Rating: 
Summary: If you like strategy games, you must own this one!
Review: This game is simply a MUST HAVE. Note that I only say this about three games.I purchased this game when it first came out years ago. I still play it when time allows. It is simply a fun game with near infinite combination of play options. You can play a fast game with little micro-management or a slow game where you manange EVERYTHING! It is up to you, the player. Almost everything, from building your race, to designing your ships, to researching technology is up to you. My only real criticism: The AI is dated and dumb by today's standards, but not so much so to make the game not worth buying. It is frustrating to spend a lot of time keeping a computer player happy only to have them turn on you in an instant with no chance of stopping them.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit of a disappointment.
Review: I'm a huge fan of the Master of Orion games, and I've spent far too many hours in front of my computer playing this game and its predecessor. MoO1 may have been inferior graphically, and there WERE some major improvements in this sequel, but overall, it was a bit of a letdown. This was, for the most part, the fault of the micromanagement. The AI, of course, was idiotic about what it chose to build, and that meant that, if I was expanding quickly, I'd have several planets that I'd have to go to every turn or so to build a nice queue for. A large part of the fun of the first game was the fact that I didn't have to worry about those minutae. I just decided how much of a planet's income was to be spent on productivity, then went on worrying about the larger-scale problems; trade agreements, expansion, wars, etc. A few friends and I spent a lot of time playing this as a multiplayer "hotseat" game, and near the end, when everyone had a lot of planets to worry about, turns took forever. I'm anxiously awaiting MoO3, though I fear that the removal of the IFPs will mean that later turns will turn into micromanagement nightmares like in Battle At Antares.
Rating:
Summary: amazing game
Review: this is my favorite space game. it's addictive. it allows you to build a space empire; control a fleet; encounter other races and interact with them. It's an old game but of high quality. i love exploring new worlds, and engaging in the space combat. this one is way better than master of orion 3.
Rating:
Summary: I'd buy it again if I lost it.
Review: The thing I love the most is designing the player races and designing ships. You can play dozens of games with totally different strategies each time. Flexible ship design. Tons of research topics with none that are pointless. Sometimes combat in a really big game with tons of ships can get mundane but there's a autocalculator that is very fair and won't cheat you. Great graphics(especially the female warrior race ; > I haven't been able to get a multiplayer game started on LAN or through player matching though, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I'm sure it'd rule if I could though. But I kept going back to this game again and again because it was a new experience everytime I played.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best game of its genre
Review: This game, and the first, are just simply the best turn based space based strategy games ever! By today's standards, the graffics are dated, but this game was never about pretty screen shots, it is about solid strategy and resource management. What is the greatest feature of this game is re-playability and customization. You have (if I recall) ten races to begin with, all with different inate abilities, e.g. research, ship combat, ground combat, omniscience, trade, diplomacy, etc., and if that is not enough, you can make a custom race. Besides the different races' abilities, there is the aspect of ship design, perhaps my favorite. You can come with an infinite number of ship design combinations, anything from size, shape, the number and types of weapons, direction of fire, sheilding, armor, tractor beams, and so on. I also love that as your technology increases you can make modifications to your existing weapons, e.g. shield or armor piercing, auto fire, continuous. Finally there is the aspect of randomization. Every new game starts with a new map of the galaxy, making the strategic considerations different every time. There are also random events, good and bad, like earthquakes, space monsters, space pirates, plagues, shifts in orbit, industrial accidents, super novas, attempted assinations, weddings, and the list goes on and on. Also, in Moo2, the Antarans attack you randomly, and there is a final show down with them on their home turf (alternate dimension) as an alternate game end to conquering everyone or being elected to "master of the galaxy." I am leaving some things out, but trust me on this one, even though this is an old game, if you do not own it, buy it. My only question is WHERE IS THE SEQUEL?!
