Recent reviews by Ranzin

I was so turned off by the beginning of this game, I almost did not continue. I am glad I did. This game is designed for you to loose the first, the second, maybe even the third round. By the time you get to the fourth, you have become a fiery force of spiritual wrath from which there is no escape.

Well designed, great visuals for being in black and white (and red). The progression is very nicely paced, just remember, you will loose the first few attempts.

Cons: Levels are a little repetitive. Enemies do become more powerful, but it is just upgrades to enemies you have already fought. Not as long as some games, but was long enough.

Don't buy this game unless you really want to stay glued to your computer for hours. I hate this game, but like an addict I keep coming back to spend half a day organizing my empire to greater perfection. (Really, this is a great game that has untold depth.)

I was put off at First. This is a Stellaris clone, by the same company. But I am a Star Trek fan, so I tried it. At first, it felt like Stellaris Lite, or Stellaris 2.0. The game plays the same way with lots less options. (Stellaris has like 20 add ons) After several days of playing, I learned several things:

1: I like the lighter, more streamlined version of the game. Stellaris is clunky.
2: I like the mission based story play, where you progress and have goals. Ok.
3: Did not like that I could not build my own ship designes. I can modify the canon ones to my heart is content though. Ok.
4: A hero ship? Ok. Useful. Enterprise for Feds seems canon.
5: Lack of hyper lanes. Both good and bad. Space i should be able to fly through. But makes defense harder. Enemies can come from anywhere. But also ok, since space is....space.

Over all, I like this game. Smooth, easier to learn for those that have never played Stellaris. Really easy for those that have, but do not try your normal tactics. You might get eaten alive. Now, if i can just build enough to combat the Borg. Nice End game crisis idea.

Do not walk into Starfield, thinking that you are going to get a Flight sim RPG. That is not what this game is. This is Skyrim in space, Fallout in space. Yes there is some ship to ship combat, but it does not natively support a Joystick or Hotas. With that being said:

This is a great game. Exploration worthy of Skyrim. A decent story that, while a little light on the writing, is good enough to enjoy. Better combat than Fallout. Much better graphics. Companions that get OUT OF YOUR WAY. (Yes, I still hate you Lydia) Wait.....I have not hit a bug. Where are all the bugs?!!!! This is a triple A game I bought on opening day! Where are all my bugs?!

Yes, planets can be boring. Those who wrote that as a dig probably do not remember all that terrain that they walked over in Skyrim or Fallout, just to find a bombed out house with nothing in it. Planets are bleak! That they are not just a few maps where you fight it out and then that is it, is a good thing. (Yes, looking at you second and third Shepard games.) No cars or buggies? Sounds like a good DLC to add, but again, remember all those miles that your FO of ES character had to walk.

I will edit more as I get further in, but at first blush--Not Bad Bethesda. Just remember the above for what the game is, and you will not be disappointed.

Great 4X game. Simple to play, hard to master.

This is an early access that only needs fine tuning and polish. The game, as is, is decent enough to warrant a purchase price and the story is engaging. First off, the story is not the typical you would fine for this genre. It has multiple ways of getting to the end, with plenty of pitfalls along the way. The characters are engaging and overall polished. The graphics are decent, but could use some more animations. There is a sequence near the end where you are asking a lot of questions to move the story along. Most of this could be condensed, but this is a minor fix and could be simply over looked in favor of other changes. There were no bugs encountered in the story, but obviously there are some paths that need to be completed. Not only did I enjoy what has been created so far, I look forward to seeing what the makers of this game come up with next, not only for this game, but for others.

The premise was good, but the idea that a unit can not use a weapon, when they would simply be swinging it, makes no sense. The advanced weapons take points to use, which you do not often get, so equipping them becomes a test of patience, while the AI gets to unload on you. Most missions are written with a almost guaranteed loss. As a veteran of the old 1994 alien invasion game (You all know which one), and all the games that came after it, this point system makes the game go from fun to horrible.

The expansions make this game unplayable. While the basic game was fun, easy to learn but had countless hours of play, the additions that they make to government and the lack of any forethought for the ground combat shuts down any ability to enjoy what the previous games and the core game made entertaining.

Crashes when starting, and I am a tech, you would think I could get it to start.