Lord of Rigel

Great clone of Master of Orion 2. Some things like population management have been simplified, but the rest is still here with new... slightly more balanced races. The real time combat cannot be changed, but the developer is VERY interactive, and he added in an autopause button like Master of Orion Conquer the Stars had after I suggested it, giving the combat a turn based feel for me personally. Speaking of, the developer has been hammering away at this game, and the performance has improved considerably since launch. As a space 4x game junkie, I've played them all. In comparison to Stellaris, or Galciv IV, this game feels less complex, the upside is that games like this and MoO have a much faster pace, making for very quick turns, and getting into the good stuff faster. In comparison to the other MoO clones like Interstellar Space Genesis and Stars in Shadow, this game is a bit closer to MoO and innovates a bit less. Currently this game and IS:G stay in my rotation. This one is a bit easier on my brain after work. Overall an excellent clone that had a rough launch. If you want innovation, this game isn't for you. What it does do, is what it says on the tin, and quite well. The responsive developer is great, and clearly cares about his game, which is a rarity in a genre that sells probably two copies a month. XD. TL;DR: MoO 2 clone. Very good now. Worth picking up.

It's much more stable than wargames MOO remake. The slower pacing is not so bad.. once you have around a dozen colonys the temptation to go wild is strong..... Resist the urge or you will regret it. The two elder races will use you for lube if your not ready for 'em. Remember their tech may be maxed. I haven't found out myself for certain but I'm in no rush. Slower paced that MOO but thats not a bad thing!

This is a modern remake of Master of Orion II, with real time combat instead of turn-based combat as the major difference. There are other small differences in the tech tree, weapon balance, and various other small things. But the big picture is 90% MOO2, from the mechanics to the technology names and descriptions to the interface. I loved MOO2 when I was younger and still go back to from time to time today. This game is a wonderful homage (although it's too bad they aren't more upfront about their inspiration). But I'm not sure I'd choose it over the original. The main reason for this is the UI. Master of Orion 2 was cartoony and pixelated, sure, but it also had a wonderfully clean interface. This game is very cluttered. It loves to take up the left-hand quarter of the screen with a list of your planets and fleets, even though you can access that information on dedicated colony and fleet tabs with a single click. Then the right-hand quarter of the screen is taken up by a barrage of notifications, most of which are unnecessary and distracting from the ones that matter. The way planets in a system are presented makes it tough to quickly distinguish useless gas giants from useful planets that you want to colonize. QOL and UI issues are everywhere, sadly. I also have some more minor gripes, like the removal of boarding as a mechanic, and the fact that while the 3D graphics are nice, turns and actions take a long time to process as well, due to the superior graphics. Don't get me wrong, there are some very nice changes: - Many tech tree tweaks are interesting and the balance looks better than in the past, where some tech levels had obvious choices. - The quotes associated with each technology are neat, although they are sadly not as memorable as the ones from Alpha Centaurai. - The changes to how outposts function are a cool touch. - Making early game space monsters more defeatable for early game starships was a good move. - I like the new pollution mechanic. - The game wisely keeps the MOO2 decision to make terran and other habitable worlds rare on the galactic map, which makes those worlds fun to fight over. - The tweaks to the species creation system are very interesting. - Having fuel range and sensor overlays for the galactic map was a great QOL move. But honestly I have to recommend the original to those who haven't tried it. If you can get over the dated graphics and the turn-based battles (which are slower but far more strategic), it is the superior product. On the other hand, if real-time battles or 3D graphics are a must, then this game is probably most faithful successor to the MOO2 legacy.

This is a nice 4X game which balances the level of control nicely. Interface is easy to use if you are used to these kinds of games. It does not overwhelm you with rows of menus and huge blocks of tiny text.

This game keeps getting better. There are a lot of interesting mechanics and strategies to employ. If you are searching for an indie grand strategy in space inspired by the likes of masters of Orion, this is it. Thank you devs for your continuous improvements.

Charmless, uninspired, and overly-derivative MoO2 clone. MoO2 is on Steam; just get it instead.

Lord of Rigel brings the MOO2 formula into the 21st century in a proper way. I played a very tense 3 hour game and enjoyed its attention to detail, visuals, and overall design concept. The AI seems competent (and punishing if you're looking for that). The UI looks fine, but could use a bit of graphical polish here and there. My only real issue is real time the space combat. It's a pausable real time system. However, I would really love to see the old turn based movement featured as a option. Master of Orion 2 really nailed that and it doesn't seem like Lord of Rigel is quite there yet. Lord of Rigel is going in a great direction and looking forward to further development. 9/10