First I'll start off by saying that this is my first review of a game, and I would love feedback.
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When I picked up Sins, I really didn't know what to expect. I only knew that it is a fairly successful '4x game', whatever that meant, and it had spaceships. Given that X2 didn't work on my new vista rig, I decided that a good helping of ship crunching and planet bombing was in order.
Well, I was more than surprised. First in a okay way, and then in a great way.
It's hard to understand the game at first. It really seems like an overwhelming venture if you just jump into the game blind. That ends up to be a clever ploy on the part of the designers, considering that once you get into the meat of the game (as well as spend some time with the tutorials) things quickly fall into place. A good example of this is that the tutorial will guide you along a path, but you wont know exactly what's in store for you until you walk down it.
Lets get to specifics, shall we?
Graphics: I'll start here, because in my opinion graphics shouldn't be a main focus in any game. They should be good, but gameplay is always first... That being said, the graphics are impressive considering that the game came out of a small studio. Up close, a single ship doesn't look stunning, but once you have a clash of two fleets in cinema mode it can look sublime. To clarify, the graphics technically are a bit sub-par, but the art direction is quite exemplary.
Sound: The sound goes from the casual easy listening, from complimenting peace time and empire building, to soaring tracks during an epic battle. The transition is also something I couldn't help but take note of. When I was zoomed in on a battle, the song reminded me of the heavy conflict, and when I pulled back to a galaxy view it faded the further I got. Something like that may seem small in words, but in practice it just pulled me into the experience more.
Gameplay: This was the big surprise. The balance was so perfect between combat, research, diplomacy, economy, and building that I found myself actually enjoying having to balance so many factors. A well built fleet, put together with balance in mind, and supported by a strong economy, will take care of itself. The AI is stunning. I soon learned that leaving them to take care of themselves was much more successful than when I tried to micro manage.
Though, here is where the game may turn some off. This is not a strategy game... Or let me clarify, this is a game where strategy is where to move your fleet(s), and how to manage your empire, not where to position one group of ships or another during battle.
I often found myself watching some TV off to the side, reading a book, or getting up frequently to do this or that while playing (during slower moments). Though at other times I was getting so sucked in that I became glued to my seat. It's also important to note that in a 'large' game, five and a half hours is only a drop in the bucket. It's more than perfect for those who love to game, but might only have blocks here and there, and like to multitask while gaming.
Final note: Sins is really an amazing venture. It does a wonderful job of sucking you in, but letting you leave it to it's own devices when the need tends to arise. With that in mind, don't expect something that will paste your eyes to the screen with every waking moment.
Definitely worth a try for anyone who loves strategy or empire building games.
----------
When I picked up Sins, I really didn't know what to expect. I only knew that it is a fairly successful '4x game', whatever that meant, and it had spaceships. Given that X2 didn't work on my new vista rig, I decided that a good helping of ship crunching and planet bombing was in order.
Well, I was more than surprised. First in a okay way, and then in a great way.
It's hard to understand the game at first. It really seems like an overwhelming venture if you just jump into the game blind. That ends up to be a clever ploy on the part of the designers, considering that once you get into the meat of the game (as well as spend some time with the tutorials) things quickly fall into place. A good example of this is that the tutorial will guide you along a path, but you wont know exactly what's in store for you until you walk down it.
Lets get to specifics, shall we?
Graphics: I'll start here, because in my opinion graphics shouldn't be a main focus in any game. They should be good, but gameplay is always first... That being said, the graphics are impressive considering that the game came out of a small studio. Up close, a single ship doesn't look stunning, but once you have a clash of two fleets in cinema mode it can look sublime. To clarify, the graphics technically are a bit sub-par, but the art direction is quite exemplary.
Sound: The sound goes from the casual easy listening, from complimenting peace time and empire building, to soaring tracks during an epic battle. The transition is also something I couldn't help but take note of. When I was zoomed in on a battle, the song reminded me of the heavy conflict, and when I pulled back to a galaxy view it faded the further I got. Something like that may seem small in words, but in practice it just pulled me into the experience more.
Gameplay: This was the big surprise. The balance was so perfect between combat, research, diplomacy, economy, and building that I found myself actually enjoying having to balance so many factors. A well built fleet, put together with balance in mind, and supported by a strong economy, will take care of itself. The AI is stunning. I soon learned that leaving them to take care of themselves was much more successful than when I tried to micro manage.
Though, here is where the game may turn some off. This is not a strategy game... Or let me clarify, this is a game where strategy is where to move your fleet(s), and how to manage your empire, not where to position one group of ships or another during battle.
I often found myself watching some TV off to the side, reading a book, or getting up frequently to do this or that while playing (during slower moments). Though at other times I was getting so sucked in that I became glued to my seat. It's also important to note that in a 'large' game, five and a half hours is only a drop in the bucket. It's more than perfect for those who love to game, but might only have blocks here and there, and like to multitask while gaming.
Final note: Sins is really an amazing venture. It does a wonderful job of sucking you in, but letting you leave it to it's own devices when the need tends to arise. With that in mind, don't expect something that will paste your eyes to the screen with every waking moment.
Definitely worth a try for anyone who loves strategy or empire building games.
