Below are user reviews of Star Trek: Starfleet Command Volume II: Empires at War and on the right are links to professionally written reviews.
The summary of review scores shows the distribution of scores given by the professional reviewers for Star Trek: Starfleet Command Volume II: Empires at War.
Column height indicates the number of reviews with a score within the range shown at the bottom of the column.
Higher scores (columns further towards the right) are better.
Summary of Review Scores |
| | | | | | | | | |
0's | 10's | 20's | 30's | 40's | 50's | 60's | 70's | 80's | 90's |
User Reviews (1 - 11 of 221)
Show these reviews first:
Better than I expected
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 30 / 31
Date: November 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User
I just bought Star Trek: Armada 2. It definitely looks like Activision took notes from all the complaints in Star Trek: Armada (1) and fixed the problems. Now you can have up to 16 ships in each fleet. There are 3 single play campaigns including Star Fleet, Klingon, and the Borg. All the Next Generation, DS9, and Voyager ships are in this game. The tutorials are great and let you play as Species 8472, Romulans, and Cardassians. The idea in the tutorial is that you can learn how the enemy works so you can beat them.
The graphics are great! The ships have special weapons which require recharging (similar to magic in Warcraft). When starships explode in the game, it is really cool. The introduction has pretty good animation and a voiceover by Patrick Stewart.
The only possible thing that I could ask for more is to include the Dominion. This is what Homeworld: Catalysm should have been.
This is awesome!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 24 / 26
Date: October 24, 2002
Author: Amazon User
This pack comes with star trek: armada, star trek: armada 2, star trek: voyager elite force, and the expansion pack for Star Trek: Elite force. I concider these games the BEST star trek games ever made, and i'm a pretty avid star trek gamer. Star trek: armada 1 and 2 are both VERY fun games, and are different enough to keep you interested in them both. Before i bought this, i had bought star trek: armada for [$$$] alone, and concidered it a great deal! Plus you have elite force, based on the quake III engine, that has absolutely awsome gameplay and graphics. plus the expasion for that game, which is a must-have. with this, you are able to explore the star trek: voyager ship, based on set designs from the actual show.For these games, I would have happily paid several times the price i bought It for (if i had the money) and would have been completely satisfied.
Arcade elements destroy good tactical sim.
2
Rating: 2,
Useful: 18 / 20
Date: November 11, 2002
Author: Amazon User
I've played SFC1 and 2 for many years... SFB for almost 15, SFC 3 is a total let down in what was becoming a somewhat prestigious legacy.
I'll try to provide direct gameplay examples in mentioning what is good and bad.
Strategy...
"Slide and Shoot"- there's your strategy. Slide a slider here and shoot your weapons there. Anything more complicated is likely to bore you to death before you actually destroy your opponent.
Turn rates, firing times? forget them. Indistinct and made irrelavent by poor performance.
On the aesthetic side- This interface is scarcely better than an amatuer window-blinds skin, adding to that arcade feeling.
Manual, where are weapons and ship stats, numbers, details... the important math info not some description about "whatsa'voorcha?"
You can't implement as deep a level of control over energy management as SFC1-2. This alone weakens it's strategy element. If I want to take down life support or whatever for that extra bit of energy even for a minute to achieve a goal then let me. Not here in this game.
Explosions, graphics stuff- I have a geforce4... it's not my card, these graphics are worse than some sfc MODS I've seen by "amatuers". Explosions are undetailed and splotchy.
New Ships- okay that's a little better, but like I said there are MODS out there that are better than what Taldren did.
Weak gameplay AI... no kidding. Shields down and flinging my phasers at warbirds, you think even one would fire on me? Yea, after 3 dozen shots I get a pastyt little pfffzzz back from one of them. A few more later... have yet to see one luanch a shuttle.
I don't think the developement team attached to this game really had any clear idea of what this task entailed. They dumbed down the controls and capabilities. Compare the manuals for SFC1 and 2 to SFC3... SFC3 is scarcely as in depth or informational. Case made.
Plus side? If you liked armada for its RTS factor and are a diehard TNG fan then you will feel compelled to own SFC 3.
If you played SFC 1 or 2 or SFB for its "make me think like a commander on a starship" level of detail, then look elsewhere, this is not hte place.
Arcade gameplay
Arcade strategy
Arcade appearance
Arcade Garbage.
