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StarDrive 2

Both land and space combat lack punch, but there's a fun if predictable 4X game waiting underneath.
StarDrive 2 Game Cover
61%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
stability, grinding
55% User Score Based on 2,790 reviews
Critic Score 69%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCMac OSWindows
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StarDrive 2 Game Cover

About

StarDrive 2 is a single player turn-based strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Zero Sum Games and was released on April 9, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

"StarDrive 2" is a real-time strategy game that lets you build and customize your spaceships with various paint jobs and designs. The Digital Deluxe Edition also includes a developer's journal, digital artbook, and a soundtrack featuring classical music and original scores. As a space empire builder, you will explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate across different galaxies in this 4X strategy game.

Genres & Tags
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StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
StarDrive 2 screenshot
+5
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55%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,790 reviews
gameplay142 positive mentions
stability278 negative mentions
  • Great ship customization and design mechanics that enhance gameplay.
  • Fun real-time space battles that provide tactical depth.
  • Engaging and humorous writing that adds personality to the game.
  • Numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay.
  • AI is often unbalanced, making it difficult to compete fairly.
  • Ground combat mechanics feel tedious and underdeveloped.
  • gameplay
    532 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Stardrive 2 is a mixed bag, drawing heavily from the classic Master of Orion 2 while introducing new mechanics like ship customization and real-time fleet combat. While many players appreciate the depth and strategic elements, they also highlight significant issues such as bugs, balance problems, and a lack of polish that can hinder the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the game offers engaging mechanics for dedicated 4X fans, though it may not appeal to those seeking a more refined or complete experience.

    • “This is one of the best 4x games ever, including the most fun shipbuilding mechanic.”
    • “The gameplay is fresh yet familiar.”
    • “The gameplay is tough but rewarding.”
    • “Buggy as hell, prone to crashing on bigger maps and in-game mechanics seem to suspend themselves from time to time.”
    • “Mechanically this game is lacking... it's gone through a lot of work, but it's still never reached a level of satisfaction that makes it worth playing.”
    • “Now it seems that I cannot complete a campaign without the game crashing or some bug affecting gameplay.”
  • graphics
    311 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the art style, ship designs, and overall visual appeal, particularly in space battles and planetary views. However, some players noted issues with graphical glitches and performance problems during larger battles, suggesting that while the visuals are generally good, they are not without flaws. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point of the game, especially for a title from a small indie team, but there is room for improvement in terms of stability and polish.

    • “The art style is wonderful, the ship builder is exceptional and the AI is more than competent (in fact, it's brutal).”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, especially the way space combat looks, the planets are all awesome looking as well, the new hex system and fresh.”
    • “Wow, all I can say is wow, this game is amazing, I am stunned by the graphics, the combat, how ships die, the universe, the story, the design of ships etc. etc. etc.”
    • “The game was slow and had several graphics glitches as well as issues with the sound effects.”
    • “The graphics are not going to win any awards and the gameplay at the end gets a bit repetitive.”
    • “I played enough to say that although the graphics are a step in the right direction, everything else is not.”
  • stability
    286 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of Stardrive 2 is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting significant bugs, crashes, and freezes, particularly during larger battles or complex gameplay scenarios. Many players describe the game as a "buggy mess," with issues ranging from minor interface glitches to major game-breaking errors, leading to a frustrating experience. While some users note improvements over time, the overall consensus is that the game remains unpolished and unstable, making it difficult to recommend.

    • “If he continues in this for the next couple of months, and really gets things as close to bug free as possible before moving on to new content, then he will have achieved true greatness with this game.”
    • “You can tell that the dev cares about the overall state of the game being bug free and he is very active in the forums.”
    • “Runs well, no glitches I could see.”
    • “But we're talking some major bugs that cause crashes/screen flashes/freezes... and many minor ones like the AI simply ignoring your borders to attack any minor race planets in your territory, ships randomly duplicating at end turn, etc.”
    • “The game is buggy and has serious balance issues.”
    • “It is very buggy; ships don't move half the time, fleet icons disappear, enemy icons disappear when they are well within detection range, buttons stop working, opening one planet screen brings up another planet, event sequencing & combat & planet management screens try to load at the same time resulting in lost information.”
  • story
    200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a mix of light-hearted humor and engaging quests, reminiscent of classic 4X titles like Master of Orion, though it suffers from unfinished elements and a lack of depth in the main campaign. Players appreciate the unique side missions and character interactions, but many feel that the overarching narrative is thin and incomplete, particularly regarding the mysterious remnant race. While the game offers interesting story segments and random events, the overall execution leaves some players wanting more substantial storytelling and variety in missions.

