Sword of the Stars Complete Collection

About

"Sword of the Stars Complete Collection" is a 4X turn-based strategy game that takes players to space, where they will command a fleet of ships and expand their empire. The collection includes the base game and its three expansions, offering new races, ships, and gameplay features. Players must research technologies, manage resources, and engage in strategic combat to achieve victory.

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Play Modes

Sword of the Stars Complete Collection screenshot

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,162 reviews

gameplay48 positive mentions

stability16 negative mentions

Sword of the Stars offers a unique blend of turn-based strategy and real-time combat, allowing players to manage their empire while engaging in tactical battles.
The game features a randomized tech tree, ensuring that no two playthroughs are the same, and each of the six races has distinct mechanics that change gameplay significantly.
The ship design system is highly customizable, allowing players to create unique ships tailored to their strategies, enhancing the overall depth and replayability of the game.

The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for new players to navigate and fully understand the game's mechanics.
The AI can sometimes feel unbalanced, with instances of it cheating or making illogical decisions that detract from the overall experience.
Multiplayer functionality has been severely limited due to the shutdown of Gamespy, making it challenging to find online matches without using third-party software.

gameplay
162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
6%
The gameplay of this title is characterized by its deep and engaging mechanics, offering a unique experience with each race due to diverse abilities and a randomized tech tree. While the game is easy to learn, it features a steep learning curve and requires players to seek external resources for a full understanding of its complex systems. Despite some outdated graphics and occasional bugs, the overall gameplay is praised for its strategic depth, replayability, and the ability to design ships, making it a standout in the 4X genre.
- “The gameplay is deep and interesting, and rewards a player for playing well both tactically and strategically.”
- “Each race is unique and different from the others in substantive ways that affect gameplay.”
- “Ridiculously deep, engaging gameplay that can allow for 250+ hours for a single large game - a game filled with desperate struggles against merciless and highly adaptable AI in long late-night/early morning sessions.”
- “Nonsense, bad game mechanics, boring, and annoying.”
- “They made gameplay more complex all right, in seriously arcane and uncontrollable ways.”
- “The mechanics seem almost purposefully obscure, with what little can be pieced together in any halfway reasonable amount of time ranging from frustratingly awkward to outright counter-intuitive, and I could swear some of what the videos cover was just flat out explained wrong.”
graphics
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
59%
10%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting its early 2000s origins, yet many players find them serviceable and still visually appealing for the gameplay experience. While some reviews express a desire for a graphical update or remaster, the game's solid mechanics and immersive gameplay often overshadow its visual shortcomings. Overall, the graphics are considered decent for their time, contributing to the game's charm despite not being cutting-edge by modern standards.
- “Detail is good, graphics are legendary, I really enjoy this game.”
- “Graphics are great (although this is a game from the early 2000s, so don't expect cutting-edge graphics like games nowadays) and do a great job showing the pure scale of each game.”
- “All in all, Sword of the Stars is an impressive and addictive game, that is starting to show its age graphically, but the fun factor and replayability keeps me coming back to it.”
- “The graphics and UI are dated.”
- “It should also be noted that this game is pretty old now, so its graphics are dated.”
- “The downside of this game is that the interface can be kind of clumsy, it is fairly hard to learn, it lacks a story mode, and it just generally could use a bit more UI and graphics polish.”
replayability
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, largely due to its dynamic and randomized tech tree, which ensures that each playthrough offers a unique experience. Players appreciate the distinct mechanics of each race and the variety of customization options, contributing to endless strategic possibilities. Despite its age, the game's depth and engaging gameplay keep players returning for more, making it one of the most replayable titles in the genre.
- “The randomness of research only adds to the replayability—what worked brilliantly in one game could completely fail in another because this time the Zuul have somehow figured out how to fry your ships with tech they should not have.”
- “You get a lot of replayability since each race has different mechanics and randomized tech trees for each playthrough while some random effects (i.e. von Neumann attacks) can tip the balance of power even late game, especially on higher difficulty levels.”
- “It gives it almost limitless replayability, plus not knowing what you will encounter down the road, and what tools you will have available to deal with it, keeps you on your toes and forces you to adapt on the spot.”
- “You get a lot of replayability since each race has different mechanics and randomized tech trees for each playthrough, while some random effects (i.e. von Neumann attacks) can tip the balance of power even late game, especially on higher difficulty levels.”
- “It gives it almost limitless replayability, plus not knowing what you will encounter down the road and what tools you will have available to deal with it keeps you on your toes and forces you to adapt on the spot.”
- “The extensive lore available for each alien race, each with a unique play style, plus the randomized tech tree gives the game an above-average amount of depth and replayability.”
story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
86%
7%
The game's story is described as a mix of deep backstory and player-driven narratives, with each faction offering unique technologies and gameplay experiences. However, the lack of a dedicated story mode and a clumsy interface may detract from the overall experience for some players. While the game provides a rich backdrop for imaginative storytelling, it ultimately relies on player creativity to unfold its narrative.
