Supreme Commander

About

Supreme Commander is a real-time strategy game set in a futuristic world. Players command one of three factions, each with unique units, structures, and abilities, in large-scale battles involving land, air, and sea units. The game features a strategic zoom feature, allowing players to oversee the entire battlefield and manage resources, production, and research. Emphasis is placed on strategic planning, resource management, and large-scale combat.

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,094 reviews

story42 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

Supreme Commander is a true classic RTS that offers massive scale battles and a variety of unique units across three factions.
The game features a deep resource management system that encourages strategic planning and allows for creative gameplay.
The graphics, while dated, still hold up well and the ability to zoom in and out enhances the gameplay experience.

The game suffers from poor unit pathfinding, causing units to get stuck and not respond effectively to commands.
The campaign missions can be long and tedious, often requiring significant time investment to complete.
There are frequent crashes and technical issues, especially on modern systems, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
187 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
72%
6%
The story in the game is generally regarded as engaging but somewhat uneven, with a mix of interesting plotlines across three factions that intertwine, yet it lacks depth and can feel repetitive. While some players appreciate the immersive lore and character development, others find the pacing slow and the mission design lacking, leading to frustration during lengthy campaigns. Overall, the narrative serves as a solid backdrop for the gameplay, but it may not be compelling enough to motivate all players to complete the campaign.
- “Multiple unique factions, massive scale battles, and not to mention a great storyline that follows the previous games.”
- “The story is split into three possible alternate outcomes, and this is determined by the faction you choose to play.”
- “The campaign spans 6 missions per faction on ever-expanding battlefields.”
- “The pacing of it is bad, the mission design is average.”
- “The story is forgettable; each faction has some kind of super weapon that will win the war, which one you play as gets said super weapon done and wins the day.”
- “Not rewarding or challenging, just time-consuming and repetitive with a story that doesn't even inspire you to play further.”
gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The gameplay is generally praised for its engaging mechanics, strategic depth, and ease of understanding, making it accessible for both casual and hardcore RTS players. However, issues with pathfinding and some outdated mechanics detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game is recognized for its innovative features, such as scaled units and a rich story, contributing to a fun and immersive gameplay experience.
- “An excellent and gripping story, gorgeous graphics, and fantastic gameplay!”
- “The gameplay is super polished and flows really well.”
- “This game is just everything you could want in an RTS: giant maps, giant armies, mechanics that just work so well and are easy to learn but difficult to master.”
- “However, the pathfinding has such significant impact on moment-to-moment gameplay that it’s just too difficult to overlook.”
- “Amazing concept and gameplay, the unit pathfinding is awful at times, and that's my biggest gripe with the game overall.”
- “Dumbing down graphics is one thing, but totally crippling the gameplay is another.”
graphics
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
58%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many acknowledging that while they were impressive for their time, they now appear dated, especially compared to modern titles. Some players appreciate the game's visual detail and the ability to run smoothly on contemporary hardware, while others find the graphics too old-fashioned to enjoy fully. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the visuals may not be cutting-edge, they still hold a certain charm and functionality that can enhance the gameplay experience.
- “Graphically, while it may not be cutting-edge by today’s standards, the game’s visuals are still impressive for its time, and the detailed unit models and large-scale explosions never fail to impress.”
- “The graphics are very impressive considering how old the game is, and I still like zooming in to inspect all the high-tech lights and power networks I construct.”
- “It's good old-fashioned fun, with clear, handsome unit design, and impressive graphics even today; battlefields being at once impactful slugfests which leave behind smoldering wrecks and scorched craters, and easy to parse from your bird’s eye view.”
- “However, the graphics are really bad for a game made in 2007.”
- “The graphics are so old looking it is killing the game for me.”
- “Ugly, outdated graphics that are ugly by 2007 standards top off this poor attempt at a RTS.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
19%
14%
The music in the game has received high praise for its orchestral quality and fitting integration into gameplay, with many reviewers highlighting Jeremy Soule's excellent soundtrack as a standout feature. While some players noted a lack of variety in the music, the overall audio-visual experience is described as top-notch, enhancing the game's atmosphere and engagement. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant strength, contributing to the game's epic and immersive feel.
- “Fun gameplay, super creative art direction and story, fucking fantastic music.”
- “The audio-visual work is top notch across the board, and Jeremy Soule’s soundtrack is typically excellent.”
- “Epic music, epic battles, epic destruction.”
- “This game usually just provides a black screen and some background music with no controls or choice of music. Sometimes I see a THQ logo; other than that, I can get much greater audio/visuals from a Steam game or YouTube.”
- “Over-long levels, a one-track soundtrack, no in-game control guide, invisible unit cap, minimap switched off as default, awful unit response times, and general AI.”
- “Orchestral sounding music may continually be heard during play.”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
92%