    • “In comparison to Master of Orion re-release, this game scores better marks in all aspects, from the GUI, to the gameplay mechanics, to endgame challenge, to interesting story elements.”
    • “The background story is weird in a very good fun way.”
    • “What they did with the random quests and story elements really reminds me of playing Masters of Orion II with an updated UI and real-time space battles.”
    • “This is the same story as Stardrive 1!”
    • “The developer abandoned that project stating it was in a playable state, which to some sense it was, but it was not what was promised, unfinished tech trees, an interesting storyline with the mysterious remnant race, which just ended halfway with no explanation, despite it being clear there was more to the story.”
    • “- not much story in the campaign (I've never played a 4x game brimming with plot)”
  • humor
    98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its creativity and clever references to various sci-fi media, providing a light-hearted and enjoyable experience amidst the strategic gameplay. Players appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humor and quirky character interactions, although some feel that the humor can occasionally seem forced or inconsistent. Overall, the game successfully blends fun and charm, making it a delightful experience for fans of the genre.

    • “It made me laugh a lot when viewing the various characters and their sayings.”
    • “A lot of the interactions with other races and events are funny, and there are a lot of references to other media, like Stargate, Masters of Orion, Futurama, and even Ghostbusters.”
    • “Stardrive also has a very refreshingly light attitude and a healthy sense of irreverent and sometimes self-deprecating humor, which helps a lot during a long slog through a highly technical strategy game on high difficulty.”
    • “Even on easy, the game is unfunny hard, and more than anything, just frustrating.”
  • music
    92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its thematic and enjoyable qualities that evoke a classic sci-fi atmosphere, while others criticize it for being lackluster or repetitive. Many appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the gameplay experience, though some find it overbearing after extended play. Overall, the music is seen as a highlight for some, but a drawback for others, reflecting a divide in player preferences.

    • “The music, omg the music, it's amazing! I just can't believe how nice it is, it's like Frank Klepacki did the music for this game like Star Wars: Empire at War, it's just great!”
    • “Music and sound effects have an excellent science fiction vibe, creating moments of peaceful stellar harmony as you view the vastness of the space map or watch the humorous galactic news feeds.”
    • “Many a focused moment I have found myself suddenly in a relaxed mental state, taking in all the audio goodness with hypnotic futuristic music by the legendary likes of Isao Tomita.”
    • “The music is awful and may as well not exist.”
    • “From random 'sci-fi beeps' on the tactical map and cheesy 'pew-pew' noises in battles, the sound design could have been so much better; honestly can't remember what the music is like other than I turned it off pretty quickly.”
    • “The only sound is the music (which is very lackluster especially in combat), and basic UI/combat sound effects.”
  • grinding
    90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tediousness, with players expressing frustration over micromanagement, ground combat, and colony management. Many reviews highlight the repetitive nature of tasks, poor interface design, and a lack of automation options, leading to a gameplay experience that feels overly time-consuming and unenjoyable. Overall, the consensus is that the game suffers from excessive grind, detracting from its potential enjoyment.

    • “No farming, no research, just production.”
    • “I found the ground missions to be particularly tedious.”
    • “Doing ground battles manually is incredibly tedious, having to click for each shot of a weapon and it just takes an age to finish a ground battle sometimes, especially if both sides have high hit points.”
    • “Managing colonies at the late game is tedious, and will take up almost all of your time unless you ignore them.”
  • replayability
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its depth, customizable races, and engaging tech tree, leading to high replay value. However, others note limitations due to repetitive gameplay, a lack of diverse races, and early-game challenges that can detract from the experience. Overall, while many find it enjoyable and worth revisiting, some players may experience boredom or frustration before fully appreciating its replay potential.

