Master of Orion was just another strategy by Microprose, but enough people liked it to get noticed. Then Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares came out, and people really got hooked. Few modern gamers haven't heard of MoO II. Then, after seven years of waiting, Master of Orion 3 comes out. And what happens? Absolutely nothing. According to the video game community, it was yet another failed sequel. "Buggy," some said. "Overly-complicated," others complained. They completely ignored the obvious signs that MoO 3 is, and still is, a great game. I knew I heard a challenge when the clerk at the store told me it was a waste. But I persevered, and I recognize a truly great strategy game.
The main problem with most players is that they came into MoO 3 expecting a better MoO II. Well, as all players like this will tell you, they were wrong. MoO 3 is a whole new game, as is obvious from the basic setup.
You play one of 16 alien races, vying for control of the galaxy, as in the previous 2 games. This one takes place millenia after the other games, however, so there are changes. One is the fact that some race claiming to be the Orions of myth control the Galactic Senate. The other is that the Antarans have disappeared after experimenting with the races. The final is the fact that you aren't a dictator in this game.
You take the controls at the head of a major bureaucracy. Rather than sticking your hands into the mush that is your race and moving things around, you ORDER them around, and hope things go to plan. This is a major, major difference. While MoO 3 looks extremely complicated at first, it gradually reveals itself to be a giant clock that you pretty much need to maintain; there is no "sticking your hands in" in this game, unless you want to be inundated with micromanagement.
MoO 3 DOES improve on some features left over from MoO II, just the same. Multiplayer is much more fleshed out, allowing LAN, IP, and GameSpy connections, instead of the old hotseat option from MoO II. Custom races, while they no longer detract from your final score, are now much harder to "cheap out" with. Also, computer AI (and diplomacy in general) is much more fleshed out. Each basic request and response can now have "spin" that changes the way you say what you do.
Basically MoO 3 suffers from ES: Expectation Syndrome. This is no Master of Orion 3: The Sequel to Battle at Antares. This is Master of Orion 3: The Ultimate Space Strategy Game. This game doesn't deserve the bargain bin, and DEFINITELY doesn't deserve bad reviews.
10/10
