LinuxPC (Microsoft Windows)3DO Interactive MultiplayerMacDOS1992

Star Control II

Star Control II, the sequel to the original Star Control, is a space adventure game that features role-playing elements alongside a 2D space ship melee combat system. The player assumes the role of The Captain of a single starship wandering a detailed environment of solar systems, gradually gathering information and resources in order to defeat a mysterious and implacable enemy.

Community

Screenshots

Very Positive

169 Steam reviews

Review History

Reviews

169 total

≥h

Steam User 3564STEAMRecommended

story and music go hard! once you figure out the gameplay it's on!GREAT CLASSICS!

Feb 19, 2026·Verified

Steam User 0164STEAMRecommended

It looks and plays just like the original - and it's great if you like 'Asteroids'-like gameplay with a fun story.

Feb 15, 2026·6h·Verified

Steam User 2320STEAMRecommended

Even though I'm playing the version with the voice acting and native windows support that you can download legally for free I still think it's worth buying because it's so cheap.

Jan 23, 2026·1h·Verified

Steam User 9001STEAMRecommended

One of the all time classics. If you do not know this game, your knowledge of what a game can be, remains somewhat uninformed. Like an important historical knowledge lens to have.
DO NOT READ SPOILERS OR HINTS. Seriously get you an image of spoiler free map that shipped with the game and take your own notes. There is no quest log, if an NPC gives you a name or map coordinates you need to write that down and consult the map to figure out where to go.

SPECIAL NOTE: They only tell you once that the game has a ticking clock you need to beat it by. It is in an unprompted NPC dialog and not repeated ever again. Game conditions go past a point of no return in early 2159 if you haven't prevented it.

If you consider yourself a gamer, you need to know this game. Also great sci-fi story too.

Jan 16, 2026·36h·Verified

Steam User 0346STEAMRecommended

The same classic game that you should have been playing since 1992!

Jan 4, 2026·7h·Verified

Steam User 2700STEAMRecommended

Nov 15, 2025·26h·Verified

Steam User 6012STEAMRecommended

Classics, but the original stories of Star Control at their roots! They didn't age as well as some other games, but they're still fun to play regardless. It's about exploration, finding sentient life all over the galaxy, and saving the world against a bunch of bullying UrQuan menaces, what's not to love?

Nov 14, 2025·16h·Verified

Steam User 9336STEAMRecommended

One of my favorite games off all time.
Believe Mass Effect got their planet exploration idea from this game.

Having started Ur-Quan masters the free version a few times I now finally got around to play thru it.
Well worth it for the story line and humor.

Now onward to SCIII :>

Oct 30, 2025·19h·Verified

Steam User 4655STEAMRecommended

Old school console game. It was great fun back in the day, especially going head to head with friends. However, SC really needs to be played with a console type gamepad, since keyboard and mouse is an absolute nightmare.

Oct 24, 2025·Verified

Steam User 8605STEAMRecommended

uralt und trotzdem noch interessantes Gameplay, besonders Melee :-)

Oct 17, 2025·13h·Verified

Steam User 8596STEAMRecommended

I am a little biased because I played Star Control on the Sega Genesis when it came out and loved it. Star Control II is a great retro game with loads of celestial bodies to visit and a ton of space battles to be had. I like the hidden quests and humorous dialog as well. And don't forget how you can upgrade your ships and landers too. One of the better science fiction games out there, in my opinion. I will always have a soft spot for this and the rest of the series.

Aug 19, 2025·23h·Verified

Steam User 8654STEAMRecommended

1 is crap, 2 is epic good

Jul 21, 2025·12h·Verified

Steam User 0166STEAMRecommended

very good

Jul 8, 2025·6h·Verified

Steam User 6333STEAMRecommended

[h1]Star Control 1[/h1]

Never had a chance to play it back at the time, turned out it's a pretty cool mini-strategy game.

The main strategic screen is a space quadrant which consists of stars interconnected with hyperspace tunnels.
Each star system can be either a mine, fortress or a colony (its all in the manual).
Mine produces resources (to build new starships), fortress is a fortified system that requires effort for other ships to pass by, and colony lets you populate your ships with new crew members.

All of it comes together in a pretty fun and quick strategy game of management and decision making. What to make of this node, should I fortify it or produce more resources? Should I build an expensive ship or should I make myriads of cheaper ones? Should I quickly expand my empire and stretch myself thin or is it better to keep it at minimal and focus on density?
The mainbase, i.e. mothership that produces new ships, can also be moved to a next node if needed, even at a risk of exposing the base and high cost of not producing anything while the transfer happens.
Some systems conceal Precursor artifacts that could be discovered. They provide different kinds of boost to the ship that found one. The rush for finding artifacts is a cool part of it all.

The melee combat mode is pretty basic if you compare it to subsequent SC entries, but still kind of doing the job. It can be completely automated by AI assistant.
There's different kind of scenarios to choose from. From compact sized quadrants, to fully expanded ones with plenty of room for all possible strategies.

What I personally think of SC1 is that original devs should have taken this type of gameplay and then improve and expand upon it, instead of going the route of full adventure mode like they did with Star Control 2. Which takes me to the next part of the review.

In the end, RECOMMENDED, even if just out of curiosity for the origins.

[h1]Star Control 2[/h1]

This is the one where SC fan community placed their bets. The most popular and beloved one. It was part of my childhood, as well as for many others. But playing it now feels pretty rough, clumsy and even boring.

There's no strategy elements now, it's all been cut in favor of a plot, negotiations with other races, etc. I mean it's all pretty cool on paper, but once you get your hands on the controls, you can't help but feel all the unnecessary bloat that comes with this type of gameplay.

First of all, I hate that you need to manually fly and maneuver your ship to each planet, to each star system, to each wormhole when it comes to hyperspace jumps. I'm quickly getting tired of resource gathering mini-game you have to go through on each planet.
Second, lots of grinding, IMO.
Third, lots of flying around looking for solution, things to do, things to chase.

