The Pegasus Expedition

About

In "The Pegasus Expedition," lead a fleet of human survivors in a grand strategy game, exploring a new galaxy, establishing colonies, and waging interstellar war to ensure humanity's survival. Your decisions will significantly impact the story's outcome in this challenging and immersive sci-fi experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 169 reviews

story50 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

The game features an engaging narrative that immerses players in a story-driven experience, with meaningful choices that impact the galaxy's fate.
The artwork and visuals are praised for their quality, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
The combination of 4X gameplay elements with a focus on story provides a refreshing take on the genre, appealing to fans of narrative-driven games.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, including freezing and UI problems that hinder gameplay.
Many players find the mechanics frustrating, particularly the combat system, which can feel unbalanced and lacks clarity in how fleet strength and tactics affect outcomes.
The pacing of the game can be slow, with players often feeling constrained by resource management and limited options for expansion, leading to a tedious experience.

story
172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
3%
The game's story is a central focus, offering an engaging narrative that blends themes of survival, diplomacy, and moral dilemmas, reminiscent of classic space operas. While many players appreciate the depth and originality of the plot, some criticize its predictability and the lack of meaningful choices that impact the overall narrative. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a story-driven experience within the 4X genre, despite some gameplay and pacing issues.
- “I have been hankering for a story-driven 4X or space game for such a long time, since the times of the 90s and early 00s (Imperium Galactica 1&2, Jupiter Incident, Homeworld, etc., my beloved).”
- “The pegasus expedition is a story-driven sci-fi grand strategy game that places players at a pivotal moment for humanity's survival.”
- “The story is deep and there is always something you have to deal with, decisions that need to be made, etc. I loved it!”
- “The story is bland, so bland that at some points I just decided to skip it altogether.”
- “Honestly, the story led me to a point where I just don't care if we win; I just want it to be over.”
- “The game comes off as too disjointed; logic and events are clearly and completely sacrificed in service to the story.”
gameplay
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
6%
The gameplay of "The Pegasus Expedition" offers a blend of 4X mechanics and narrative-driven elements, providing a strategic experience that some players find engaging, while others criticize it for being repetitive and poorly explained. While the core mechanics, such as fleet management and resource allocation, show promise, many users note issues with clunky UI, a steep learning curve, and a lack of meaningful interaction with game systems. Overall, the game has a solid foundation but requires further polish and balancing to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay consists mostly of fleet combat between hostile factions as you scramble to secure valuable worlds for your operation.”
- “Gameplay mechanisms are simple to grasp, combat is done in a cool way by adding some choice in how you use your force.”
- “It's got a good balance of detailed management but not too much micromanaging, a fun story to follow, and addictive gameplay.”
- “Would love to see this idea done with a larger budget as there are gimmicks that make gameplay tedious and repetitive.”
- “The game lacks a comprehensive tutorial, making it challenging for new players to grasp its complex mechanics.”
- “I know the game is early access, but the core mechanics of the gameplay are poorly thought out, and the game feels like a slideshow in terms of how long you spend waiting for the end-turn button to let the other factions do their thing.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and artistic style, with many reviewers highlighting the appealing visuals and design elements that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some criticism is directed towards a lack of variety in character designs and occasional graphical issues, suggesting that while the overall aesthetic is strong, there are areas that could benefit from improvement. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, making it enjoyable for players despite some minor flaws.
- “I cannot deny that the artwork is gorgeous and was probably the reason why I bothered playing more than 4 hours of this.”
- “The visuals, the design, the pace of the game are excellent.”
- “I like the art style; the cutscene animations may look simple, but when you zoom in on the different star systems and especially battles, the game is actually really pretty.”
- “If you are a turn-based 4x fan you should probably buy this game, it's good even if it might not seem like it in the first 10 minutes due to clunky UX, Unity slowness, and all the humans seeming to have the same face in the artwork.”
- “Since the decisions have no effect, the cut scenes should at least wow you with the art, but the art style is also boring and plain.”
- “Even in the artwork shown on the Steam store page, you can see the characters have the same nose, eyes, and eyebrows.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant drawback, often describing it as tedious and repetitive, particularly in mid to late-game scenarios. The high learning curve and lack of feedback contribute to a frustrating experience, requiring excessive save scumming and restarts to understand failures. While some appreciate the game's approach to warfare and the atmosphere it creates, many feel that the grind detracts from overall enjoyment and can make progress feel punishing rather than rewarding.
- “Would love to see this idea done with a larger budget as there are gimmicks that make gameplay tedious and repetitive.”
- “I'm not sure I have the stamina to beat this game because of how sloggy and grindy it is.”
