We spent most of our time with the game furiously alt-tabbing to Google just so we could find out information such as the behaviour of a heavy element star, and whether it was likely to explode if attacked. Would a toxic atmosphere affect the huge mining operations under construction, or is it just cosmetic? What exactly is meant by semi-sentience in regard to a planet? There's a huge amount of detail packed into Star Ruler, but much of it is rendered inaccessible by a lack of proper descriptions. What's more, the tutorial only describes the basics, with some features not explicitly described or even hinted at, making the experience very daunting for new players.įor example, the galaxy is generated with a wide variety of planetary conditions and star-types, but there's no explanation of how the different planet types can influence your plans. New players can find themselves disorientated by the sheer mass of information. Unsurprisingly, this can be as taxing and confusing as it sounds. And this is all before you've even started the game.Īs with other 4X titles, players have the ability to research, design, build and command vast fleets of ships, but must learn to balance this micromanagement with managing a galactic empire of mind boggling proportions. Unlike some other 4X games, Star Ruler won't bore you with samey star systems.
The maps are also procedurally generated according to some basic solar principles, with binary star systems and other solar phenomenon thrown into the mix to help keep the game interesting. The size of the in-game universe is only limited by the processing power of your PC, which means most bit-gamer readers will probably be in for a treat, scale wise. You can tailor the universe to your whim, specifying the scale and size of the universe, from a single star system, all the way up to a dumbbell shaped galaxy with more than 10,000 stars and an almost uncountable number of planets. Star Ruler is, right from the off, incredibly intricate and complex, even by the standard of other popular 4X titles. Developed and published by Blind Mind Studios, Star Ruler does a surprisingly good job of competing with these titles, even though it's a brand new series. These well loved games have been joined by new member: Star Ruler.
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The 4X (explore, expand, exploit and exterminate) space game genre has been blessed with a large number of great games: the Homeworld and X series to name just a few. Star Ruler Review Publisher: Mind Blind Studios