I would certainly get it if these arcade elements would have some merit to it, some sort of fun factor that really makes, let's say, an 8-bit mario game so fun to just move and jump around. But the movement in SC2 is so basic and has that awkward inertia that it simply is not fun to do. It's not a game, it's a mechanical traversal from A to B, a downtime, and that's kinda it.

In the end, CANNOT RECOMMEND. Sadly, it aged like milk and feels like a game for storyfags only.

[h1]The bottom line[/h1]
So here's the deal: Star Control is moving into SC2 direction as far as it can be seen from numerous blog posts for the new Free Stars game (official successor to SC series). And I'm not a fan of that.

One dream Star Control game for me would be to have an elaborated dynamic strategy game that involves base building and resource management much like in SC1, and a combat mode with roster of ships and the precision of SC3. All in the aesthetics of mid-late 90's art direction: dark and low-key color palette, skeumorphic UI that doesn't affraid of real world materials, no cartoony characters.
Lol, some things are too much to ask.

Jul 4, 2025·3h·2·Verified

Steam User 2862STEAMNot recommended

Even after configuring controls, it doesn't work.👎

Jun 28, 2025·1·Verified

Steam User 6137STEAMRecommended

The Greatest computer game ever made.

Jun 19, 2025·14h·1·Verified

Steam User 4860STEAMRecommended

Star Control II is an old game that holds up decently, although it isn't the best game I've ever played. The world building is interesting, but dumping it all on the player immediately is a little overwhelming. I would say that the gameplay loop is simple yet satisfying, although it can grow to be a bit boring at times. The combat system is interesting and difficult to master, and it's INCREDIBLY satisfying to have a dreadnought that can just blast anything out of the sky whenever you please. The storyline is a bit jumbled, and I think some dialogue shows the game's age, but overall I think it does a good job. The aliens all feel very interesting and unique, and I enjoy conversing with them to learn more about their species. For any prospective player, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend taking notes on anything interesting you hear/discover/suspect, since you WILL run out of time to win unless you have an idea of what to do and where to look. For a cheap game that still holds up pretty well, this game is a good investment.

May 27, 2025·41h·Verified

Steam User 3924STEAMRecommended

Has Music...

May 23, 2025·5h·1

Steam User 8563STEAMRecommended

[h1]“Captain: Isn't altruism the highest pinnacle of morality?
Melnorme: No, it is not.”[/h1]

It's funny that [b]Stardock[/b] released these two games in one package. I mean, it's totally understandable, of course, but still funny. See, the first [b]Star Control[/b]... It wasn't that much of a game. Despite being released in 1990, it felt a lot like something way more ancient. The whole thing was just two phases – something that looked somewhat like [b]Paul Reiche III[/b]'s early game [b]Archon[/b] and space battles that were shockingly similar to [b]Spacewar![/b]. Yeah. [i]That[/i] [b]Spacewar![/b]. The one by [b]Steve Russell[/b]. One of the very first games known to our history. Can't say [b]SC[/b] was too bad and I actually remember playing it with a friend after school. Mostly because we didn't have anything else at the moment, but still, it wasn't bad. Yet 1990 was a year that gave us games like [b]Ultima VI: The False Prophet[/b], [b]Prince of Persia[/b] and [b]Wing Commander[/b]. Gaming started to mean business, while it was obvious that [b]Star Control[/b] did not. Heck, its full name was [b]Star Control: Famous Battles of the Ur-Quan Conflict, Volume IV[/b]. Which, again, was a direct nod to 60s (with their [b]Star Wars[/b]). It was just that. Some dudes came together and made [b]Star Trek[/b]'s “3D chess” with real-time battles. Exactly what they've wanted to have as kids. Tons of ripped off design included. Now, [b]Star Control II[/b]? It was a whole different story.

Believe it or not, it's thanks to [b]SC II[/b] we've got games like [b]Fallout[/b] and [b]Baldur's Gate[/b]. No, seriously. How is that possible? How did a [b]Spacewar![/b] variant with optional turn-based element (even though the original [b]SC[/b] did have AI opponent, it was something designed for hotseat multiplayer) ended up giving a new life to an RPG genre that was slowly declining day by day? Well, the funniest thing is... The process was pretty much the same with what I've mentioned above. There were the same two guys – [b]Paul Reiche III[/b] and [b]Fred Ford[/b]. And back in 80s? They've played [b]Binary Systems[/b]' [b]Starflight[/b]. Don't tell me they didn't, [b]SC II[/b] is almost identical to [b]Starflight[/b] (even visually), while [b]Starflight[/b] was a milestone. Some sort of [b]Elite[/b] for such games. There was no way in Hell to live back then and miss it.

Anyway, you've got the idea. [b]Paul[/b] and [b]Fred[/b] took [b]Starflight[/b] with its space exploration and mineral gathering, and added their old [b]Spacewar![/b]-like battles from previous [b]SC[/b] game to it (hotseat multiplayer is still available as a separate game mode). But that's not what makes sequel so good. If something, that's the [i]worst[/i] thing about it. I mean, [b]Spacewar![/b] was released in 1962. What they did in a previous game felt ancient [i]years[/i] ago. Yet, you guessed it, battles in a sequel are not that different. They're rough, they're clunky and they're the main reason why entry threshold here may be a bit too high nowadays. Those clunky rough battles from previous [b]SC[/b] are the main reason why people fail to enjoy [b]SCII[/b]. And it's sad. Because what we have here? Is often considered to be one of the very best games ever made. Hence the question again – why?

