens and energetic 2D space battles, but everything you do on the ground is a chore.
Get on Steam"Star Control: Origins" is a space exploration and combat game that sends players on a journey to the stars. You'll encounter alien civilizations, navigate political intrigue, and engage in intense space battles. As a captain of a starship, players must gather resources, research new technologies, and make contact with other beings to expand their influence and protect their home world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Captures the spirit and charm of the original Star Control games, particularly Star Control II.
- Humorous writing and engaging dialogue with quirky alien races that provide a fun experience.
- Offers a large galaxy to explore with plenty of side quests and hidden treasures.
- Planet exploration can become tedious and repetitive, often feeling like a grind.
- Combat mechanics are less engaging than in previous titles, with a lack of ship variety and balance.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and performance problems, especially during planetary exploration.
- story1,833 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Star Control: Origins" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its humor, engaging characters, and nostalgic ties to the original series. While some find the plot predictable and linear, others enjoy the quirky alien interactions and the blend of serious and lighthearted elements. However, criticisms arise regarding the abundance of fetch quests, a lack of depth in certain storylines, and the feeling that the game does not fully capitalize on its narrative potential, leading to a mixed overall impression of the storytelling experience.
“The precursor mystery that serves as the backbone of the plot had me completely engaged.”
“This is an excellent 'throw-back' to the fantastic Star Control II that I so loved playing as a child, but with beautiful graphics and also sporting a rich immersive storyline with loads of small side quests to keep you engaged along with the main quest story.”
“The writing is consistently enjoyable and sometimes sci-fi gold, the plot doesn't take itself too seriously, and is generally quite good.”
“While it's nice to have a bit more of an epilogue to tie up a few loose ends and see how everyone's doing after the story's conclusion, the Earth Rising story is very long, frustratingly linear, filled with way too many boring fetch quests, and honestly just isn't a very compelling story.”
“The story in this is a joke.”
“The overall story doesn't engage you, let alone indicate a more extensive, more interesting mystery.”
- humor693 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many players noting its clever writing, quirky alien characters, and engaging dialogue that often elicits genuine laughter. While some feel the humor may not reach the heights of the original games, it still provides a delightful mix of lightheartedness and charm, making the exploration and interactions enjoyable. However, a few reviewers mention that the humor can sometimes feel juvenile or forced, and the overall gameplay may not fully support the comedic elements.
“The alien species are the most memorable part of the game, and they're written in a way that's often funny and always entertaining.”
“The writing is top notch, the voice actors are delightful and this game is funny.”
“The humor is great, too.”
“I should also say this: games are usually not funny.”
- gameplay621 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Star Control: Origins" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its nostalgic resemblance to the original "Star Control II" but criticizing its repetitive mechanics and grindy nature. While the humor, story, and character interactions are praised, the core gameplay loop—consisting of exploration, resource gathering, and combat—often feels shallow and lacks innovation, leading to a sense of monotony over time. Overall, while it captures the essence of its predecessor, it struggles to engage players fully due to its dated mechanics and lack of depth.
“The gameplay loop can be a bit grindy, but if you stay focused on specific goals, it can be completed in reasonable time without feeling like it overstayed its welcome.”
“The core gameplay is solid, and little things like having a search box to find specific systems is incredibly useful.”
“Gameplay is fine and so does interaction with the characters in the game, at least for the first 1.9 hours and the first two battles I had outside of training I am enjoying it.”
“The gameplay itself is dull and repetitive.”
“The horrid mechanics and an almost total unresponsive lack of control of the ship made me quickly realize I have better things to do than play this low-level game.”
“I have been a fan of the original for years and years but this game is dominated by boring resource gathering on planets in a totally unfun minigame which has nothing to do with core Star Control style 2D gameplay.”
- graphics418 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Star Control: Origins" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the colorful and cartoonish art style that evokes nostalgia for the original games, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic or lacking depth. Some players appreciate the modern updates and improved visuals compared to the original "Star Control II," but note that the graphics can feel unpolished and occasionally suffer from glitches. Overall, the visuals are generally considered decent and enjoyable, though they may not meet the expectations of players seeking cutting-edge graphics.
“This is an excellent 'throw-back' to the fantastic Star Control II that I so loved playing as a child, but with beautiful graphics and also sporting a rich immersive storyline with loads of small side quests to keep you engaged along with the main quest story.”
“A reboot of a classic that does a great job, with stunning graphics, fully-voiced encounters, and hilarious dialog.”
“The graphics are gorgeous.”
“Some planets have bizarre graphical glitches like resources turning invisible when you get near them and plants flickering.”
“The graphics look unpolished and the animations are lackluster for a $40 game.”
“The art style is overly cartoony and paired with the graphics it ends up looking and feeling like Spore's galaxy mode more than anything else.”
