Universal Combat CE

About

"Universal Combat CE" is a space combat capital ship simulator that offers an expansive universe with space and planetary bodies. It provides full control over a mothership's systems, support craft, and crew. Originally released in 2004, this game is a successor to the legendary "Battlecruiser 3000AD" series, known for its advanced capital ship combat .

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

45%

Audience ScoreBased on 219 reviews

music3 positive mentions

graphics9 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and ambitious concept, allowing players to command various types of ships and engage in detailed space and ground combat.
There is a vast universe to explore, with numerous planets and star systems, providing a sense of immersion and freedom.
For dedicated players willing to invest time in learning the complex systems, the game can be rewarding and offers a deep simulation experience.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, making it frustrating and often unplayable, especially in certain modes.
The graphics are dated and do not meet modern standards, which can detract from the overall experience.
The steep learning curve, lack of intuitive controls, and absence of a proper tutorial make it difficult for new players to engage with the game.

graphics
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
76%
16%
The graphics of the game are widely criticized as outdated, with many reviewers likening them to those of 90s or early 2000s titles, lacking the polish expected from a modern remaster. While some acknowledge minor improvements, the overall consensus is that the visuals fail to compete with contemporary games, detracting from the experience. Despite this, a few players suggest that the gameplay may still offer enjoyment for those who prioritize content over aesthetics.
- “I have to admit, the graphic improvements are cool.”
- “Oh yes it is, it's some of the most atmospheric graphics in a space game... and you feel as if you can actually go to that nebula, or that planet... or even that base and dock there.”
- “As this is an old game re-released, the graphics are dated now but still they are good enough to enjoy the game.”
- “This game began development in the mid-2000s, and the graphics show it.”
- “The graphics on this game are extremely dated; I understand it came out in 2004, but BF2142 came out in 2006 and blows this game away in terms of graphics.”
- “The graphics literally hurt my eyes.”
story
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
81%
10%
The game's story aspect is characterized by a flexible narrative structure that allows players to create their own experiences through various missions and open-world exploration. While there are campaign missions that provide objectives, many players find the overall storytelling to be lackluster and poorly executed, often feeling disconnected from the gameplay. The potential for a rich narrative is overshadowed by bugs, a confusing interface, and a sense of emptiness in the roaming mode, leading to mixed feelings about the depth and engagement of the story.
- “The author started saying it is he who writes and I who fills the void with the imagination, and every reader gets a different story in their minds, but it is a story crafted along with the author.”
- “You play how you like and make your own story.”
- “Universal Combat lets you do so many things such as ship-to-ship battles, landing on planets, etc. It has missions you can do, or if you just want to make a name for yourself, you can do that in roam.”
- “Not talking about the scenarios, roaming feels empty with nothing to do, no missions to accept, no people to talk to, and with no proper goal you can set yourself.”
- “Much like its nine predecessors, Universal Combat is horribly plagued by game-breaking bugs, poor interface and design, horrendously glitchy gameplay, extremely boring and poorly written storyline, no tutorial, and lack of explanation for basically everything in the game.”
- “Oh the bugs.... oh the non-existent story..... oh the wtf moments.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
78%
11%
The gameplay of this game has been widely criticized for being outdated, convoluted, and plagued by bugs, leading to a frustrating experience for many players. While some appreciate the variety of mechanics and options available, the overall execution is deemed poor, with many reviewers suggesting that there are far better alternatives in the genre. The game's archaic design and lack of engaging content have left players feeling that it is not worth their time, even if it is free.
- “Outdated graphics but interesting and challenging gameplay.”
- “Has a brick wall learning curve, but I love the fact that there are so many interesting game mechanics that work together brilliantly.”
- “Ultimately, other games don't come close to the same versatile free-form gameplay and with so many options.”
- “Don't waste your time or money on this garbage as there are many other games (like X3) that do what this game does only better with better graphics, gameplay mechanics, and a lot less crashing.”
- “The game's mechanics, gameplay, menus, UI design, and tutorial (aka the manual) are extremely archaic and don't hold up to modern standards of video games.”
- “Its overcomplex without reason, crashes at every given opportunity, extremely limited and repetitive gameplay despite the vastly useless array of controls.”
stability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
96%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with many users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and crashes that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment in its depth and potential, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game remains a "buggy mess" that has not improved significantly over the years, leading to frustration and disappointment among the community. Despite occasional fixes, the stability issues continue to overshadow the game's promising features.
- “It runs great on my Linux laptop.”
- “The game has a solid performance with minimal crashes.”
- “I've experienced very few bugs, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “People who bought it quickly realized it was a buggy, broken mess of a game that has great potential it will never realize.”
- “I am sick and tired of the crashes, bugs, glitches, and issues.”
- “Realistically, this is such a buggy mess that it shouldn't even be on Steam.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The atmosphere in the game is visually impressive, featuring high-quality lighting, textures, and models that create an immersive experience of space and planetary environments. However, players report significant issues with gameplay mechanics, such as ship control and crashing when entering atmospheres, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and potential of the game. Despite its atmospheric graphics, the lack of engaging content and frustrating technical problems hinder the experience.
- “It is dated, but the lighting, textures, and models are very nice and atmospheric (see my screenshots).”
- “Oh yes it is, it's some of the most atmospheric graphics in a space game....and you feel as if you can actually go to that nebula, or that planet....or even that base and dock there.”
- “This game has potential... but it crashes a lot entering planets' atmosphere.. forcing me to restart my entire game (restarted, everything still crashed) then there is just nothing to do at all.”
- “It wasn't fun to try to enter atmosphere; in fact, I got sick from the ship shaking like it reached a boundary and bounced around.”
- “This game has potential, but it crashes a lot when entering a planet's atmosphere, forcing me to restart my entire game. Everything still crashed, and then there is just nothing to do at all—make money, buy things, get bored by people, kill them for XP and more money... and that's about it.”
- “Rolling in atmosphere doesn't change your heading at all, and your yaw authority is way higher than it should be.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate the soundtrack, others find it potentially aggravating and overwhelming, suggesting that it may not appeal to everyone.
- “Nice soundtrack”
- “Enjoyed the music”
- “The sound was okay, but I could see how the music could aggravate some people.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
While some players note the game's steep learning curve and complex controls, they emphasize that it does not involve grinding, setting it apart from similar titles like SG2. Overall, the absence of grinding is seen as a positive aspect, despite other frustrations.
- “Yes, it's buggy, there's a steep learning curve, infuriating control schemes, and tedious micromanagement.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional responses to the game highlight a mix of nostalgia and frustration; while some players appreciate its unique qualities, others express disappointment over its outdated graphics and the inability to fully realize their expectations, leading to feelings of anger.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization is commendable, particularly for an older title, as it runs smoothly on lower-end computers while maintaining good graphics performance.
- “As an older game, the graphics performance is impressive, even on lower-end computers these days.”
- “The optimization allows for smooth gameplay, making it accessible for a wider range of hardware.”
- “I appreciate how well the game runs on my older system; it shows great optimization for various setups.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized as being exploitative, with users suggesting that the numerous technical issues and poor gameplay quality indicate it was primarily designed as a cash grab rather than a polished product.
- “The constant push for in-game purchases feels like a cash grab rather than a genuine gaming experience.”
- “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “It seems like the developers prioritized profit over player experience, leading to a frustrating and unbalanced game.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor in the game to be engaging and entertaining, often highlighting its comedic elements as a key reason for their enjoyment.
- “I thought it would be funny to try this.”