Space Empires: Starfury

Strategy 2003 Windows Akella Galactic War

Unleash the fury

Earlier titles in the Space Empires series were fairly crude but very deep science fiction strategy games that played out like combinations of Colonization and Master of Orion. This entry in the franchise is similar in essential concept but ups the visual appeal and offers much of interest to any sci-fi fan who likes the idea of living out their Star Trek dreams. Here, you're given command of your own mighty space cruiser and it's your mission to explore the galaxy while completing a number of complex tasks. There's a lot of pioneering work to be done but there's also combat to be engaged in with the numerous alien species out there and which includes taking part in some pretty sizeable fleet operations. There are a number of campaigns to play through, each with their own unique challenges and as well as fighting for the glory of your empire, there are also plenty of opportunities for making a nice bit of cash on the side. Everything is completely open and you can customize just about anything, including the very structure of the game. Starfury might not look like the flashiest game in the universe but it's really got the important stuff lurking under the hood. It's a deceptively simple game which is fairly easy to get into but which offers immense amounts of freedom and immersiveness once you dive in. It's not a game which holds your hand so if you need that structured kind of gameplay you might not enjoy this too much, but if you love just blazing your own trail, then there's a lot of fun to be had here.

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