- grinding373 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the resource gathering and planetary exploration to be tedious and repetitive over time. While some enjoy the humor and writing, they often feel that the gameplay becomes a slog, particularly during the lander missions and resource collection. Overall, the game offers fun moments but is frequently criticized for its grind-heavy mechanics that can detract from the overall experience.
“The exploration is fun; it's not tedious, and it doesn't feel like a grind.”
“It's not grindy: as of now, fighting and special encounters net you decent money, so there's no need to hunt for minerals unless you have to.”
“The lander element of the game is easily the most tedious, grind-oriented, and disappointing part of the game.”
“I completed the campaign in 24 hours, 70% of which was spent grinding to get better weapons.”
“The gathering portion of the game can feel a bit grindy at times, especially on quest planets with drone defenses present.”
- music262 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its nostalgic remixes of classic tracks from Star Control II, while others feel it falls short of the original's iconic sound. Some players appreciate the new compositions and the ambiance they create, noting that the music captures the spirit of space exploration well, but others criticize it for being repetitive or irritating, particularly during certain gameplay segments. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally considered good and fitting for the game, it does not consistently reach the heights of its predecessor.
“The music is great, it's made by some of the same people as in the originals, though you can kinda see how they evolved as artists when they got older.”
“The music is awesome and captures the spirit of the game perfectly!”
“The music really brings all of it together nicely.”
“None of this is helped by the nearly complete absence of a soundtrack; an essential ingredient for creating atmosphere.”
“I'll go even as far as to say the music becomes irritating, especially the planet lander music (which you will hear a lot especially during early game).”
“- the soundtrack is overly-repetitive.”
- stability76 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 84 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting various glitches and bugs, particularly related to graphics and user interface, though most agree that these issues are not game-breaking. Some users experienced significant performance problems, including freezing and stuttering, while others found the game to be well-optimized and largely bug-free after initial patches. Overall, while there are notable stability concerns, experiences vary widely among players.
“Game is well optimized, that's for sure, runs great on my 4790k 1080ti!”
“My entire playthrough was bug free, crash free and took about 30 hours to complete.”
“Easy to jump into and runs great on my old laptop that is held together by duct tape.”
“Don't buy this game, it's laggy and buggy and there is no solution.”
“Unplayable for me - freezes up and stutters every few minutes.”
“A lot of elements of the game feel rushed, buggy, or incomplete.”
- optimization52 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 31 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly during planetary exploration, which can lead to stuttering and lag. While some users noted that the game runs well on certain hardware configurations, others criticized the overall lack of optimization, including long loading times and inaccurate performance indicators. Overall, it appears that the game requires further optimization to enhance stability and performance across various systems.
“Game is well optimized, that's for sure, runs great on my 4790k 1080ti!”
“Seriously, the performance the coders got out of this engine is excellent.”
“The controls are clearly optimized for the console release.”
“Optimization is poor, especially some planets can become laggy without really enough going on screen to justify the lag.”
“Awful optimization for planet-landing sequences.”
“On top of the lack of depth to the gameplay, there are performance issues that other reviewers have mentioned like mouse glitches and framerate stuttering on planets.”
- atmosphere44 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Star Control: Origins" is generally praised for its immersive storytelling, character depth, and nostalgic elements reminiscent of the original titles, though some players feel it lacks the lasting impact of its predecessor. While the game successfully captures the spirit of exploration and features well-done animations, the absence of a soundtrack and certain gameplay mechanics detract from the overall experience. Overall, it offers a solid atmospheric experience, though some aspects may feel juvenile or grindy compared to earlier entries in the franchise.
“It is a rare occasion that a game comes along, which has such an immersive atmosphere carefully created by brilliant storytelling, humorous dialogues, alien races with an incredible depth of character and of course a sheer endless supply of systems to visit, planets to plunder, spaceships to blow up and rare relics to discover.”
“Star Dock really did a fabulous job of replicating the feel and atmosphere of the older Star Control titles, so I must admit that at first the aliens did seem, well, alien, since they were not the races and ships that I still remembered fairly clearly from my youth.”
“That game was lightning in a bottle for its day but this game manages to capture some of that atmosphere and gives me a feeling of nostalgia in spades.”
“None of this is helped by the nearly complete absence of a soundtrack; an essential ingredient for creating atmosphere.”
“The absence of this type of character from the game substantially detracts from its ability to recreate the atmosphere of the first game.”
“Had the typical grindy atmosphere of SC2.”
- replayability40 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability, with some players expressing disappointment due to the linear storyline and limited replay value, while others highlight the potential for player-generated content and custom battles to enhance replayability. Overall, the game is seen as having low inherent replay value, but future expansions and mods could significantly improve this aspect.
