DarkStar One: Broken Alliance for Xbox 360

GF Rating

8

Very Good

It's Complicated

posted by CaptainX79 (AVERILL PARK, NY) Jul 25, 2010

Member since Feb 2007

84 out of 87 gamers (97%) found this review helpful

To say the least DarkStar is by no means an easy to categorize game. It's nothing like what I was expecting it to be, I think what I was hoping for was something more like mass effect, what I got was something unlike anything I have ever played before. This being said The game is by no means bad, it just took me some time to understand.

Darkstar you could say is a simulation game, you take the helm of the ship darkstar one and fly around space jumping from cluster to cluster taking on missions that range from killing pirates for bounty to delivering goods to other star systems. This is just part of it though you must find artifacts that will level your ship up, buy upgrades to your guns and engine and at some point try to solve your fathers murder.

I could go on but the point i'm trying to make is this game is Quite complex, at the beginning alot is thrown at you all at once and it took me some time to understand how everything works because you have to juggle many things not mention you have full control of your ship and just about everything else.

Pro's
-addictive once you learn the in's and out's
-it's fun to out maneuver pirate ships and destroy whole gangs
-a new experience on the 360 nothing like it

Con's
-dated graphics
-laughable voice overs
-repetitive NPS's
-complicated game play (at first)

Overall worth a play if not just to try it out, not for everyone but if you give a chance it might grow on you.

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GF Rating

5

Fair

so much could go so wrong

posted by stockbond (THOMASVILLE, GA) Oct 2, 2010

Member since Jun 2010

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

I had this game for the pc, had a rockin joystick, and enjoyed the tar out of it. was thinking that with a little graphic improvement and time the game would be just as excellent for the xbox and of course i was wrong. guess i should of listened to the other reviews but a guy can have dreams.
now the movies are a tad off along with horrible voices that hasn't changed..... unfortunetly the problem is all in the xbox controller there's no customization ability at all and for anyone that has ever used an actual joystick thumb sticks just don't compare.
I gave it a 5 for the game it use to be and if you can get the version for the pc and have a joystick it's a must.
pc version = 10
xbox version=0

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GF Rating

7

Good

Dark Star One

posted by lgwyant (TEMECULA, CA) Jul 24, 2010

Member since Jul 2008

15 out of 22 gamers (68%) found this review helpful

So far most of the game plays quite similar to Freelancer (pc game), which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's quite enjoyable and would have been a huge hit with a bit more polish, and better voice acting. So far the story-line is pretty rank and file of these type of adventure games.

Definitely worth a rent, if you like this type of game, as it's almost nonexistent on the 360. I'll come back and do a further review once i've played through it a few times.

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GF Rating

5

Fair

Buggy, unoriginal, boring.

posted by cam959 (INDIANAPOLIS, IN) Jul 28, 2010

Member since Mar 2010

25 out of 38 gamers (66%) found this review helpful

I love this genre, so keep making this kind of game - but please either make them entirely "open" with only minor subplot interjections, or linear (this game has a linear main plot) with a compelling plot!

It's entirely a 3D space shooter, but the combat is boring!

I didn't realize this is a port of a 2006 PC game when I rented it. You'd think someone would have fixed some of the bugs by now. Or even the typos! It puts the word YOUR'E on your screen almost 100 times.

I've played more games of this genre to even count, so please stop calling this game original - though it is rare to find a starship captain game in the Xbox world. I'm glad it brings back a genre that I've missed for a decade. I just wish they would bring back the depth of those games, because the plot is poor and very predictable. It's hard to remember why they you're fighting another wave of pirates or rebels or bounty hunters that all look and sound the same. It gets very repetitive as there are only about 6 different side missions that repeat over and over.

I had to reload from my last save about every two hours because of a one bug or another - like when an important object would just disappear, or the game wouldn't recognize when I had completed a mission, or when I'd land on a space station to repair and come back and my ally had vanished, leaving me behind and the game stuck.

The combat feels like a 1990s Star Wars game. Not saying it's bad, but it's far from being good. Same-as-always weapons. Oh but some bad guys cloak, or fly sideways!

But if you made it this far and are still in, just please mute your TV since the voice acting is worse than Just Cause II (absolutely awful in every possible way - except this game might not be as racist because it was about fictional races), and you'll wish your co-pilot would die the entire time because she's nagging and only repeats what you already know.

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

VERY disappointing

posted by bsmeyers (SPARTA, NJ) Aug 29, 2010

Member since Aug 2010

3 out of 5 gamers (60%) found this review helpful

I was looking forward to getting this game and planned on keeping it until I actually played it. I did not get very far, I must admit, the voice acting was so poorly done, it kept keeping me from enjoying the gameplay.

The outer space dogfights looked pretty, but were not very exciting and fairly easy.

Hopefully, there is more to the game for others to try. But, for now, I would rather replay Mass Effect 2.