Well, you see... [b]Paul[/b] and [b]Fred[/b] not just copied [b]Starflight[/b]. They made it... alive. Don't get me wrong, there's still quite a lot of ripped design here. More than before actually, thanks to which some people calling it “the best [b]Star Trek[/b] game out there”. But somehow, the familiar things from [b]Gene Roddenberry[/b]'s timeless masterpiece, combined with our guys' own humor (which was pretty typical for gamers) mutated into something unique. Does story in [b]SC II[/b] feel like cheap-ass [b]The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy[/b] wannabe? Yep. But unlike pretty much all the other space games on market, alien species in [b]SC II[/b] felt... Well, I said it – [i]alive[/i]. They had personalities, OK? They weren't just shallow nobodies. They had their own unique features, obsessions and fears. Mysterious [b]Arilou Lalee'lay[/b], cowardly [b]Spathi[/b], multi-racial [b]Zoq-Fot-Pik[/b]... Some of those were in a previous game too, but only in [b]SC II[/b] they started to shine for real. How was that achieved? Well, it's time for us to remember [b]Fallout[/b] and [b]Baldur's Gate[/b] again. You know what I'm talking about. The dialogue trees.

While other features like solar systems of certain design and planetary exploration, in which we controlled landers and collected things on surface, were copied from [b]Starflight[/b] as is, the advanced dialogue trees were [b]SC II[/b] thing. You may argue that [b]Starflight[/b] had that “statement / question / posture” thing too, but it's not the same. It just... Isn't. It's like comparing [b]Fallout[/b] with, say, [b]Ultima[/b] or [b]Wizardry[/b]. Our main goal in [b]SC II[/b] was to make alliances in order to defeat ultimate enemy in the end. And let me tell you – making enemies was way easier than making friends. Everybody's was a bloody psycho. And learning their ways? That was the way. We needed to explore, we needed to ruse, to intimidate at times, and, of course, there was our ship. Which... was a thing on its own. All the other things aside, [b]SC II[/b] provided that certain romantic feeling we all want from this kind of games. Us. Our ship. And a wast galaxy to explore. [b]SC II[/b] did all of that right. We'll be able to customize our main vessel (which, again, felt a lot like [b]USS Enterprise[/b]), we'll be able to build up our own little fleet (more ships and technologies will become available with every new alliance you'll be able to make), and, of course, the galaxy itself is deep and brimming with mysteries (aside from other things, there are three types of space to explore here).

[b]SC II[/b] is a legend. Is it perfect? Nope. Which is pretty obvious nowadays when its clunkiness may actually scare people off. Some things will grow on you (controls, for example, are pretty [b]Gothic[/b]-like, which means that after you'll become used to 'em, you'll actually start liking 'em). The others (like that bloody space combat)? Not so much (even AI assist, which is a thing, won't help much with that). Still, diving into this game today? Totally worth it. Even more so since, for whatever screwed up reason, we didn't get lots of such games with time. Personally, I launched [b]SC II[/b] just to refresh my memory, but ended up playing through the whole thing in one sit. Just because of how addictive it is. The problem is... This version here? It is not your best option.

Right here, in [b]Steam[/b], you can get a game called [b]Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters[/b]. Which is the same exact [b]SC II[/b], only better. How? Well, unlike this release, it at least tries to be a native app instead of using the default version of [b]DOSBox[/b]. But that's not the reason. The real reason is – while fixing some bugs, [b]Free Stars[/b] version (they've changed the title to avoid copyright problems, but everything else is the same) incorporates some advanced features (like cutscenes and voice-over) that were only introduced in the advanced port for [b]3DO[/b] consoles. In [b]Free Stars[/b] you'll be able to manually select which feature you want from the original [b]DOS[/b] version and which you want to replace with something from [b]3DO[/b]. Awesome stuff. And the best of all? It's completely free. In other words, you can get bigger and better version for free, while this here gives you the lamest [b]DOSBox[/b] thing out there (while also using one of them lame scalers by default) and wants you to pay [b]$2.49[/b] for it. Yes, there's also the first game included as a bonus, but as we all know now – it's not really worth it. Still, for history purpose? I like having this one in my library. Like I said – [b]SC II[/b] is a legend. Enough said.

Mar 8, 2025·16h·14·Verified

Steam User 5794STEAMRecommended

Another classic!

Feb 13, 2025·12h·Verified

Steam User 7857STEAMRecommended

A couple of classic, well thought out games that are simply a blast to play - even if you're not a sci-fi nerd, though it helps if you are.

Dec 2, 2024·51h·Verified

Steam User 7564STEAMRecommended

Nostalgic

Nov 30, 2024·35h·Verified

Steam User 3761STEAMNot recommended

Can't adjust screen location and it won't save keyboard bindings. Till these are fixed I don't recommend playing it.

Nov 29, 2024·Verified

Steam User 8606STEAMRecommended

I played this game when I was an adolescent in the early 90s. One of my favorite memories. The story is deep and detailed, the game play is fun, the combat system is simple and interesting at the same time. 10/10 game for me. Tons of replay value.

Oct 31, 2024·9h·4·Verified

Steam User 1334STEAMRecommended

Never ask
A man: His salary
A woman: Her age
Orz: Where Androsynth???

Absolute kino sci-fi but I would recommend downloading the Ur-Quan Masters version which is kind of a definitive edition by the original devs for free. https://sc2.sourceforge.net/

Oct 15, 2024·5·Verified

Steam User 0055STEAMRecommended

One of the best games of it's time!!!

Oct 14, 2024·5h·Verified

Steam User 3535STEAMRecommended

One of the best games in history. Seriously.

Aug 3, 2024·7·Verified

Steam User 6373STEAMRecommended

Game is a good challenge, and just brings good memories from my childhood.
Make sure you pay attention to what the characters tell you. It won't be saved in a quest journal for you :)

Jul 1, 2024·12h·4·Verified

Steam User 5772STEAMRecommended

Great old Classic, what a find.

Jun 27, 2024·28h·1·Verified

Steam User 5151STEAMNot recommended

Title says star control I & II, but the game you get is only part of Star Control II, and nothing of SC1.

Apr 28, 2024·13h·2·Verified

Steam User 4871STEAMRecommended

Classic.

Apr 16, 2024·42h·1·Verified

Steam User 4615STEAMNot recommended

This review is for Star Control 2.

