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	Space Empires IV Gold
	Developer: Malfador Machinations Publisher: Shrapnel Games Genre: Turn-Based Strategy Players: 1-20 Similar To: Reach for the Stars!, Spaceward Ho! Rating: Everyone Published: 08 :30 : 02 Reviewed By: Nick Stewart Overall: 9 = Must Buy

Screenshots

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Intro
Like role-playing, the strategy genre is one that largely finds itself immune to the never-ending developments in the world of graphical technology. For the most part, 2D strategy endeavors in particular tend to possess a considerably longer shelf life than their three-dimensional brethren, if for no other reason than the fact that gameplay becomes the focus rather than something that simply accompanies the flashy visuals. Released in 2000, Space Empires IV was one such title, garnering considerable cult status and critical acclaim for its intricately detailed, turn-based entry in the realm of the 4X genre. With a bit of a facelift, improved AI and a more accessible approach to modding, it's been recently re-released to the gaming public under the guise of Space Empires IV Gold, offering fans a second chance to experience its classic touch of intergalactic domination.


Gameplay: 9/10
Much like virtually any other title in the 4X genre, Space Empires IV Gold presents you with a wide-open patch of untamed space and dares you to bend it to your will. Squaring off against any number of computerized or human opponents, it's up to you to take your single, solitary starting planet and use it as a launching pad for intergalactic domination. Carving your way across the galaxy in a series of 13x13 interconnected quadrants, you'll want to sprawl your grasp throughout the countless planets and asteroid belts that dot the inky landscape, which genre purists will be glad to know features not only variable planet and atmosphere types, but also nebulae, space storms, and more. Overseeing virtually every aspect of your civilization, it's up to you to spearhead your people's march to glory, carefully supervising and prioritizing between the fields of exploration, combat, military expansion, research and design, diplomacy, trade, finance, and much, much more. It's a lot for any Intergalactic Leader to handle, but with enough effort, strategy, and luck, you might actually stand a chance in the unpredictability of space. Although it can certainly be a difficult journey, it's definitely one worth taking; despite its generic 4X veneer, Space Empires IV Gold is an incredibly original, inventive, and versatile title that easily stands as one of the best in its class.

Although much can be said for its fluid play mechanics, its simple layout of easily accessible menus, sortable reports, and its ceaseless dedication to detail, Space Empires IV Gold's single greatest strength lies in its practically limitless customization. The game offers you tons of options and opportunities, and you can tweak, adjust, or personalize them all. Take the beginning screens, which perfectly represent the kind of freedom that the game so perfectly features: when starting out, you can opt to speedily skip through the Quick Start, or you can choose to specify exactly what you're looking for. You're then asked to choose the size and type of the playing area, which can be randomly generated every time - or, if you like, you can save one for use in later games. Branches of the technology tree can be added or removed, highly specific victory conditions can be set, and separate game options - such as the maximum number of ships per player or the possibility of surrender - can be modified. Finally, once you've established your number and type of opponents or instructed the computer to select it all at random, it's time to build the identity of your civilization. Starting with your empire's name, type, portrait, planet and atmosphere, you can then move onto using a number of points to mould your race's attributes, which range from strength and intelligence to political savvy and even mechanical aptitude. If that wasn't enough, you can add optional traits, identify what makes your people happy, and even type out full descriptions of their biology, societies, and history. It might be a little too detail-heavy for skittish beginners, but for genre purists who might be tired of being forced to use generic, pre-fabricated races in their 4X adventures, it's a wonderful and liberating alternative.

If that were the limit to its freedom, Space Empires IV Gold would still be a noteworthy if not particularly different 4X title. Thankfully, its sense of freedom extends into practically every area of gameplay, ensuring you nearly complete control over your domain. From repair priorities to the establishment of waypoints to the strategies employed by your empire or just an individual ship, the game is rife with detailed instructions that can be issued to your underlings. However, this incredible depth can often prove overwhelming, especially when your empire has finally begun to spread itself to all corners of space; thankfully, an equally detailed set of automated systems have been implemented to allow you to focus on whatever you feel is most important. The most dominant of these systems are the Ministers, who can be instructed to take over your duties; for example, if you don't want to go through the motions of constantly sending out your ships to investigate the furthest reaches of the galaxy, simply activate the Exploration Minister, who will handle it for you. If you'd prefer to spend your time planning your attack on your sworn enemies instead of worrying about developing research or setting patrol routes or arranging for older ships to be retrofitted with newer designs, just give the nod to the appropriate Minister, and all will be taken care of. Although it's a feature seen in other 4X titles, it's rarely as well-implemented and expansive as it is here.