Rated
2 stars for the idea but nothing else.
Watch out! Amazon is mixing reviews for all the Trek games together.
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 13 / 13
Date: June 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User
SFC3 is widely acknowledged as the best of the Trek games, though an argument could be made for Bridge Commander if you prefer a more "on the bridge" experience than a strategy game.
Unfortunately, the game's rating is being dragged down by being mixed with the reviews for many other Trek games. Amazon has them all linked for some bizarre reason.
Fantastic, atmospheric game
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 22 / 29
Date: November 22, 2000
Author: Amazon User
I played this game years ago, and loved it. Sure, the graphics may not be cutting edge these days, but then, neither are the effects of the original Star Trek series when viewed today--and folks still enjoy watching them!
You assume control of Kirk and his crew in a series of episodic adventures. You start on the bridge of the Enterprise, and receive your instructions via the view screen. Occassionally you'll engage in space combat--this option can be turned off if you're not interested in such things, but I always found that part of the game pretty fun.
Planetside, you and your landing party explore strange (sometimes really strange) new worlds, seek out new life, etc etc. While gameplay is pretty traditional (walk around, pick things up, put things together, push buttons), the stories and puzzles are challenging and engaging. A couple times quick reflexes are required, but for the most part, you can take your time. Add in the fact that this is the Enterprise crew you're controlling, and it just gets that much more fun.
There is a little violence, but nothing worse than your typical Star Trek episode. Star Trek fans will have the most fun with this adventure game, but even non-fans will enjoy this title (even if they don't get some of the references).
A step forward and a step backwards...
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 15 / 17
Date: November 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User
Being both a Star Trek fan and a Star Fleet Battles veteran(the old boardgame and the computer based SF Command), having SFC updated for the Next Generation ships was unresistable. First the good points... The graphics are good, new weapons, excellent game stablility in single player campaign, excellent voice overs, and an engaging storyline (more so than the earlier SFC games). The number of ship's shields have been reduced from 6 to 4, making it easier to crash an opponents shield as well as making shield reinforcement easier to manage as well. Here's the bad... only 4 races, a game speed option that only works if you set it before you enter the campaigns (hopefully a patch will remedy that shortly), no record of what you've done or your next objective is if you load a saved game (luckily you're moved to your next mission if you don't get there on your own), no weapon overloads, no ECM/ECCM, no drones, no transporter mines (you can still drop them out the back), no data on the new weapons (e.g. damage potential or effective range)... you begin to get the picture. The game has been simplified immensely. It's a good game if you're new to the SFB/SFC arena, no cut-scenes or anything like the top RTS games, but was engaging enough to keep me in the game for hours. If you've ever wanted to introduce friends to SFB/SFC and the SFC games were too complex, this would be a great way to do it. Once they get the hang of it, they can 'graduate' and go back into time to the SFC2 setting. Veteran SFB/SFC players would give this game 3 stars, but ST fans looking for a more tactical game may give it a 3.5 to 4.
The DEMO is OUT!!! IT IS AMAZING!!!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 13 / 14
Date: May 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User
The graphics in Elite Force 2 are FANTASTIC!!! Out of all of the games using the Quake3 engine - these have to be the Best Graphics I have seen! The detail is second to none!! I am having a hard time writing this review because of how great this games is (demo) and I am having a hard time puting it into words! OHhhhh - this is also COOL! Music in games is always great...puts you in the mood.... Elite Force 2 took it to the next level and made it JUST LIKE A MOVIE! If the action gets tense - the music adjusts to be more intense.... if an apponent appears in the distance...the music adjusts to make you feel like something is going to happen (even if you can barely see them)....it is really hard to describe - it is MUCH better than I'm describing it. Its not just a pre programmed "play this music when the player gets to this point" sort of thing - it REALLY adjusts to the environment you are in and what is going on!!! If you haven't tried the demo - GET IT!!
This definately deserves higher than a 5!!! YES....its THAT GOOD!
