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PC | Strategy | Space Colony

Boxart for Space Colony
Space Colony 12 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.0
  • SOUND: 4.5
  • CONTROL: 4.0
  • FUN FACTOR 4.5
  • AVG USER SCORE n/a
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 3.8
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: Space Colony

Review by Jango Fatt | 10/30/2003 | 15:38:47 PM PST

A wacky, intergalactic-y strategy game that builds on The Sims formula.

Combining the addictive life-simulation aspects of The Sims with real-time strategy elements, Firefly Studios has produced Space Colony, a tough, funny, and very charismatic hybrid.

SC puts you in the gravity boots of the cute, tough Venus and her spacey colonizing comrades. You?ll design and furnish their terraforming base, defend against alien threats, balance economic issues, and cultivate budding inter-colonist romances. Like Firefly?s previous title, the castle sim Stronghold, SC offers a sprawling single-player campaign that can play out in two directions: as an economic, peaceful challenge or as a fast-paced military crusade. Not interested in harvesting plants or luring tourists? Try guiding a pack of laser-spittng robotic dogs as they run blockade for your colonists.

SC?s loony look pits Space Quest against StarCraft and The Sims. Highly-detailed buildings, lush furnishings and constantly-changing 2D environments will leave you starry-eyed, but there are no zooming or rotating options to help you find important items. Nevertheless, the amusing characters burst with personality thanks to vibrant animation and charismatic voice acting. The sonic feast continues with striking, cosmic sound effects and a score right out of ?Mars Attacks.? You can even replace the music with your own MP3s.

SC?s inconsistent interface knocks it back down to Earth, however. Sometimes characters inexplicably refuse to respond, while the absence of keyboard shortcuts will slow down those frantic military missions. And although there is a level editor, no multiplayer solution is offered. These are minor drawbacks, however, and the challenging, amusing and well-balanced Space Colony is well worth inhabiting.