Sins of a Solar Empire
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this game is most suitable for older teens who are interested in complex strategy games. It shows ships and space structures exploding, but no bodies or personal violence. Language concerns should be minimal.
Community Reviews
A good, clean RTS
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What’s It About?
SINS OF A SOLAR EMPIRE is an innovative real-time strategy (RTS) game for Windows PCs. Unlike traditional ground-based strategy games in which the player must establish and conquer cities, Sins is set in space and focuses on conquest of planets and star systems. That crucial difference is what makes Sins more likely to be interesting to experienced strategy gamers.
Players start out with only a single planet under their control, the ability to build a few basic ships for combat and exploration, and a few structures for enhancing their growing empire's capabilities. As players explore the galaxy around them, they'll encounter opposing factions trying to establish their own empires. The player must choose their battles with care in order to successfully colonize and conquer the galaxy.
Is It Any Good?
From the standpoint of pure strategy gaming, Sins should be very appealing. The unique game design has a significant impact on strategy, requiring the player to consider factors such as planetary climate, available resources, and risk of attack when choosing whether to try and take control of a planet.
In other areas, Sins is sorely lacking. The single-player game consists only of a handful of scenarios that pit the player against the computer AI. There is hardly any story to speak of, save for a brief cutscene that explains the history of the conflict between the three political factions. The game shines in multiplayer mode, but those new to strategy gaming will find this to be frustratingly difficult.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how political factions interact in wartime, and how various national interests and prejudices can prevail over the common good. Parents may also view it as an opportunity to teach strategic thinking to their teenage children – or have their teenage children teach them.
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