Review Orion Pirates
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 12 / 13
Date: July 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User
Please save your money and get the updated no bugs version of this game. This software has so many bugs you will be truly disappointed. Orion Pirates plays easily for about 7 or 8 missions and then errors pop up everywhere and the game shuts itself down. Then while doing something else on your computer after playing this game, it will blue screen error on you and you’ll have to shut down your system and reboot. Though the graphics are great and the new ships are really cool. The most exciting new Federation mission is Wrath of Kahn but it doesn’t even work at all. Wrath of Kahn runs for about two minutes and then shuts itself off and sends you back to the main menu. I tried reinstalling this software about 15 times and resetting my computer but the game always had the same problems. I have sent mine back to Amazon.com with complaints. Interplay should be really embarrassed by having released such terrible work. In addition to all the bugs listed in the Readme file that comes with the game there are plenty of bugs they don’t tell you about. The direct X 8 version comes with the game but if you don’t have the latest video and audio drivers for your system, you may have to download those for yourself to make the game work. All in all this was a little bit more trouble than I was willing to go though and caused way to many problems on my system. If video and audio drivers are going to be a problem then Interplay should have made this game to work with older drivers. My video and audio drivers worked just fine with Starfleet Command II Empires at War. The readme file tells you that your drivers may be the problem if the game doesn't work well. So why put out a game where everyone has to download some stupid drivers before they can play? Boy I'm [mad].
STAR TREK: STARFLEET COMMAND 3
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 14 / 17
Date: February 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User
Star Trek Starfleet Command 3. Could there ever be a better game? After you play this game, you will answer that question the smae way I did. No. In SFC3, you can play as Federation, Klingon, Romulan, and Borg. From the sleek Soverign class vessel (U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-E) to the massive Borg Cube. Fire a variety of weapons, including Quantum Torpedoes, Phasers, Disruptors, and Gavemetiric Torpedoes. Beam you troops over on hit-and-run raids to disable enemy systems, or to attempt the impossible: take over the entire vessel.
Create fleets of up to five vessels, and gang up on small vessels. Invade enemy territory in missions ranging from Planetary Scan, Assulting defensless stardocks, or taking a suicidal run on an enemy starbase.
Launch Probes, cloak, use an anti-cloaking scan, launch specialized shuttles, an perform eratic manuvers. Manage your sheilds to prevent enemy boarding parties from completeing their mission. Name your ship, and create ships from the shows like the U.S.S. Defiant, and visit noted locations such as Sector 00,01 (Earth), Romulus, Remus, The Borg Homeworld, and the legendary home of th klingons, Q'ronos.
Engage in 4 epic campagins, icluding for all major star empires, The United Federation of Planets, The Kligon Defense Fleet, The Romulan Star Empire, and the Borg Collective. Or, you can just ignore polotics, and go on to conquer the galaxy.
Anyway, you can count on SFC3 being the best STAR TREK game ever. It is not worth the $90.00 it's being sold for, though, so buy it at a computer game store. Good Luck Conquering the galaxy. You can e-mail me if you have any questions about the game at comderbashir@yahoo.com Jolan Tru
A bit of a let down...
3
Rating: 3,
Useful: 18 / 25
Date: May 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User
Star Trek Armada II has added a ton of amazing features to online game-play. The story line focuses on 3 races instead of 4, so therefore more missions have been added. The ability to control 16 ships instead of 8 is awesome! The added feature of Borg Tactical Cubes is fantastic! The ability of The Borg to assimilate other species technology is really cool! Species 8472 is unique and fun to play with. The idea of planetary occupation goes along well with what should be the natural manner in which to gain crew. The sequel to the innovative and revolutionary Star Trek Armada isn't, however, nearly as good as the original. There are many added ships to each race, yet that's what made A1 so unique. Not every race had the same technologies such as bombers that were unique only to Feds and Roms. Now practically all races have this feature with the exception I believe of Species 8472. The Borg are too strong. Two Tactical Cubes can annihilate entire fleets of the other races. If people complained about Won then perhaps it was because we didn't know better. Online games on A2 are the worst to get in too. The patch for the game corrected a couple of mistakes but Won still seems more reliable. A majority of people who own A1 bought A2, yet they said they reverted to A1 only after a couple of months of game-play. Star Trek Armada is probably one of the best games ever produced by Activision. Just as original movies usually tend to be more popular than sequels, in most cases, A1 outdoes A2 in pure strategy terms. Limitations are the key factor. A2 was a good expansion, yet perhaps they forgot that in trying to pleas everyone they would in fact please only a few. Armada 2 is a great game. You should first try out Armada 1 to see what the real game is like!
Actions