    • “I am extremely pleased with its depth (the tech tree is huge!), the various races and flavor text are engaging and often a bit humorous, and I have no doubt it will have a ton of replayability as a result.”
    • “Replayability: 10/10! So many options between races and the ability to customize said races.”
    • “These random events, combined with the fact that each race's AI behaves differently depending on their racial traits, make for a very replayable and divergent game.”
    • “At the beginning, you will have to learn a lot before you can competently play the game (at least I did), and the replay value isn't terrific, so I imagine many people will get bored and frustrated with this game before they can have any fun with it.”
    • “Not much replayability at this time.”
    • “The replayability also suffers when every game ends up in a war with only slightly varied opponents.”
  • optimization
    78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues, particularly during large battles where frame rates drop dramatically. While some users noted improvements and a lack of crashes, the overall consensus is that the game remains poorly optimized, unbalanced, and plagued by bugs, making it difficult to recommend for those seeking a smooth gameplay experience. Despite some recent optimizations, the game's performance issues, especially with fleet management and AI behavior, continue to overshadow its positive aspects.

    • “But I was taken recently with a fancy to go back and play Stardrive 2 again, and I found and fixed a large number of bugs, and I added a few new features and some optimizations, and I thought I would pack them together and ship them out.”
    • “Game reliability has increased significantly since Stardrive 1 (I haven't even crashed once yet) and the semi-turn-based system does wonders for both late-game performance and an easier overview of your empire.”
    • “The game runs smoothly, I played without any crashing, so I give that a thumbs up.”
    • “There's a ton of bugs and optimization issues that should be fixed but aren't.”
    • “What I am trying to say is that the performance is terrible and that when you get to the titan ships and the likes, you're going to lag your face off in the big space battles that are kind of the cool things about this.”
    • “This is simply bad and unoptimized coding, plain and simple.”
  • atmosphere
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its engaging and well-developed lore, reminiscent of classic titles like Master of Orion. Players appreciate the universe's scale, attractive visuals, and the inclusion of random events that add personality and flavor, enhancing the overall experience. The atmosphere is described as rich and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and storytelling.

    • “The atmosphere is engaging and quite complete with a solid and well thought out lore.”
    • “Lots of atmosphere and flavor to the game; the random events (such as one of your arctic planets founding a ski resort) are nice little touches that help give the game its own personality.”
    • “+excellent atmosphere and storytelling which is missing in most games, notably Endless Space, etc.”
    • “I need atmosphere, so I expect that your star empire evolves from Earth, as it is in the real universe.”
    • “But it's hard not to play, because this game has near the atmosphere of Master of Orion or other classics with some added fun, and it's really good to see your civilization colonizing the planets.”
    • “Similar, you should be able to mine asteroids and worlds without an atmosphere before you can colonize them.”
  • monetization
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with users labeling it as a cash grab that prioritizes profit over quality. Many express frustration over aggressive advertising and the release of DLC without addressing existing issues, leading to a perception of abandonment by the developers. Overall, players feel disillusioned and advise against purchasing the game.

    • “I gave it one last chance today, but found that it is a cash grab and/or abandoned game.”
    • “Look, I really want to give this a thumbs up but... I can't. It's become a cash grab now. For God's sake, the title screen has an ad that says 'buy buy buy, give money.' Whyyyyyyyy? This game was good, but the DLC... *sigh* just don't buy this game.”
    • “Should really fix stuff before making the cash grab for DLC.”
  • emotional
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, reminiscing about past experiences that evoke nostalgia for classic titles like "Hearts of Iron 3" and "Master of Orion 2." The soothing visuals and user-friendly interface enhance this emotional engagement, making them eager to revisit the game, reminiscent of the excitement felt while playing "Skyrim." However, some users also reflect on disappointment with the game's decline over time, indicating a complex emotional relationship with the title.

    • “This combined with the soothing visuals made me feel I was back playing Master of Orion 2, but with modern enhancements, making for a smooth user interface experience with excellent tooltips popping up, revealing information on every single big and little thing happening on the screen.”
    • “Sd2 is a game that I'm actually eager to find an opportunity to play, and I can't remember a game that made me feel that way since Skyrim.”
    • “Brutal AI made me feel like Hearts of Iron 3 all over again before I knew how to manage my systems correctly.”
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69%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews
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21h Median play time
451h Average play time
5-212h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 40 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

StarDrive 2 is a turn-based strategy game with science fiction theme.

StarDrive 2 is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 451 hours playing StarDrive 2.

StarDrive 2 was released on April 9, 2015.

StarDrive 2 was developed by Zero Sum Games.

StarDrive 2 has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

StarDrive 2 is a single player game.

Similar games include StarDrive, Galactic Civilizations III, Master of Orion, Stars in Shadow, Endless Space and others.