Rating: 
Summary: Great game, if not a little predictable...
Review: This was a very interesting game. It was kind of like Dungeon Keeper 2 but with more interesting items. I only wish that there could be a wider variety of objects that you could place in the houses and bars. I was surprised at the running speed of this game. Many of the games I have purchased have been as slow as anything, therefore significantly taking away from the excitement of the game. Not this game though... it ran really smooth until I put tons of buildings in my space station, and then it only slowed down a little game. Great Game for those that don't like gory monsters jumping out from every corner. Highly Recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Great potential, but many small problems
Review: To me, this is the best game I have ever played (from a god game/strategy game/sim game perspective), and that means a lot, because that means that I place this game both above classics like Civilization, Command&Conquer, etc. as well as new smash hits like Black&White. The gameplay, graphics, sound, jokes, etc. are all perfect.So you may ask why I only give it four out of five stars? The answer is that there are a lot of small problems which result in frustration. The first thing is that the manual is nearly non-existent, i.e. it is only a small CD-inlay-booklet, where half of the booklet is taken up by installation instructions and credits. That wouldn't be so bad if the game wasn't so incredibly detailed. There is a tutorial and an in-game encyclopedia, but that still doesn't cover all the essential aspects. There are many things that you can not figure out on your own, because the effect of your actions may not be immediately noticeable. Some examples: You can not find out easily what the effect of promoting (or not promoting) someone is. The effect of placing artwork or artifacts in your station is not described anywhere. The problem is that many players probably don't even know what they are missing, because most players would not even expect such a depth in a game, and thus they would not look for all the little details that were left out of the manual. The other problem is that the game is very buggy in its current state. I have never had that many small bugs (e.g. the sound or the controls going crazy in the game, etc.) or big bugs (i.e. crashes) in any game, not even in more complex ones like Black&White. There is supposedly going to be a patch out at some point, so let's hope for the best. In any case, if you don't mind the lack of a manual and the fact that the game may not run totally smoothly on your configuration, you should definitely get the game! Even with the problems that I described, it is still a LOT of fun!
Rating: 
Summary: Dungeon Master in Orbit
Review: When I was buying this game, I kept on thinking of how my copy of the Sims was gathering dust on my shelf. I'd played the demo of Startopia and thought that it was a very humerous, immersive experience. Although there's a heck of a lot going on during gameplay, I get the overall feeling of not really being involved in the whole party. Sure, all the structures and decor has been provided by me, but terrorists plant bombs, electrical blackouts occur and aliens die randomly regardless of how much security, energy or medical resources I buy. Even though you can 'possess' aliens a la Dungeon Master (although it's called shoulder cam), you can't then take control of him and go where you want. Instead, you just get to walk around in circles.
Anyway, a great looking game, albeit a bit buggy, but when the push comes to the shove, I'd imagine that it has a fortnight's appeal (I bought it yesterday after two days worth of demo playing, and I was getting tired of it after a few hours.)
Rating:
Summary: Fun while it lasts
Review: When Startopia first arrived at my house, I eagerly tore open the box and installed the game at once. I had played the demo already and was very impressed, and I was extremely anxious to get my hands dirty with the full version. Everything--the graphics, the gameplay, the theme--impressed me from the get go. Before the day was over, I was hooked. Basically, Startopia is a city-building simulation, except that instead of a city, you're building a space station. There are three decks for you to dedicate your attention to; the first is like your main level, where aliens can board your station and where the most basic facilities are; the second is the "pleasure deck" where aliens can spend their leisure time. The third is basically a biodome, where you can grow crops and where aliens can get a breath of "fresh" air. As I already said, the gameplay of Startopia is excellent. The three decks, along with the trading and combat systems, provide for a relaxing and enjoyable gaming experience. The problem with the game is that it simply doesn't have lasting power. After completing the ten single player missions and playing one or two "sandbox" games, where you get to do pretty much whatever you want, the game just isn't that fun anymore. I'm sorry to say this, because there's really nothing wrong with the game; it's very good, but, alas, it's not destined to be a classic. I still recommend at least trying the demo for this game. It should keep most people occupied for several days and perhaps even weeks (the game, not the demo). After that, it will most likely collect dust for a few years. Then maybe you'll play it again once or twice and finally put it down for good. Basically, what it comes down to is this: are you willing to buy this game just to be entertained for a week or two? It may be worth the money, it may not. That's for you to decide. If you're just looking for an ephemeral way to kill time and have fun, Startopia may very well be a smart purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Fun while it lasts
Review: When Startopia first arrived at my house, I eagerly tore open the box and installed the game at once. I had played the demo already and was very impressed, and I was extremely anxious to get my hands dirty with the full version. Everything--the graphics, the gameplay, the theme--impressed me from the get go. Before the day was over, I was hooked. Basically, Startopia is a city-building simulation, except that instead of a city, you're building a space station. There are three decks for you to dedicate your attention to; the first is like your main level, where aliens can board your station and where the most basic facilities are; the second is the "pleasure deck" where aliens can spend their leisure time. The third is basically a biodome, where you can grow crops and where aliens can get a breath of "fresh" air. As I already said, the gameplay of Startopia is excellent. The three decks, along with the trading and combat systems, provide for a relaxing and enjoyable gaming experience. The problem with the game is that it simply doesn't have lasting power. After completing the ten single player missions and playing one or two "sandbox" games, where you get to do pretty much whatever you want, the game just isn't that fun anymore. I'm sorry to say this, because there's really nothing wrong with the game; it's very good, but, alas, it's not destined to be a classic. I still recommend at least trying the demo for this game. It should keep most people occupied for several days and perhaps even weeks (the game, not the demo). After that, it will most likely collect dust for a few years. Then maybe you'll play it again once or twice and finally put it down for good. Basically, what it comes down to is this: are you willing to buy this game just to be entertained for a week or two? It may be worth the money, it may not. That's for you to decide. If you're just looking for an ephemeral way to kill time and have fun, Startopia may very well be a smart purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, fun-filled game.
Review: You are the manager of a torus-shaped station is space. You can play missions to have specific objectives ( There's 10 missions ) and then once you finished them, you can play the random map system ( sandbox ) to have more fun with the game. As i write this review, patch 1.1 is out and fixes loads of bugs and adds some nice things. Also possible are user-made missions for StarTopia. Sure, you need to learn how to do them, but that's still a great thing which could very well increase the fun of the game further! I truly reccomend this game. If you liked Theme Hospital, you'll certainly love this game. And even if you didn't play Theme Hospital, i still fully suggest this game.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, fun-filled game.
Review: You are the manager of a torus-shaped station is space. You can play missions to have specific objectives ( There's 10 missions ) and then once you finished them, you can play the random map system ( sandbox ) to have more fun with the game. As i write this review, patch 1.1 is out and fixes loads of bugs and adds some nice things. Also possible are user-made missions for StarTopia. Sure, you need to learn how to do them, but that's still a great thing which could very well increase the fun of the game further! I truly reccomend this game. If you liked Theme Hospital, you'll certainly love this game. And even if you didn't play Theme Hospital, i still fully suggest this game.
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