- “If you have ever wanted to be the undying sage presence that guides an ancient race of space-faring birds as they subjugate the far reaches of the abyss, tearing through the galaxy on the quest to restore their empire to its former glory, buy this game!”
- “If you love a deep backstory, challenging gameplay, but simple and easy-to-use interface, then get this game.”
- “Each part of it, from the races' different methods of travel, the semi-randomized tech tree, and not to mention the backstory, are all so well thought out.”
- “It's like hearing the plot of a movie and getting really excited, then watching the movie and hating it.”
- “The downside of this game is that the interface can be kind of clumsy, it is fairly hard to learn, it lacks a story mode, and it just generally could use a bit more UI and graphics polish.”
- “Lack of a true 'story mode' may turn off some players.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
Overall, the game's stability is generally acceptable, with users noting few bugs or glitches, especially compared to its sequel, which is criticized for being buggy and unfinished. However, some players have experienced crashes and freezes during large battles, indicating that while the original game runs well on older systems, it is not without its issues. Despite these concerns, many still consider it a worthwhile addition to any space game enthusiast's library.
- “Classic game, runs great on older CPUs, and has almost infinite replay value.”
- “I wish the sequel wasn't so bug ridden...”
- “Get this instead of its sequel, which is a buggy unfinished mess where they tried new things that impede game flow while seeming cool.”
- “I have also discovered it crashes and freezes regularly when commencing battles with large numbers of ships!”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
18%
19%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with users noting that it enhances the atmosphere and complements the diverse themes of different races. While some find the music to be forgettable, it is described as pleasant and fitting for the game's context, with a rating of 7/10. Overall, the sound effects and music contribute positively to the gaming experience, despite some criticism of the overly enthusiastic intro music.
- “They're good races, and the game does take on a full different flavor with each having its own ship sets and music theme sets.”
- “Music is forgettable but maintains a pleasant atmosphere in the game.”
- “Just as a brief example, 'tarka have many musical traditions and hundreds of varieties of dance which range from historical re-enactments involving hundreds of costumed players to intimate exchanges between two tarka — the only human equivalent might be the tango.' I've taken history classes with less history than this game.”
- “They're good races, and the game does take on a full different flavor with each having its own ship sets and music theme sets, etc.”
- “I really like the music and voice acting during the battles.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and boring, particularly during the endgame when AI empires stubbornly resist defeat. While some appreciate the depth and unique play styles of different races, many find the overall experience overwhelming and repetitive, especially in the mid to late game. Despite these criticisms, a few players note that combat can be engaging if approached strategically.
- “The best part is that the game isn't tedious, and yet has a lot of depth and strategy.”
- “Really tedious and boring.”
- “And, as is common in most 4x games, the AI empires will continue to resist long after it is obvious they are beaten, which can make for a tedious endgame.”
- “Even on smaller maps, there is just way too much to keep track of, and towards the middle and end of the game it just becomes incredibly tedious.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its unexpected mechanics that can lead to frustrating yet amusing moments, creating a unique blend of challenge and comedy. Players find joy in the chaotic interactions during combat, particularly when targeting specific parts of enemy ships, and the presence of unpredictable "galactic menaces" adds to the hilarity. Overall, the game is praised for its fantastic atmosphere and clever humor, making it a standout experience in the strategy genre.
- “Fantastic atmosphere, humor, and just all round solid, bug-free strategy fun.”
- “The game has random events and hilariously entertaining and vicious 'galactic menaces' - super powerful entities that can screw you up.”
- “Of interesting note, disabling enemy warships can be hilariously amusing, as within combat your ships attempt to aim and fire at the exact pixel you mouse over on the enemy ship (though weapons have varying accuracy...) - meaning they can blow off a turret, or focus fire on a particular section like the engines.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its engaging sound design and humor, contributing to an enjoyable and immersive experience. While the music may be considered forgettable, it still supports a pleasant ambiance, leading to an overall positive reception with an average rating of 8/10.
- “Fantastic atmosphere, humor, and just all round solid, bug-free strategy fun.”
- “Other than that, the sound and atmospherics of the game are great.”
- “Music is forgettable but maintains a pleasant atmosphere in the game.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of Sword 2 has been heavily criticized, with users labeling it a "cash grab" and highlighting significant issues that render the game unplayable. Overall, the monetization approach appears to detract from the gaming experience rather than enhance it.
- “Warning: this review in no way recommends the broken, unplayable cash grab that is Sword 2.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the game's optimization is generally strong, with users consistently highlighting good performance across various systems. However, some players may still experience occasional issues that could affect gameplay. Overall, the optimization is seen as a positive aspect of the game.

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Sword of the Stars: Complete Collection
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1000h Median play time

1000h Average play time

1000-1000h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Sword of the Stars Complete Collection

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