GamesRadar+ Verdict
Pros
- +
Awesome multiplayer
- +
Short
- +
quick maps
- +
Pretty cheap
Cons
- -
Awful visuals
- -
Single-player lacks narrative progression
- -
New features aren't noticeable
Why you can trust GamesRadar+
Loved by its fans and missed by almost everyone else, Sword of the Stars was perhaps the best RT4X game of the last year. The RT4X genre is "real-time Civilization in space." Take charge of a race; lead them through space to glory, to the detriment of all other races.
But first, the bad news: Born of Blood still looks like it's been created using the 3D digital equivalent of poster paint and potato shapes. Whether you'd find the graphics charming or infantile is a matter of taste, but SotS made a far greater impact on the gelatinous blob that lies behind the retina.
As standalone expansions go, BoB is cheap enough, but unless you really loved the original like a first-born child, you're hardly going to be that bothered with a new race, some added units and ship sections, along with a tweaked user interface.
Sure, there's more to it than that, but the single-player still lacks any narrative progression. In fact, it isn't until you spend some time in-game that you notice the changes. And when you do, about 70 turns in, they explode like a firework.
BoB also features turn-based pondering - now with trade and diplomacy too - interspersed with short, sharp real-time battles that almost rival the best of what Total War has to offer. In multiplayer though, it beats it hands-down.
More info
Genre | Strategy |
Description | A sci-fi turn-based strategy stand-alone expansion to the original, it's not pretty but the price and multiplayer are quite nice. |
Platform | "PC" |
US censor rating | "Everyone 10+" |
UK censor rating | "" |
Release date | 1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK) |
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