Review: Space Empires 5 game

It won’t take a NASA scientist to guess what Space Empires 5 is about. It’s about building an empire, in space.

The main problem is that it's a tough nut to crack, and it wouldn’t surprise us to find some giving up before they’ve even ventured into the game. There’s not so much a gentle learning curve as an immediate Everest. Unfortunately perseverance won’t reward you with myriad pleasures.

Space Empires 5 looks dated, and, ultimately, it’s just not much fun to play. Battles are underwhelming, resource management is fiddly and the lack of instantaneous galaxy-changing incident means that it lacks any drama.

Still, there’re options galore – probably why it has such a cult following and is into its fifth incarnation – and people with time (a lot of time) could find a studious charm to its complexity.

Vista compatible: No

Also consider
UFO Afterlight
Europa Universalis III
Supreme Commander