I never played this back in the day and only recently decided to try it out. I enjoy DOS games so the graphics / controls is not an issue for me.

What is an issue is the absolutely abysmal gameplay. You fly around, land on planets, and play the same boring minigame where you pilot a lander around collecting interchangeable "resources" while random explosions happen all around you. The resources only purpose is as currency to upgrade your ship. That's 90% of the game. It is mind-numbingly boring. Not to mention, extremely not fun, because the aforementioned explosions are almost impossible to dodge, meaning you are constantly taking damage through no fault of your own (of which you can only sustain a finite amount before needing to return to Earth).

5% of the game is space combat- which to give you a hint of how bad it is, it comes with an "autoresolve" option so you don't actually have to do it yourself. The combat is awful because the game uses this auto-zoom feature where the entire screen zooms in automatically when the ships get closer to each other. This is completely disorienting and makes actually trying to strategize in combat impossible.

The last 5% of the game consists of dialogue/backstory, which is admittedly interesting- however not enough to make me want to suffer through the absolutely horrid gameplay. I can definitely see how the character graphics and some of the 3D animations were innovative for the time, but the gameplay itself is terrible.

After playing this snooze-fest, it's hard to believe there was a protracted legal battle for the "Star Control" rights. You definitely need thick nostalgia goggles to play this. If you want an amazing DOS-era space game, play 1996's Master of Orion 2- a 4X game so great it still has not been equaled almost 30 years later.

Mar 16, 2024·2h·4·Verified

Steam User 6977STEAMRecommended

It's a classic! The story is exceptionell! But even if you don't have any time to play the main game, enjoy the melee battle mode with another player! It doesn't need much pixels to have fun!

Feb 29, 2024·27h·Verified

Steam User 9077STEAMRecommended

So this version little weird now
really wish steam had a neutral review option

It all comes down to this.

Do you want to play Star control 2, and only play star control 2? Or do you want to play star control 1?

If you wanna play StarCon 1, then I recommend this version.
This is the only way I know to get nowadays.
Don't get this for StarCon 2, since there are better options. The only advantage this version has is remote play

If you want to play StarCon 2 got a couple of options

[b] The HD megamod:
(https://uqm-mods.sourceforge.net/) [/b]

It features some nice options extra options that are all very neat.
Tho IMO some of the ships look a bit weird in the HD version since a lot of them are in different art styles
(tho idk if that is subject to change)
If you don't like the graphics have options to change it to the 3DO or dos style.
This version features some cool stuff like, hard mode, random galaxy, fun cheats and much more.
if you are coming back to StarCon 2, then i definitely recommend this version.
You don't need to own StarCon 2 in order to play this, it comes with the EXE (game is open sorce)

[b] Free stars: Ur-Quan masters (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2645580/Free_Stars_The_UrQuan_Masters/) [/b]

Warning, this is missing some music due to some rights problem. I recommend getting one of the open sorce version
Its pretty much the original version without to many alterations.
There are some options from either the 3DO and DOS version.
(to my knowledge, it seams that version might receive some small updates as of writing this)
Idk if you can install Mega mod onto this version, or if that's an up coming feature

[b] The old HD remake
https://sourceforge.net/projects/urquanmastershd/ [/b]

It has some nicer graphics tho some people did not like the art style, or so I have heard.
I do think it looks great and it has some small QOL changes (not as many as MegaMod).
I thought to include this version here since its the one I grew up with (yeah i'm that young)
Its a little weird getting to run in my experience. Try running the EXE as administrator if it dose not work.
If i'm being dumb and linking an the wrong file of the HD remake do tell me please

Last thing to keep in mind. If you do buy this version. The Original Devs do not get the money. Due to a BUNCH of legal mumbo jumbo

Feb 19, 2024·17h·12·Verified

Steam User 2209STEAMRecommended

Оригінальні автори працюють над ПРОДОВЖЕННЯМ під назвою "Free Stars - Children of Infinity"! Ви можете знайти їх на Kickstarter і в Steam, вони вже зібрали необхідну суму і навіть більше!

Також є БЕЗКОШТОВНА версія даної гри! В цьому році оригінальні автори виклали open-source версію Star Control II в Steam, під назвою Free Stars - The Ur Quan Masters. Тож дуже раджу завантажити саме її, бо там є англійська озвучка і інші зручні доповнення.

Дана гра надихнула авторів таких ігор, як:
Arcanum
Baldur's Gate
BioShock
Caves of Qud
Crusader King's
Digital: A Love Story
Dragon Age
Fallout
Firewatch
Get In The Car, Loser!
Halcyon 6
Half-Life: Alyx
The Long Journey Home
Mass Effect
Natural Selection
The Outer Worlds
Space Pirates and Zombies
Sproggiwood
Star Renegades
Stellaris
Subnautica
Sunless Skies
System Shock 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca-9G15qQrE

"Star Control II", aka "The Ur-Quan Masters", aka "Free Stars - The Ur Quan Masters"

Моя улюблена гра і гра дитинства.

Дану гру випустили в відкрите джерело (open-source) в 2002 році, тож дуже раджу загуглити і завантажити свіженьку open-source версію, там і озвучка файна є, музичка і усяке інше. Також, можливо зможете знайти більш зручну для вас мову.

Культова, легендарна, багатожанрова, визнана критиками, та і вважається однією з найкращих комп'ютерних ігор. Шкода, що подібних цій ігор мало.

Feb 14, 2024·692h·15·Verified

Steam User 1092STEAMRecommended

play star control 2

Feb 2, 2024·7h·1·Verified

Steam User 7431STEAMRecommended

Шикарная игра и шикарный саундтрек. В далекие девяностые мы с дядькой ставили игру на паузу и тупо кайфовали от мелодий.

Dec 8, 2023·1h·1·Verified

Steam User 1859STEAMRecommended

love love love this game. reminds me of what a great involved game is suppose to be. there is action, ship building, resource management, etc, play it and love it

Nov 17, 2023·18h·Verified

Steam User 1344STEAMNot recommended

personally, i love star control 2 a lot, but every time you star up the game, it insists you need to locate a star on the map, which you would need to own to do, infuriating.