“I consider this game to have a high replay value.”
“The main game is worth your money, and player-generated content will seriously up the replayability factor.”
“You will find replay value in the alliances you create, who you create them with, when you create them, and the favors you decide to do for each one; this type of combat mechanic forces the player to get creative in order to get the edge.”
“The single greatest downside to this game is the lack of replayability.”
“I took my time, and was done in about 20 hours, and thanks to the linear story the replayability of this game is nil.”
“No replayability, very disappointing.”
- emotional20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its engaging narrative and character interactions, reminiscent of classic titles like Mass Effect, which evoke feelings of nostalgia and connection. Players appreciate the quirky and heartfelt nature of the characters, making each encounter memorable, despite the repetitive missions and vast map that can lead to frustration. Overall, the initial campaign offers a compelling emotional experience, making it worthwhile for players, especially during the first ten hours.
“Nevertheless, I would recommend buying this game (on sale) just for the first 10 hours of the campaign alone, which really made me feel like I was playing a new cartoonish Mass Effect.”
“They are all at once adorable, terrifying, clever, hilarious, and heartfelt.”
“The quirky yet wholesome cast of characters allows for a breath of fresh air with each encounter on any planet.”
- character development10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being shallow, with some reviewers noting that the aliens lack depth and backstory. However, the strong character designs, engaging voice acting, and humorous dialogue are praised, suggesting that while the narrative may be basic, the characters' visual and auditory presentation compensates for the lack of substantial development. Overall, the sequel is seen as enjoyable despite its simplistic storytelling.
“The character designs, animation, and voice acting were a lot of fun and very well done.”
“In my opinion, the on-point character designs, voices, and personalities more than make up for the plain type of storytelling.”
“The dialogue is well thought out and funny, and the character design is well thought out.”
“The aliens are all too thin, not enough story, no character development.”
“It's painfully basic, a child could understand it, but in my opinion, the on-point character designs, voices and personalities more than make up for this plain type of storytelling.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with many players feeling that the DLC and overall content do not justify the sale price. Although there are in-game purchases available, they are seen as minimal and not enough to enhance the experience, leading to a perception that the game was designed with microtransactions in mind but scaled back due to negative feedback from other titles. Overall, players feel disappointed and believe the game represents a missed opportunity.
“I have a gut feeling that this game was designed with microtransactions in mind, but got rid of it due to backlash in other games. There are items that you can purchase with in-game currency ('ru') that speed up certain things, although only slightly.”
“The TL;DR: not worth the sale price, and as mentioned by many who played the previous games this was based on (this is a cash grab by an unrelated company).”
“Underwhelming, feels like a lost opportunity and maybe even a little like a cash grab.”
“I have a gut feeling that this game was designed with microtransactions in mind, but got rid of it due to backlash in other games, because yes there are items that you can purchase with in-game currency ('ru') that speed up certain things, although only slightly.”
Critic Reviews
Star Control: Origins Review
Star Control: Origins does a great job bringing back the classic game's humorous aliens and energetic 2D space battles, but everything you do on the ground is a chore.
69%Star Control: Origins Review (PC)
Stardock set out to offer players a game in which they can explore galaxies at their own pace, without being constrained to a linear narrative, and brilliantly succeeded. Star Control: Origins gives the player a reason to begin the journey, but it's the player who decides where and when to go. The game explains you the rules, but doesn't hold your hand throughout your adventures, hence the freedom feel. The top-notch writing wants to imply that Star Control: Origins doesn't take too seriously, but you have all the ingredients of a full Star Trek season. The influences are clearly there, so if you're a Trekkie, you'll feel right at home playing Stardock's game. +4more More importantly, Star Control: Origins feels very much alive. As you set out to explore new galaxies, seek out new life and new civilizations, you'll fly by galaxies with vibrant spaceship traffic. You can hail vessels you meet in the outer space, or simply open fire if you're pursuing a more hostile approach. Star Control: Origins perfectly combines exceptional writing, total exploration freedom, satisfying space combat, excellent voice acting and hypnotizing music. Although I felt intimidated by the importance of the journey ahead, the well written, humorous dialogues gently transitioned me into a state of pure excitement. No words can better describe Star Control: Origins than actually playing it. It's a masterpiece.
90%Star Control: Origins Review – Star Talk The Next Generation
Star Control: Origins boasts some of the sharpest writing I’ve come across in a while. It made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, which is a rare thing. Unfortunately, this space adventure is at its worst when it’s at its spaciest. A lack of navigational tools, dull resource collecting, and oversimplified space battles all conspire to knock the game down a peg. Star Control: Origins serves up a lively galaxy worth exploring, but sometimes the commute can be a killer.
70%