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with many users reporting severe bugs, frequent crashes, and freezing issues that render it nearly unplayable. While some note improvements over previous titles, the overall consensus is that the game requires extensive troubleshooting and optimization to function properly.
- “No glitches, and the game has definitely aged well in my opinion.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes, making for a seamless experience.”
- “I've played for hours without encountering any bugs or issues, which is impressive.”
- “This game is very buggy and unplayable.”
- “It constantly crashes and freezes all the time whenever I launch it, making it practically unplayable.”
- “Don't buy this garbage unless you want to spend hours on Google attempting to fix the game because it constantly crashes or freezes.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
10%
30%
The game offers significant replayability due to its morally grey choices, multiple campaigns across different factions, and various multiplayer options. Players can explore different strategies and experiences, making it endlessly engaging despite the relatively short campaign length. Overall, it is highly rated for its replay value, with many users noting it provides hours of fun.
- “They all seem morally grey, which is great and gives the game huge replay value.”
- “While the campaigns are short (6 missions per campaign), they certainly have good replay value.”
- “The campaign is refreshing too, since it can be played from 3 differing factions, giving a nod to the original Dune 2, and the multiplayer options just add limitless replay value.”
- “The campaign is refreshing too, since it can be played from three different factions, giving a nod to the original Dune 2, and the multiplayer options just add limitless replay value.”
- “Replayability (different campaigns as different factions, co-op, multiplayer, maps)”
- “Endlessly replayable.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The optimization of "Supreme Commander" has received mixed reviews; while the remade version "Forged Alliance" runs smoothly, the original suffers from numerous bugs, crashes, and sound and graphical issues. Players note that despite its age, the game can still perform well on modern laptops, though it requires significant troubleshooting to address stuttering and slow unit movements. Overall, the game showcases its historical significance in testing computer performance, but many wish for better optimization for contemporary systems.
- “Bonus: an older game that can run smoothly on most modern laptops.”
- “If you were to modernize the graphics and optimize the game for modern computers, you would have 'Supreme Commander'.”
- “For an old game, it still runs well and was one of the few games (even today) to be optimized for four cores.”
- “Units are painfully slow (not slow as in low PC performance), but it literally took 20 minutes for a unit to capture a building.”
- “I've encountered stuttering problems playing with my screen on duplicate, but switching to a single screen solves this.”
- “A game that found success during its time and was well received, bar its performance issues.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While some players find the grinding in the game to be redundant and tedious, many still enjoy the experience due to its engaging gameplay and effective resource management. The game's strong AI and user-friendly interface alleviate the typical micro-management issues found in the genre, allowing players to focus more on strategy rather than repetitive tasks. Overall, despite the lengthy and sometimes monotonous nature of gameplay, it remains enjoyable for many.
- “From this perspective, the game does become redundant and tedious at times, and the game never really deviates from this.”
- “Although games can be pretty long and tedious to complete, it is still fun trying to protect yourself from onslaughts of planes, ships, and tanks while trying to create your own army.”
- “Great way to deal with resources (one of the most tedious aspects of all strategy games), makes you focus on the real thing: strategy.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its irreverent and self-aware jokes, often poking fun at player demographics and gaming tropes. Players appreciate the comedic elements, such as humorous prompts and unexpected messages during gameplay, though some find the frequent reminders to be annoying. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the experience, despite occasional frustrations.
- “It's funny.”
- “Skipping objectives sometimes triggers funny messages like: -enemy commander explodes- 'Enemy commander presence on island was confirmed.'”
- “Press 'yes' if you want to engage with the characters, press 'it's funny' if you are over 30 and still live with your parents.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express that the emotional impact of the game is profound, with some feeling deeply moved while reflecting on their experiences.
- “I'm genuinely getting emotional from writing this out.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of this RTS game is viewed positively, with players feeling it offers significant value and quality that justifies its price, distinguishing it from typical cash grab titles.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development in the game is highlighted by a surprisingly engaging story set in a classic cyberpunk aesthetic, complemented by a detailed unit command system that enhances player interaction with characters. The combination of dynamic gameplay elements, such as lasers and mechs, adds depth to the character experience.
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form meaningful connections with each character as their stories unfold.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, each with their own unique arcs that keep you invested in their journeys.”
- “The way the game explores the backstories and motivations of each character adds a rich layer to the overall narrative.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique and eerie military vibe, enhanced by an impressive soundtrack that contributes to an immersive experience. However, the steep learning curve may make it less accessible for beginners in the RTS genre.
- “By far the best strategy game I have ever played. The learning curve is great, so it's not recommended for beginners in the RTS genre. The soundtrack is pure awesomeness, very military-like and eerie, creating a unique grave atmosphere!”