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GF Rating

7

Good

Gene Roddenberry?

posted by janus41 (PATERSON, NJ) Aug 4, 2010

Member since Feb 2009

4 out of 8 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

Its about time somebody decided to do a space dogfighting game. the story was ok, but at times it was a bit lame. the game was definitely a combination of star trek/deep space nine. the fact that there was a quote from a certain species pretty much gave it away. the way the aircraft evolved was fair. the wings look like, well u know, as they are upgraded towards the end. I was upset that i was unable to max out the entire ship, as there werent enough crystals. overall, it was a pretty good game but i dont see a second edition on the way

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

something different for xbox at least

posted by jobel12 (STONEHAM, MA) Sep 3, 2010

Member since May 2010

2 out of 4 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

not a bad game...definitely worth a rental.

I was a huge fan of wing commander privateer and this game doesn't even come close to that, but you can see how it sort of tires...

the entire game feels kinda cheap and flimsy... the graphics are so-so (think Starfox on N64) and the sound is blah... the on-going missions need more variation and interface lacks that "polished look/feel". The visuals of "flying through space" is kinda bad.. you see stars going by, but then it looks as there's a static image in the background, so you barely feel like you are moving... not a good design.

one really bad thing, and maybe its because this is a port.. the game's font is so small and hard to read... I have a 50 inch plasma and had trouble reading the text... I'm sorry but that's just bad attention to detail.

the storyline is not very interesting though it could be the horrible cut scenes not sure... I gave it a chance at first, but then just ignored it.

the gameplay and style of game is the only thing that saves this game (basically everything that makes it like wing commander)... its not quite an open world, but it almost feels like. You can battle pirates, get bounter hunter mission from the trade stations, and not to mention you can trade to get money as well which is a cumbersome system, but its still cool.

This game has serious potential... but the developers just seemed fall flat. A game like this really needs AWESOME sound effects, a great interface (responsive and fun controls) and a great game engine.

But I will say this..the gameplay is a nice change of pace from the typical xbox title. Not sure why they don't make games in this genre more...

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GF Rating

5

Fair

Buggy Boring Mess

posted by Schwal (BOULDER, CO) Aug 28, 2010

Member since Oct 2008

2 out of 4 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

Let me start this review by saying that this is my kind of game. I sunk far too much time in to Space Trader and the Palm, and even more into X-Wing Vs. Tie-Fighter. But in trying to be both, it manages to do neither well.

The space combat is tedious and boring, mostly due to the lack of variety in enemies or weapons. The controls are sluggish, and the layout is very weird. You can't even set your speed to anything between 0% and 100%; this make maneuvering even harder.

The trading on the other hand takes too long. It goes:

1. Buy some cargo. (1M)
2. Set your destination in a very clunky map. (1M)
3. Take off from the station. (30S)
4. Fly away from the station until you can hyperjump. (30S)
5. Wait for game to load next system. (1M)
6. Arrive in new system.
A. (if there are pirates, about 1/3 chance) Drop cargo. (30S)
B. Fight pirates. (3M)
C. Find and pick up cargo. (2M)
7. Fly to station. (1M)
8. Dock (1M)
9. Repeat.

That whole process takes 6 minutes, or 11:30 if there are pirates. It never took more than 2 in Space Trader.

The plot is incomprehensible, and the cutscenes are the worst I have ever seen. There are maybe 2 voice actors that had any training whatsoever, and possibly one more who doesn't grate on you every time you hear them speak. Ad to that the complete lack of any attempt to obey the laws of physics, much less handwave the mistakes. If this was a book, it would be one of the worst fan-fics ever written.

If you had replaced the entire staff with high-schoolers this would have been an embarrassment, with the possible exception of the cutscenes; and the only there due to the lack of a render farm.

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

Why this franchise?

posted by Khyros (Haddam, CT) Aug 10, 2010

Member since Sep 2007

2 out of 4 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

I really have to wonder why this franchise was brought to the 360 rather than something set in the Privateer/Wing Commander universe. Anyway... game play is okay but rather repetative and as mentioned, this title could of used some polish... especially as it's a port of an older game.

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

This game is JUNK

posted by Caveman420 (REDMOND, OR) Oct 8, 2010

Member since Apr 2009

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

I played this on PC, and determined it was better suited for a console. I was happy to see the console version... until I played it. It is junk, it doesnt run well and the controlls are bad

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

yeah, mature, it's only 10 years old from the pc

posted by threaldeal (ORLANDO, FL) Oct 12, 2010

Member since Feb 2007

1 out of 4 gamers (25%) found this review helpful

great job trying to rip off kids once again, there might just be repercusions to this

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Shooting gets boring fast

posted by neverenuff (PAHOA, HI) Aug 6, 2010

Member since Feb 2010

1 out of 6 gamers (17%) found this review helpful

Fly around and shoot ships then do it for 20 more hours.

Space stations and ship leveling are boring and make the game that much longer and even less fun to play.

Get either Mass Effect instead.