Oct 1, 2023·6·Verified

Steam User 3473STEAMRecommended

Loved playing this game back in the 90s. The musical tracks for each alien species brings back a lot of good memories.

Sep 10, 2023·11h·1·Verified

Steam User 7824STEAMRecommended

...

Aug 22, 2023·1h·Verified

Steam User 6939STEAMRecommended

I bought these games con diskette bak in the day. Later, I bought them on CD-ROM (SC3 included). Now I bought them on Steam. That should tell you what I think about these jewels of gaming.

Jul 27, 2023·20h·Verified

Steam User 4467STEAMRecommended

Jul 19, 2023·66h·Verified

Steam User 8307STEAMRecommended

Jul 18, 2023·297h·Verified

Steam User 1914STEAMRecommended

Балдёж, но я казуалыч и мне сложна

Jul 14, 2023·3

Steam User 7754STEAMRecommended

I know it says 0.2 hours or so of playtime but I promise you I've been playing [i]Star Control 2[/i]. The free [i]The Ur-Quan Masters MegaMod[/i]. Its this game but enhanced visuals, voice acting, difficulty selections, and cheats. [spoiler]I will fully confess I'm playing on Easy and with the Death March put off 100 years.[/spoiler]

I first heard of the [i]Star Control[/i] franchise when I got [i]Origins[/i] from a bundle. I didn't learn about the 90's games (or their influences on modern space games like [i]Mass Effect[/i], [i]No Man's Sky[/i], or even the (as of writing this) upcoming [i]Starfield[/i]) until much later. When I learned how well-regarded and influential SC2 was, I didn't believe it. There was absolutely no way one game could be that good.

I was wrong. Not only is it that good, it is now my favorite videogame.

The deep and reactive space game that people have longed for was with us all along. You have hundreds of systems to explore (which include orbiting planets, a detail lacking in some of these modern space games), and lots of treasures to uncover. There are lots of aliens to meet, each one unique and interesting and brought to life with fun pixel art (and in the version I played, voice acting; I don't think the Steam version has voices, which is a shame because the voices are great. A bit campy on some of them, sure, but that adds to the charm. Shout-out to the guy who voiced the Yehat for being able to carry all sorts of emotional beats with pretty much just his voice, since the visuals can't reflect the scenes he describes in question). It is so much fun to meet yet another batch of weirdos and get caught up in their drama, especially with how their drama intertwines. Seriously, I have never seen such a tangibly-connected fictional universe before. And there is an amazing amount of detail towards each race's culture that affects how they treat you or others, as well as how they perform in battle. The Pkunk believe in reincarnation and acting out obnoxiously to whip themselves up into a fighting frenzy (and also to keep themselves from becoming too kind and whipping around to evil), so when controlling their ships you recharge by insulting the enemy and have a chance of respawning on death. The Yehat are a noble race who uphold to their code of honor and will avoid attacking you out of prior loyalties and call you out for stirring up a bloody civil war after they have tried so hard to bring peace to their people (if said war even happens; its completely possible to make decisions that don't even lead to this). The Spathi are cowardly and prefer to flee their enemies - so of course their best weapon is at the back of their ship instead of the front. Even the Ur-Quan - who's closest modern-day analogue I can compare them to are the Reapers (and we all know how THEY turned out) - have a backstory that explains their cruelty in a way that doesn't take away from their horrifying activities. Very few game writers can craft a universe this deep...and fewer still can do so while still allowing for both gut-busting humor and intense emotional beats.

Being an older game, yes there are some issues - some may like these hiccups, others may be turned away. The ships control very clunkily, which can take some getting used to. The time limit can be stressful, especially since you are not necessarily warned about it. It is very easy to get certain races driven to extinction; the poor Zok-Fot-Piq, in my game I was going to help them right after helping the Yehat...but I waited too long and they were gone. You have to pay attention to dialogue and take lots of notes or screenshots to figure out what to do next (or have a guide next to you), otherwise you WILL get lost. If you run out of fuel, I hope you can afford a refill! Enter a hostile area too early and you will get dogpiled by 50 enemies. But once you figure out how it all works, you can adapt and upgrade and explore (or get MegaMod and turn on a bunch of cheats lol).

All in all, absolutely play [i]Star Control 2: The Ur-Quan Masters[/i]. I don't know if I can recommend this Steam version exactly (maybe if you want the game EXACTLY as it was on PC back in the day), but the game in general is a must-play for anyone who loves space exploration, 90s games, and/or watching old episodes of [i]Star Trek[/i]. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll get frustrated. But most importantly, you'll be left with a memorable experience.

Oh and i have nothing to say about SC1 because I can't get it to load, but since it has the Yehat in it then I assume its good. The Yehat are my favorite.

Jul 6, 2023·12·Verified

Steam User 7233STEAMRecommended

if anyone can not find a way to play star control 1, you have to go into the settings on the steam page and set it to "play star control 1 when opening game" It took me a while to find this.

Jul 1, 2023·36h·2·Verified

Steam User 8584STEAMRecommended

Apr 23, 2023·100h·Verified

Steam User 3540STEAMRecommended

play the ur-quan masters
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2645580/Free_Stars_The_UrQuan_Masters/

Apr 19, 2023·7·Verified

Steam User 0714STEAMRecommended

Classic game from the old Sega Genesis

Apr 9, 2023·1002h·Verified

Steam User 4622STEAMRecommended

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuchk. I feel like I'm 5 again.

Apr 3, 2023·1h·Verified

Steam User 0475STEAMRecommended

cf,i

Mar 15, 2023·17h·Verified

Steam User 0688STEAMRecommended

Had to play this, as it was one of the first games I played on a computer with a friend back in the 90's.
Games have come a long way, but this bit of nostalgia was well worth the time, effort, and price.

