''Star Control 3'' is a 1996
action-adventure game
The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres.
Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...
developed by
Legend Entertainment
Legend Entertainment Company was an American Video game developer, developer and Video game publisher, publisher of computer games, best known for creating Adventure game, adventure titles throughout the 1990s. The company was founded by Bob ...
and
published
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
by
Accolade
The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. The third installment in the ''
Star Control'' trilogy, the game was released for
MS-DOS
MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...
in 1996 and
Mac OS
Two major famlies of Mac operating systems were developed by Apple Inc.
In 1984, Apple debuted the operating system that is now known as the "Classic" Mac OS with its release of the original Macintosh System Software. The system, rebranded "M ...
in 1998. The story takes place after ''
Star Control II
''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'', beginning with a disaster that disrupts
superluminal
Faster-than-light (also FTL, superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...
travel through
hyperspace
In science fiction, hyperspace (also known as nulspace, subspace, overspace, jumpspace and similar terms) is a concept relating to dimension#Additional dimensions, higher dimensions as well as parallel universes in fiction, parallel universe ...
. This leads the player to investigate a new quadrant of space, joined by allied aliens from the previous games.
The game features a
single-player
A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. A single-player game is usually a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" is usuall ...
campaign that is similar to the previous installment, combining space exploration, alien
dialogue
Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literary and theatrical form that depicts such an exchange. As a philosophical or didactic device, it is c ...
, and
ship-to-ship combat. As a mainstay of the series, the player engages in
top-down
Top-down may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* " Top Down", a 2007 song by Swizz Beatz
* "Top Down", a song by Lil Yachty from ''Lil Boat 3''
* "Top Down", a song by Fifth Harmony from ''Reflection'' Science
* Top-down reading, is a part of ...
battles between
starship
A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems.
The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 188 ...
s with unique abilities. In contrast to ''Star Control II'', hyperspace flight is replaced with instantaneous
fast travel
Fast travel or teleportation is a video game mechanic used in open world titles that allows a player character to instantaneously travel between previously discovered locations (teleport waypoints or fast travel points) without having to traverse ...
. Planetary exploration is replaced with a colony management system, inspired by the original ''Star Control''. Combat offers more detailed steering and aiming, as well as additional
player-versus-player
Player versus player (PvP) is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between human players. This is often compared to player versus environment (PvE), in which the game itself controls its players' opponents. The terms are mos ...
multiplayer options.
Accolade hired Legend Entertainment to create this sequel after the series creators
Paul Reiche III
Paul Reiche III ( ) is an American game designer, particularly known for his work on video games. Reiche is best known for being the co-creator, together with Fred Ford, of the '' Star Control'' universe.
Career
Pen and paper RPGs
Reiche was ...
and
Fred Ford decided to pursue other projects. Legend was selected due to their passion for the previous ''Star Control'' games, as well as their experience as veteran
game writers from the acclaimed
adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...
studio
Infocom
Infocom was an American software company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced a business application, a relational database called ''Cornerstone (software), Cornerstone''.
...
. They designed the game in consultation with fans, replacing features from ''Star Control II'' that received negative feedback. ''Star Control 3'' was considered a critical and commercial success upon release, with praise for its story and varied gameplay. However, the game later suffered from comparisons to the award-winning ''Star Control II'', with a mixed legacy among both fans and critics.
Gameplay
''Star Control 3'' is a space
action-adventure
The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres.
Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...
game with
strategic
Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...
elements.
The gameplay is distinct from the rest of the series,
combining elements from the first two games with new systems.
''Star Control 3'' features
ship-to-ship combat, as seen in the previous games.
It also includes a colonization system inspired by the first ''
Star Control'',
with story, exploration, and
dialogue
Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literary and theatrical form that depicts such an exchange. As a philosophical or didactic device, it is c ...
similar to that of ''
Star Control II
''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
''.
''Star Control 3'' features a
2D ship combat system, which the previous games in the series call the "melee" mode.
Two
starship
A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems.
The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 188 ...
s face off in a space battle and attempt to outgun and outmaneuver each other.
Every alien race has a unique ship, each with its own weapon and secondary ability.