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

TERRIBLE

posted by DRothman28 (FRESH MEADOWS, NY) Aug 20, 2010

Member since Aug 2010

1 out of 12 gamers (8%) found this review helpful

WORST GAME I EVER PLAYED WISH I HAD THE HOUR BACK THAT I WASTED PLAYING IT

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

Boring,Boring,Boring!!

posted by 96ultra (OKLAHOMA CITY, OK) Aug 13, 2010

Member since Apr 2010

1 out of 14 gamers (7%) found this review helpful

MOST BORING GAME EVER,GAME HAS BIG PROBLEMS-NOT FUN AT ALL! I THOUGHT IT WAS A GAME FROM SEGA GENESIS,WORST GRAPHICS I HAVE EVER SEEN ON 360!!

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

Dark Star One

posted by gjoet (PANAMA CITY, FL) Aug 31, 2012

Member since Mar 2012

Dark Star One,It's a good game to past the time with.

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GF Rating

5

Fair

Not quite there...

posted by timothynickel (MILWAUKEE, WI) Feb 11, 2012

Member since Feb 2012

This game fits a niche that is pretty void in the console world right now. Travelling between space stations conducting trade or being a pirate seem like really great endeavors and could make for a fun game. COULD. DarkStar One falls just a bit short. In some ways the potential of what this game could have been makes it that much harder to face the reality of what it is. I kept putting hours into it expecting it would redeem its self at some later point. It didn't. If you really have an itch for this type of game go ahead and play DarkStar One for a few hours to scratch it but it won't ever live up to what you were hoping it would be.

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

it just sucks

posted by santosreyes (LANCASTER, PA) Nov 12, 2011

Member since Oct 2011

assssss

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Pure Joy

posted by metallic (SAINT CHARLES, IL) Jul 9, 2011

Member since Jan 2011

The tital just wraps it up perfectly. this is a masterpiece of a game. i onhestly have no clue why so many people dislike this masterpiece of a game. to start, the voice acting is incredible. definatly the best voice actors i have ever heard in my gaming career. the planets look awe inspiring from space, and the character development is pure genius. i would recomment this game to all gamers everywhere. from the beutifaly crafted beginning to the jaw dropping ending this game will leave you in the edge of your seat for the full campaign. i played this game all the way through nonstop on a weekend and at the end told myself "Mike, weekend well spent."

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GF Rating

3

Bad

Arial version of Mechwarrior

posted by Kodar (JACKSON, MI) May 18, 2011

Member since Feb 2011

It's not a terrible game but not a great one either. Basically it's just an arial version of Mechwarrior. The buying and selling of stuff was interesting but took too long too travel between systems to make money to upgrade your ship.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Definitely for X fans

posted by squigman (COCOA, FL) Apr 29, 2011

Member since Mar 2011

This game is a very very simplified, console version of the X3. The main differences being that you can't build stations or your own corporations, at least up to the parts I've played far.

Another important difference is that you don't ever change your ship. You gain artifacts and your ship "evolves" or grows. The best way I can think to describe it is Moia in the series Farscape. As you gain more artifacts you can level your ship up making it grow and gain more slots for weapons and turrets as well as gaining higher levels components like capacitors and shielding.

Regardless, this game is very good and and is an extremely good simulation game for console. Especially if you want to break away from most console simulations like the sims and stuff. What I think most of the bad reviews come from is that it is a simulation game and most console users are used to shooters and rpgs. :)

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Decent Space Shooter

posted by Erentai (LINCOLN, NE) Apr 5, 2011

Member since Apr 2011

I wasn't expecting to much when renting this game but it turned out to be pretty decent. The graphics were nothing special but I could still tell what stuff was which is what really counts, the music I hardly remeber so it musta been pretty bland, gameplay was solid yet it got a little repititive, all in all a solid older game that you should check out if your into space flying games.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

really good

posted by cyberchris337 (GLENDALE, AZ) Mar 24, 2011

Member since Mar 2011

it is a really good game even the graphics were great but i expected the story line to be longer.
still was a really good game

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GF Rating

2

Really Bad

Dark Star One Broken Alliance

posted by shocker731 (VALPARAISO, IN) Feb 8, 2011

Member since Feb 2011

This is a bad game everywhere I would not waste your time looking at this game.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Freelancer-like game

posted by BADboy85 (WASHINGTON, DC) Jan 7, 2011

Member since Jan 2011

For anybody who ever played Microsoft's PC game "Freelancer" it is impossible to not see the many similarities between the games. Although Freelancer was much more refined, this game is an excellent play for those of us who played and really enjoyed Freelancer's open universe and open concept themes. The least inviting part of the game for me is the strange controls and difficulty adjusting to them. I wish there were more options for modifying and purchasing weapons, mods and different ships.

Anybody who enjoys open universe type games should consider this one. There is high replay value with this game given that there is a limitless number of roles and choices to make throughout the game.

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GF Rating

4

Weak

(Sigh)

posted by Schtiv (CAPE CORAL, FL) Dec 14, 2010

Member since Apr 2010

And yet another instance of a great idea done VERY wrong. Don't even waste your time.

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