- “I really like this game; unfortunately, one of the main issues with it is the slow scope creep to tediousness and punishment for success; the more successful you are, the more tedious the game gets, and the more you get punished.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant technical issues such as bugs, crashes, and input lag that hinder the gaming experience. While some users with higher-end PCs report smooth performance, others with mid to low-tier systems express disappointment and recommend waiting for further bug fixes and performance enhancements before purchasing. The game's early access status suggests that ongoing improvements may be forthcoming, but current optimization remains a concern for many players.
- “I'd love to see this game get more attention, as it deserves it, and perhaps this will aid it in becoming better optimized and fleshed out.”
- “I only ran into one small bug so far that is probably connected to performance (a long time loading the first video after starting a campaign - but my PC is ancient), so that was a pleasant surprise as well.”
- “The game runs smoothly and it feels optimized; I have yet to run into any bugs as you can see I have less than an hour in the game as of this writing.”
- “Players have reported bugs and performance problems, such as crashes and input lag, which disrupt the gaming experience.”
- “As I said, I'm not running the most powerful (or even recent) gaming PC out there, but for this game to be this poorly optimized is a major disappointment.”
- “My advice to those that are hesitating to buy this game but only have mid/low-tier PCs is to wait until a fair bit of bug fixes and performance enhancements are made by the dev team.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The music in the game is generally praised for its beautiful and climactic soundtracks that fit the environment well, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users note that the soundtrack feels somewhat limited for the genre, despite the quality of the tracks being high. Overall, the execution of the music is considered impressive, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “Beautiful and climactic soundtracks, visuals, and voice lines.”
- “The music fits the environment perfectly.”
- “The soundtrack is well executed and adds depth to the game.”
- “Only get a black screen with music.”
- “The soundtrack is a bit limited for a game in this genre, although what is there is good.”
- “Music fits the environment.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous reports of bugs causing UI freezes and crashes, particularly during the tutorial and early gameplay. Players recommend frequent manual saves to mitigate these issues, as many have experienced the need to restart campaigns due to persistent freezing and other glitches. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," detracting from the overall experience.
- “The game is a bit buggy; I recommend you manually save before ending your turn.”
- “For example, it happens often enough where the UI freezes and there's nothing you can do... and this is early in the game.”
- “I've started 4 campaigns now and I've had to stop all of them for one reason or another because the game freezes.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers decent replayability due to its multiple choices and scenarios, allowing for more than one playthrough, though its story-driven focus may limit endless replayability compared to other 4X titles. Players express a desire for additional content, factions, and deeper mechanics to enhance replay value further.
- “Despite it being story-based, there are enough choices and ways to play that you can definitely get more than one playthrough, and with the scenarios, it has good replayability.”
- “It’s story campaign might not be as endlessly replayable as other 4X games, but the focus on story does set it apart from other genre titles.”
- “Its story campaign might not be as endlessly replayable as other 4X games, but the focus on story does set it apart from other genre titles.”
- “I hope to see more content and more playable factions (one additional is already planned), along with some more depth to upgrades and the research tree.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by absurd scenarios, such as characters offering resources to end a war they started, which adds a comedic twist to the gameplay. While the impact of the humor may not be significant, players find it amusing and entertaining.
- “But, what's even funnier is that they are ready to pay me minerals and rare earth to stop the war that they have initiated.”
- “The impact is not very high, but it's funny.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players initially found the dialogue and gameplay lacking, but the combination of 4X mechanics and narrative ultimately resonated with them, highlighting a touching optimism in the game's portrayal of European collaboration. The characters, such as the French admiral and the minister from Sarajevo, added emotional depth, though some felt the player title could have been more fitting.
- “The mix of 4X gameplay and narration creates a powerful emotional experience, with the optimism of the game's European construction being particularly touching.”
- “The characters, like the French admiral and the minister from Sarajevo, add depth to the emotional narrative, making the player's journey feel significant.”
- “Despite initial reservations about the dialogue, the emotional resonance of the story and its characters ultimately draws you in.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews suggest that the game's monetization strategy could benefit from increased marketing efforts, including the creation of a fandom Wikipedia page and enhanced advertising on platforms like Twitter, to boost awareness and engagement.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere is characterized by contrasting elements, featuring lush prairies that evoke a sense of vibrancy, juxtaposed with extreme cold that creates a stark, desolate environment. This duality enhances the overall experience, immersing players in a world that feels both alive and harsh.
- “The game features lush prairies, but the extreme cold makes it feel lifeless and devoid of atmosphere.”
- “Despite the beautiful landscapes, the overall atmosphere feels flat and uninspired.”
- “The environments are visually appealing, yet they lack the immersive atmosphere that would draw players in.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the character designs are praised for their visual appeal, there is little mention of depth or growth in character development, suggesting that the focus may be more on aesthetics than on meaningful narrative progression.