I recently covered “Sins of a Solar Empire”, a 4x real-time strategy game set in space. It included two expansions: “Entrenchment” and “Diplomacy”, which added some more gameplay options and contributed to its overall value. “Rebellion”, on the other hand, is a standalone game…meaning that it can be played without the core game or its expansions. What does it include and is it worth buying?
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion (PC)
First, let me come right out and say that this game is fairly identical to the original. The main menu is the same, the scenario editor is still there, you’ll have the same range of options and customization when setting up your game…so what exactly are you getting? In a nutshell, Titan warships, updated visuals & audio, two subfactions for each of the three races, new and updated variants of existing ships, new victory conditions modes, and tutorials. In case you were wondering, you’ll also have access to everything that was featured in “Entrenchment” and “Diplomacy”.
The titan warships are probably the most notable, as they change the game in a number of ways. While the starbases found in “Entrenchment” were formidable, they didn’t move. Titans, on the other hand, do move and pack quite a punch. They are moving behemoths that will lay waste to almost anything in their path. The downside? They are incredibly expensive and only one can be built…though that’s to be expected. Each faction has their own titan that comes with varying abilities.
Starbases, while formidable, often can’t stand up to the titan.
Each of the three races have two subfactions: loyalist or rebel. They’ll both have access to the same array of ships (for the most part), but their tech trees are slightly different. It’s the equivalent of picking a particular general in “C&C Generals: Zero Hour” if you happen to remember that game. Owners of the original game will see the same ships they’ve always seen regardless, though the game does tweak existing ships a bit and adds a few more designs that are completely new to the series.
This isn’t going to be a long review, mainly because I’ve already said my piece in my “Sins of a Solar Empire” review. You’ll still level up via tech trees, move ships around, gather resources, colonize worlds…you get the idea. This game just makes everything look prettier, with some added content thrown in for good measure. To that end, it’s hard to recommend the game at its current price (as of 3/19/13) of $39.99 to existing “Sins of a Solar Empire” owners. Some may feel jipped having to pay forty bucks for a nicer looking game and some extra content. To be fair, Stardock is offering a ten dollar discount to owners of the original game (link below). I do, however, recommend this game to those new to the series who want in on the action. It remains to be an excellent strategy game, one that you can potentially sink a lot of time into.
Final Verdict: 9/10
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You can check out and purchase the game by visiting the following websites:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/204880/
http://www.sinsofasolarempire.com/store
You can view video play sessions here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKe1GGeeiR8
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