Feb 11, 2023·34h·Verified

Steam User 4849STEAMRecommended

Видеообзор https://youtu.be/go34y7gcf7U
Мда игра мягко сказать старая, эм графики и спецэффектов просто нет, да есть исследования космоса, есть сюжет но нет ни нормального развертывания игры на экран, ни всплывающих подсказок по управлению, нет русского ну если быть в кратце если вы играли в эту игру ранее в 90х то можете тряхнуть так сказать стариной, я не вижу смысла в нее сейчас принципе играть если честно, тогда да игр было немного выбирать особо было не из чего.

Feb 10, 2023·Verified

Steam User 4592STEAMRecommended

My all time fav.
Amazing story, races, humor and fun space exploration adventure with fun action packed space battles.
I'am at my 5th or 6th playthrough rn^^

Feb 7, 2023·4h·Verified

Steam User 7115STEAMNot recommended

If you're a fan of the SC series, and was looking to play some SC 2 on the Steam Deck, think again.
I've yet to get it to run. I've tried different Proton settings, even fiddled with the file path to launch with Dos. No go.
If anyone got the dos version to run or the better Ur-Quan Masters from Toys for Bob, please let me know how you got it to run?

Jan 10, 2023·Verified

Steam User 3981STEAMNot recommended

Online ports exist that perform better than this dosbox version.

Jan 2, 2023·17·Verified

Steam User 2588STEAMRecommended

Dec 27, 2022·67h·Verified

Steam User 7124STEAMRecommended

Star Control 2 has been praised as one of the greatest video games of all time. There's a free port called Ur Quan Masters which you should play for its updates, but the original Dos port has its charm.

With all that said, I'd like to praise Star Control 1 in this review. If you're familiar with Stellaris, Star Control 1 was literally a prototype for Stellaris about 25 years early. In almost every scenario, you have a starbase that you ought to defend, with mines to secure and colonies to create in the full game. The Arena mode is essentially the same as Star Control 2's with fewer ships, and thus Star Control 2's is more worthwhile if combat is all you care about.

The Full Game is what makes Star Control 1 feel like Stellaris, complete with starlanes to reach other systems and multiple planet types that translate to system types. You can set up fortifications to help secure your systems, but beware! If two enemy ships enter the system, they destroy the fortification. An enemy ship can get trapped and break itself free though the number of turns ensnared is based on RNG. Ur Quan Dreadnoughts can destroy fortifications outright while Arilou Skiffs can evade them. With a fortification, the colony or mining world in the system will be protected. Dead worlds are mostly useless except when they're at a chokepoint that can be fortified. The Colony system really helps with the combat, since you can have ships retreat there to replenish crew or establish "forward bases" with them.

Because Star Control 1 has fewer ships, there's a vague sense of balance. However, the Mmrnmhrm Transformer and Androsynth Guardian are pretty OP, but each faction needed its generalist / "good against anything" ship, no? The Alliance's Chenjesu Broodhome is not quite as tanky as the Ur Quan Dreadnought, but can be a devastating opponent with exploding crystals and energy draining drones in the right hands. Figuring out each ship, making sure you've nailed down the way the ships counter each other, that's the meat of getting better at this game.

Rejoice! The Earthling Cruiser, humanity's finest, is actually really good in this game. Yes it's cheap and can't really outrun enemies but the missiles can pulverize targets over time. You'll find it's especially strong against some significant threats!

Star Control 1 is a special game that has understandably been overlooked by its far more stacked sequel. Yes the strategy elements are relatively simple compared to most strategy games these days, but the game is also nearly 30 years old at this point. It seems to be on sale frequently, so if you don't mind Dosbox and rather old games you should give it a try!

Dec 27, 2022·7·Verified

Steam User 0071STEAMRecommended

A little more fun and entertaining than realistic, but realistic enough. You engage aliens in a battle of wits in a way that seems strange enough to be alien. I was afraid this game was made for kids so it would be impossible for me, but was pleasantly surprised. Game is 30 years old? Game making skills have gone backwards! I surely hope there is a sequel that sticks to the manner in which this one was made.

Dec 10, 2022·75h·Verified

Steam User 4160STEAMRecommended

Vor 20 Jahren planlos im All

Hier geht's zu meinem Nostalgie-Waetsch's Play:
https://youtu.be/BPizcoi9Drc

Star Control 1 ist aus heutiger Sicht, sagen wir mal, interessant. Die Grafik ist zweckmäßig, die Steuerung mit Tastatur OK. Interessant ist es, dass im ersten Teil die Züge im Weltall noch rundenbasiert waren. Im Gefecht konnte man dann direkt steuern. Aber auch 1990 hat es schon einen Multiplayer mitgebracht, so konnte man sich zu zweit an einem Rechner messen. Star Control 2 hat dann eine richtige Story mitgebracht, die Grafik wurde gegenüber dem ersten Teil leicht verbessert und man bewegte sich nun in Echtzeit durchs All. Hier begegnet man den merkwürdigsten Aliens und schafft sich mit Einsatz seiner Bordwaffen Respekt. Planeten sucht man nach wertvollen Mineralien ab und versucht die Erde von den bösen Besatzern zu befreien. Immer noch ein nettes Spiel, allerdings würde ich heute dann doch zu "Star Control Origins" greifen. Es bringt deutsche Texte mit, steuert sich mit Gamepad und sieht einfach besser aus (Logisch, ist ja auch 26 Jahre jünger). Nebenher macht es auch noch Spaß. In der Summe ein interessanter Ausflug in die Vergangenheit, aber schön, dass es mit Star Control Origins einen würdigen Nachfolger im modernen Gewand gibt.

Folgt mir auch gerne bei Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41912197-waetschs-play

Oct 14, 2022·1h·Verified

Steam User 8306STEAMNot recommended

This version of the game is an abomination of the final version that anyone who might be tempted to buy this remembers.

DO NOT BUY THIS VERSION.