Rating:
Summary: Good Old
Review: I used to spent hours and hours playing the first Orion. The second one is just as enjoyable and time consuming. If you are one of the few remaining fans of turn based strategy gaming - this is probably the last good title released before everything became real time. The rules are just the same as any of the Microprose titles - build colonies, ammass resources and technologies, build armies, destroy opponents. The AI is really frustrating to play against, especially at higher levels and random events are often cruel. Combined, those factors allow for re-playing the game dozens of times. The rules of tactical combat have been made more sophisticated in this version resulting in very lenghty battles - something I don't enjoy a lot. Also frustrating is the absolute inability to protect planets in the later stages of the game - the defensive technologies pale against the powerfull attack ships which have as many hit points as two or three battlestations. On the other hand, the ability to customize races and the need to choose amongst alternative technologies are great improvements.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely still the best space strategy game
Review: This has to be one of the best strategy games out there available even for its age. Though Starcraft might be the preferred choice for many people, MOO2 is the game for those who dream of becoming a head of an imaginary galactic empire. You've got pretty much everything you desire in terms of warfare, diplomacy, and building a civilization. Many games just put too much emphasis on warfare or building colonies. MOO2 allows you to get the full experience on all matters of empire building. Another attractive feature of this game is you get to choose the type of galaxy you want to play in before the start of the game. You can choose the size of the galaxy, the type of planets, tech level, and how many empires will exist in the game (2-8). The AI is not stupid and you'll have to use your brains a lot when negotiating with aliens (whom to ally or whom to attack). Each alien race has unique strengths and weaknesses so you'll have to think and plan before you even start the game. MOO2 is far more superior in terms of game-play than MOO3. This game is a hall of famer in terms of space strategy games.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the Best 4-X Game of All Time
Review: I think the fact that I still play this game 10 years later says it all. Master of Orion II (MOO2) may be the best 4-X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) game I've ever played -- and that includes the other heavy hitter in this category, Civilization. MOO2 is endlessly replayable. In addition to the numerous standard alien races (all of which you can play), there are nearly limitless combinations of custom races you can make. This alone allows you to challenge yourself over and over. Try a crippled race with multiple penalties and no bonuses. Or try taking bonuses you don't usually like. And the ship-building! This could be a game in an of itself. Everything is customizable, from the size of ship, to its armament, even down to its name. You can concentrate on massive, Death Star-like constructs, or field a fleet of easily replaceable "missile boats". Or perhaps you prefer Wing Commander-style carrier-based combat? MOO2 can handle that as well (although you don't get to control the individual fighters, just the capital ships). Add in the random events, various galaxy sizes, and Antaran attacks, and you have a game that never fails to entertain. MOO2 will still be on my hard drive 10 years from now.
Rating:
Summary: The power of the ancients is now yours to command..
Review: This game is wonderful. Those of you who played the original MOO will find gameplay similar but with expanded options, while folks new to the series will likely enjoy the politicking and pestering that goes on in the average game. A few general comments and then some specifics: MOO:2 is a galatic strategic adventure game. You pick from one of nearly a dozen races, each with its own benefits or drawbacks (The klackons, industrious space-ants, excel at production but are as dumb as bricks; ethereal Psilons float about learning with amazing rapidity but struggling to produce the ships necessary to defend themselves, while charming and wily Humans play folks against one another). A new feature allows you to customize your own race from the scores of options characterizing the pre-packaged ones. Want enormous planets? Make your race Aquatic and Subterranean. Insanely productive? Cybernetic, Tolerant (ignores pollution effects), +2 Production. The possibilities are staggering, and by buying a lot of negatives, one can afford an equal number of wonderful positives. Each star system, unlike MOO:1, has a number of planets, most of which you can land on initially. Unlike MOO:1, you will not need to learn different _types_ of colonization for different planets (radiated, barren, toxic, etc.). However, you still need to research how to make them more fruitful. Along the way you receive the option to hire both planetary governors and ship leaders, effectively Heroes for your forces. Placing a good planetary leader in a system with a half-dozen habitable planets can double your empire's food, research, and/or industry production. Other additional features such as multiple 'special' worlds guarded by nasty beasts, in addition to Orion itself, as well as the ability to purchase (eventually) robotic workers allows for great customization, and lets races rebound from setbacks. MOO:2 even allows you the option to let the computer calculate all the fleet battles nearly instantly, so you don't have to sit through a 2 hour fight involving stasis fields and boarding parties. However, you may only choose this option _before_ starting a given game, and cannot turn it off afterwards. Long fights may get annoying, but I find it far more useful to know _why_ you lost, not just that you did. All in all, MOO:2 is a very engrossing strategy game, particularly for sci-fi buffs. Note however that while it has aged well, you may need to turn down the graphics accelerator on your computer to keep it from freezing up if you have a new one. Details on how should be included in the help files that come with the game.
Rating:
Summary: Will you be the Master of Orion?
Review: This game is great! My boyfriend turned me onto it, and I LOVE IT! It has provided me with hours of enjoyment, trying out different races and different statistics. Very cool options to build ships, research facilities, industry facilities, and farming facilities. I also enjoy the different ways to win the game--beating the Antarans or conquering all the other races. The hot seat function is great as well, because you can play with friends. Definitely a game worth playing for anyone out there that likes Sci Fi. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have, and still am!
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