Ship design and combat are equally versatile, offering a tremendous sense of depth within their details. Fans of classics like Reach for the Stars! and Alpha Centauri will be familiar with the ability to graft individual components to whichever ship hulls you've discovered, enabling you to create a wide variety of multi-purpose vehicles, or a fleet of finely-tuned ships built for a very specific goal. Delivery of troops, colonists, or even large-scale items such as drones, mines, satellites, cargo or even enemy ship components can all be accomplished with the use of properly designed ships, Of course, no space opera would be complete without a healthy serving of combat, which is something that Space Empires IV Gold is all too happy to provide, and luckily for the player, it's surprisingly well done. Once the technology tree has been sufficiently explored, ship-to-ship or fleet-to-fleet combat can become entrenched in such issues as missiles, projectiles, lasers, shields, cloaking, tractor beams, warheads, ramming tactics, troops and much more. It becomes even more of a dramatic issue once you're able to oversee the action yourself: on a 2D plane, bearing whatever formation you've given them, your ships mete out your orders - albeit in a somewhat clunky and unwieldy manner -- on a turn-based level, and once you're done, you can replay it all to view your glory in action once more, or to see where you went horribly, horribly wrong. If you don't wish to risk losing your ships but are curious to see how they'd handle themselves against an enemy you've already encountered, you can fire up the Combat Simulator, where you can experiment with various ship designs and techniques until you're comfortable enough for the real thing. The latter certainly helps to mitigate some of the frustration inherent in the occasionally clumsy way that combat is handled, although after enough time, one can't help but be taken aback and immersed in the sheer depth offered here.

There's a great deal to be said about Space Empires IV Gold; its reach is so ambitious and its scope so considerable that one can hardly imagine being able to cover nearly everything about it in a single review. Despite what's been discussed here, there are also the issues of the "Civilization II" feel possessed by the expansive diplomacy options, the different behaviors and intricacies inherent in the various playable races, not to mention the incredible ease with which one can create highly useful mods - in fact, the CD includes a fairly hearty number already prepared for your own use. It's a truly terrific game, and fans shouldn't be scared off by its age; its gameplay is quite timeless. This isn't to say that there aren't problems, however; though usually solid, the AI can be extremely questionable at times, not to mention that the decidedly steep learning curve isn't particularly helped by the fact that one must piece together the necessary information from the tutorial as well as the paper and digital manuals. Additionally, some of the in-game information is badly located or non-existent, and there's such a wealth of tweakable options that it's incredibly easy to lose track of it all. Still, the latter is a decidedly forgettable complaint, especially in light of the exceptional feel offered by the game itself. A truly entertaining and classic game, to be sure, and one well worth picking up.

Graphics: 6.5/10
Those seeking eyecandy with their intergalactic dominance will have to look elsewhere, as Space Empires IV Gold's visuals, although certainly clear and functional, aren't much to look at. Colorful planets and space quadrants are generally the exception to the rule, as flat, spartan vehicles, components, and aliens all appear rather dated, even for a two-year-old game. After a time, the tiny spaceships can be distinguished at a glance; thankfully, their larger scale pictures are somewhat more appreciable. Featuring a mostly barebones look that relies primarily on menus and windows, the game can certainly feel dry and difficult to slip into - at least, at first. Once you've started to get a feel for the robust and immersive gameplay - which is what makes Space Empires IV Gold such a treat to begin with - then the vaguely negative impact of lackluster graphics begin to fade, though fans used to glitzier titles might nevertheless find themselves at somewhat of a loss.

Sound: 5/10
Apart from a somewhat standard sci-fi collection of beeps and zaps littered throughout gameplay, Space Empire IV Gold's aural component is nothing really worth noting. Much like the graphics, they contribute somewhat to the atmosphere, though not so much that you still won't find yourself with the urge to fire up your MP3 player - which also says something for the nicely thematic but vaguely unimpressive CD audio.

Control: 9.5/10
With so much to keep an eye on and tinker with, Space Empires IV Gold features a surprisingly useful interface that falters only occasionally. The bank of easily understood and nicely laid-out buttons serves to control virtually every aspect of intergalactic life, from ship design to full-out combat, and the array of hotkeys only make things that much easier. Adding to the versatility are the sortable lists, end-of-turn report logs, and countless status and information screens that keep you in the know at all times. With a series of simple mouse-clicks and keystrokes, one can rule an empire with relative ease, and that is quite a feat indeed.

Overall: 9/10
The graphics may be more functional than flashy, and the learning curve might prove too daunting for beginners, but Space Empires IV Gold remains one of the best, most enthralling 4X games on the market, even a couple years after its initial release. Its no-nonsense approach to classic genre gameplay helps to raise it above the average offering, while its wealth of details and customizable options boost it into the stratosphere. Whether it's something as broad as a diplomatic stance or as specific as the exact components built into an orbital satellite, it can be tinkered with and modified, which is a freedom that has been lacking from far too many "could have been great" 4X titles. When all is said and done, Space Empires IV Gold beautifully sidesteps that mistake, making it a title for purists who prefer substance over style, and aren't afraid to dirty their hands in the occasionally muddy interface.

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