There is an Ur-Quan Masters HD Project available for free that is the polished version with voice acting that people remember and would be actually looking for.

So to get into the bones of this game.

I spent 2 hours trying to find Star Control 1 in this and that removed my ability to get a refund for this. I spent another hour trying to get configurations so that combat and functionality would make this game... playable. Not enjoyable, just playable. I could not find the Star Control 1 still. Not going to bother. I have just about finished the Ur Quan Masters HD version, that is much more enjoyable.

This release is the earliest release which may as well be a hacked demo of the game. A prototype if you will. It has the dialogue and script and an ungodly MIDI that pierces the brain as you try to read the races soulless words.

No Fwiffo speech, no cowardly Spathi, no weird Pkunk foolery, no Scottish Highlands Yehat, nothing. Just. Silence and the same unending 8 bit MIDI 5 to 10 seconds tonal repeat on high. That alone should hinder you from getting this version, this narrative was brought to life with full voice casting in its final releases.

For your lander, you have a very tiny frame space in the lower right change box, a square that gives you absolutely no area to respond to quakes and fires or biologicals. By the time it is there, your lander is already taking damage or destroyed. To see where the next thing is that you need to pick up, you have to look away, and you're taking damage. It hurts the neck to swing back and forth. The main screen of the world was used and opened up in the final releases for this, not the tiny menu change box.
In this dos-box port you'll be spending the first 10 to 20 hours hating this game, blowing up in your lander constantly or save scumming instead of enjoying a very well formed classic game because StarDock didn't port the 3DO and Sega Genesis versions with full voice cast. It isn't a challenge when you cannot react to things you cannot see.

I could not get the Melee to work either. More or less, this is supposed to be the fully functioning games, but it is a crippled version of the pre-releases on dos before their final releases on Sega were made. I would not touch these.

Oct 11, 2022·5h·2·Verified

Steam User 6300STEAMRecommended

A genuine classic. Some games age well. Star Control II aged better.

Sep 30, 2022·5h·Verified

Steam User 6304STEAMRecommended

Best open-world space RPG ever, but the UQM open-source port is much more superior for SC2. SC1 is a blast.

Aug 3, 2022·2h

Steam User 7325STEAMRecommended

Very cool old school game. Memories of the family finally lucky enough to get a used Sega Genesis. (1993) I still can't beat the Hierarchy with the Alliance.

Aug 2, 2022·4h·Verified

Steam User 8222STEAMRecommended

Best game ever made.

Jul 17, 2022·13h·Verified

Steam User 2860STEAMRecommended

The game is a masterpiece and has aged surprisingly well. Definitely worth the price.

Jun 24, 2022·7h

Steam User 4365STEAMRecommended

Great classic game!

Jun 21, 2022·19h·Verified

Steam User 2509STEAMRecommended

If you like turn-based strategy and/or RPGs this is the game for you, the combat in this game is unlike any other, and I wish the Devs would make more of the Star Control series.

PS: there is no speech in the game only text, but there is a free version called the Ur-Quan Masters that does.

Jun 15, 2022·55h·Verified

Steam User 3197STEAMRecommended

Loved this game as a teen. Still has tons of appeal. As long as you like reading a lot and the epic scale of early gaming worlds. The maps and boards change with the story, fun trying to build an intergalactic alliance to defeat the Ur-Quan. My copy in the mid 90s had a bug whenever I went to this certain planet to meet a new alien species. Can't wait to get past that point and finally finish!

May 15, 2022·17h·Verified

Steam User 4649STEAMRecommended

star control 2. car strontol 2. sar cantrol 2. cas srarntol 2. sas crornontol 2. srr cnortol 2. scar tontoro 2. sarc notoro 2.

Apr 28, 2022·46h·Verified

Steam User 8295STEAMRecommended

old yet fun

Apr 13, 2022·4h·Verified

Steam User 7066STEAMRecommended

Honestly, one of the greatest games of all time, Star Control II is an absolute masterpiece.

Mar 20, 2022·15h·Verified

Steam User 9276STEAMRecommended

Absolutely amazing game, one of the best I've ever played, even better considering the time it came out. There is an HD version which I recommend over purchasing this, but it's still a great time.

Mar 16, 2022·36h·Verified

Steam User 8939STEAMRecommended

Well boy, are these tons of fun. If I did have one complaint, it would be the fact that I can't seem to be able to change the sound processor on SC1, and so it leaves me with these ugly sounding MIDIs that feel pretty out of place to me. But hey, I've at least had more fun actually playing than I did writing this anyway.

Mar 15, 2022·15h·Verified

Steam User 6546STEAMRecommended

Solid game. I wish SCII had the voice over from Ur-Quan Masters, but it's still good.

Feb 2, 2022·34h·Verified

Steam User 0447STEAMNot recommended

Ooof, no voice acting.

The writing and dialogue were some of the best parts of this game. And the fact that I know there are supposed to be distinct voices to each of the many aliens that you encounter, just makes the game seem a bit hollow and incomplete.

The game still runs fine, and feels and looks exactly the same as I remember.
I just couldn't recommend THIS particular version, because I know there are others versions on the web that include the entire experience.

Jan 29, 2022·25·Verified

Steam User 7438STEAMRecommended

Nice game with much to do and find. The middle is tedious mining for supplies but the movement towards the climax makes you forget.

Sep 29, 2021·36h·Verified

Steam User 8430STEAMNot recommended

This game is really confusing and it has no tutorial. Do not reccomend!

Sep 19, 2021·1·Verified

Steam User 0997STEAMRecommended

What Mass Effect was based off of and did a horrible job recreating.
Star Control 2 is FAR superior in almost every aspect to Mass Effect and is the second best space game I've ever played in my life, right behind Space Station 13.

Sep 17, 2021·1h·1·Verified

Steam User 3657STEAMRecommended

best game ever.

Aug 31, 2021·31h·1·Verified

Steam User 6694STEAMRecommended

Its old school but it has a huge plotline with multiple objectives. its alot of fun exploring the universe.

