With a boom in 4x games, I was interested to see what Stars and Shadows would offer. In an already saturated market filled with the space game genre, I was looking for this game to stand out. Coming from a similar game, I was pleased that the HUD was not overtly complicated. The menus were easy to navigate giving the game a welcoming feel. The game is not bogged down with text, though I almost wish there was more at times.
When trying to figure out what to do, I went along with the game as best as I could. There was a point in the game where I just couldn’t do anything anymore. Whether this is from not enough direction and me not knowing how to play, or that I had reached a dead end with my empire, the game came to an abrupt end. To me, I felt that certain races were better suited than others, so it really comes down to if you were lucky to choose the right people for the current map.
While the controls were simple enough, the battle system seemed a little worn. It encompassed my attention for the first few battles, but, the longer I played the less patience I had with my units. Moving multiple units at a time can be trying at points. In the end I just skipped all the battles and instead chose to have them auto-fight.
As far as the graphics goes for the game, they are adequate, but nothing special. The background is beautiful, jolting you into space. The jarring contrast between the ships and the background was off putting for me, having preferred it more if they were similar styles.
Overall, the game is about exploring the universe around you, expanding your reach, fighting with other races for your resources and ultimately exterminating the competition is what this game is about. It was a fun day playing the game, but there are many games like this. I was a little disappointed that the game didn’t offer more, but in the end, the game was not bad. I enjoyed the time spent on it, and look forward to exploring this genre more.
I give this game 3 out of 5 stars.