Aug 25, 2021·12h·4·Verified

Steam User 3242STEAMRecommended

classic

Aug 19, 2021·2h·1·Verified

Steam User 3731STEAMRecommended

Great Game ! However it is difficult to play esp, space battles.

I give it 5/5

Aug 8, 2021·9h

Steam User 0493STEAMRecommended

Amazing story and very fun 2play

Aug 7, 2021·4h·Verified

Steam User 3470STEAMRecommended

--
I I
f-------I I
I-------I I
I-------I I
I-------I I
I-------I_/

Jul 21, 2021·15h·Verified

Steam User 9859STEAMRecommended

Этот комплект состоит из двух игр "Star Control" и "Star Control 2". Обе игры на космическую тематику и сейчас я расскажу в чём они отличаются друг от друга.
Star Control - имеет несколько режимов игры очень похожих друг на друга с минимумом отличий, но цель одна уничтожить все космические корабли врага. Есть режим в две базы. База твоя и врага. Пробираешься к базе врага, попутно собирая ресурсы с других планет, чтоб строить новые корабли на своей базе, уничтожаешь все вражеские корабли на пути и в конце уничтожаешь базу противника, не подпуская врага тем временем к базе своей. Есть режим типа защиты своей базы. Есть только твоя база, а вражеских кораблей уйма. Цель - уничтожить все корабли. Есть ещё несколько режимов, но по сути они такие же. Перемещаться во всех режимах пошагово, от планеты к планете, если столкнулись с кораблём над какой-нибудь планетой включается бой в котором вы и враг летаете и пытаетесь друг друга прикончить в реальном времени. Все корабли уникальны. Одни летают быстро, другие медленно, одни стреляют самоноводящими и на всё карту, но не больно, другие по прямой и на короткую дистанцию, но зато если попадут, могут сразу и убить. Игру стоит пройти как тренировку перед второй частью.
Star Control 2 расширяет всё то, что было в первой. По сути не поменялись только модельки кораблей и их характеристики. Играя в первую часть вы уже будете знать как ведёт себя тот или иной корабля во второй части. Для второй части есть много страничное руководство и его лучше прочесть. А если лень есть видео прохождение в интернете, потому что понять что здесь вообще делать и куда лететь непонятно. Игра является по сути космическим квестом. Потому что тут много диалогов, с помощью которых ты и продвигаешься по сюжету и как бы всё. Остальные механики известные по первой части, всё так же летаешь и собираешь ресурсы с других планет, прилетаешь к себе на базу и докупаешь много разносортных кораблей, которые потом буду участвовать в бою с враждебными расами. Забыл сказать, что у вас будет один главный корабль, потеря которого являет за собой проигрыш игры, поэтому стоит закупиться кораблями по меньше, чтоб они и вели ожесточённые бои. Почему нельзя было сделать обычную большую карту вселенной и сделать между ними загрузку не понимаю, вместо этого когда покидаешь одно скопление планет и летишь к следующему тебя переносит в какое-то место, где всё красное, карты нет и ни черта не знаешь куда лететь. В эти моменты включаешь видео и смотришь как из этой жопы выбраться в каком направлении лететь. Вообще игра звёзд с неба не хватает, как и первая, но она и не такая уж плохая и сложная чтоб в ней разобраться. Типичный середнячок. Для old school.

Jul 15, 2021·37h·6·Verified

Steam User 0160STEAMRecommended

Great classic game! its amazing to see a open world game form almost 30 years ago! just becuase it dosn't have good graphic or helpful hints i would give it a 8/10

Jun 11, 2021·8h·1·Verified

Steam User 7539STEAMRecommended

I love this game. Reminds me of my childhood and the hours I played vs homework. The soundtrack is fantastic, I could listen to the hyperspace music four hours.

May 24, 2021·6·Verified

Steam User 7395STEAMRecommended

A blatant ripoff of Starflight but a solid game nonetheless. I'd recommend it.

May 21, 2021·4h·1·Verified

Steam User 8079STEAMRecommended

I played this as a kid when it first came out, and I've come back to it several times over the years. It's just a really fun game! The music is exciting and the way they make such simple star systems alive with just a bit of story about different alien species, their ways of life, and their parts in the war, is really neat! Definitely recommend, with the caveat that you should be prepared to read all the text, and write down any information about where to find the different aliens.

May 10, 2021·33h·1·Verified

Steam User 1740STEAMNot recommended

Paid for something that wont work complete waste of money

Apr 18, 2021·1h·Verified

Steam User 5131STEAMRecommended

The original StarCon! Everyone should play this at least once in their lives!

Apr 14, 2021·24h·Verified

Steam User 6221STEAMRecommended

Oldschool, but still fun. You need to bone up on the controls before playing, but AI combat works well.

Mar 15, 2021·24h·Verified

Steam User 7969STEAMRecommended

Its a classic Dos game. The world is massive and you are free to explore all sorts of worlds and alien races. Many of which are hilarious. Interesting dialog options. The combat system is easy to understand and fun to play.

Feb 1, 2021·120h·2·Verified

Steam User 5081STEAMRecommended

Jan 27, 2021·31h·Verified

Steam User 9560STEAMRecommended

An old school game that is really fun to play through!

Dec 19, 2020·31h·Verified

Steam User 1759STEAMRecommended

I always loved this game. Exploring, gathering materials and you can't tell me the spathi aren't so funny!

Dec 18, 2020·113h·Verified

Steam User 5600STEAMNot recommended

There's a free version with the 3DO voice work and better graphics.

It's called The Ur-Quan Masters. The link leads you to a page that isn't secure but the download link itself is on Sourceforge and it's secure. I didn't have any troubles with it.

http://sc2.sourceforge.net/downloads.php

Nov 29, 2020·13h·1·Verified

Steam User 2061STEAMRecommended

Used to play this game as a kid with my father. This game really brought back memories.

Nov 8, 2020·17h·Verified