Action in ''Star Control 3'' utilizes the same
top-down perspective
A variety of computer graphic techniques have been used to display video game content throughout the history of video games. The predominance of individual techniques have evolved over time, primarily due to hardware advances and restrictions ...
from the previous games, as well as offering a new perspective from behind the ship.
The ship controls allow more degrees of rotation, with more detailed aiming, steering, and scaling.
This combat can be played as a stand-alone game mode, offering competition against an
artificial intelligence opponent or
against other players.
Where the first two games allowed two players to play at the same keyboard,
''Star Control 3'' includes
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
modes for
network
Network, networking and networked may refer to:
Science and technology
* Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects
* Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks
Mathematics
...
,
modem
A modulator-demodulator or modem is a computer hardware device that converts data from a digital format into a format suitable for an analog transmission medium such as telephone or radio. A modem transmits data by Modulation#Digital modulati ...
, and
serial connections.
However, several of the ships from previous games are removed, as the game only includes ships that are featured in its story.
The combat system is integrated into a
single-player
A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. A single-player game is usually a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" is usuall ...
story mode,
where the player explores
planetary system
A planetary system is a set of gravitationally
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interacti ...
s to meet alien races, colonize worlds, collect items, and advance the game's plot.
The player can use
warp
Warp, warped or warping may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Books and comics
* WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher
* ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!''
* Warp (comics), a ...
technology to
instantaneously travel to any star in the sector by clicking on a
star map
A star chart is a celestial map of the night sky with astronomical objects laid out on a grid system. They are used to identify and locate constellations, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and planets. They have been used for human navigation since ...
with a mouse, in contrast to the slower
hyperspace
In science fiction, hyperspace (also known as nulspace, subspace, overspace, jumpspace and similar terms) is a concept relating to dimension#Additional dimensions, higher dimensions as well as parallel universes in fiction, parallel universe ...
voyages in ''Star Control II''.
The change is explained in-game as a mysterious hyperspace collapse, which becomes the central question driving the player's action.
The player must follow the origins of this collapse to the
galactic core
The Galactic Center or Galactic Centre is the rotational center, the barycenter, of the Milky Way galaxy. Its central massive object is a supermassive black hole of about 4 million solar masses, which is called Sagittarius A*, a compact rad ...
, where they encounter new alien friends and foes.
Much of the game involves dialog with alien races, each with unique personalities.
The player can select from different dialog options, leading to different reactions and story events.
The dialog screens feature digitized
full-motion video
Full-motion video (FMV) is a video game narration technique that relies upon pre-recorded video files (rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models) to display action in the game. While many games feature FMVs as a way to present information duri ...
of mechanical puppets, instead of the 2D animated
pixel art
Pixel art () is a form of digital art drawn with graphics software, graphical software where images are built using pixels as the only building block. It is widely associated with the low-resolution graphics from 8-bit and 16-bit era computers a ...
of the previous games.
While the previous game had the player gather resources by landing on planets, ''Star Control 3'' has the player earn resources through a colony management system.
This approach builds on the colonization system of the first ''Star Control''.
Eventually, a planetary colony will provide resources such as fuel, ships, crew, and artifacts.
The player manages each planet's priorities,
and each planet is suited to a different alien race.
These colonies offer the player a convenient way to resupply without returning to a central
star base.
Plot
In ''Star Control 3,'' the player takes the role of "the Captain", the central protagonist from the previous game. Shortly after the events of ''Star Control II'', hyperspace mysteriously collapses throughout the galaxy, stranding most spacefaring races. For the next several years, the Captain experiments with ancient Precursor artifacts and creates a new ship that can instantly warp between stars, without hyperspace. The Captain eventually traces the origins of the hyperspace collapse to the galactic core and assembles an alliance of ten alien races to investigate the unexplored quadrant.
In the distant Kessari Quadrant, the Captain clashes with the Hegemonic Crux, a
power bloc
In international relations, power is defined in several different ways. Material definitions of state power emphasize economic and military power. Other definitions of power emphasize the ability to structure and constitute the nature of social ...
of several alien races led by the Ploxis Plutocrats. The Captain's investigation also reveals an
apocalyptic threat, the imminent return of
interdimensional being
An interdimensional being (also extra-dimensional, intra-dimensional) suggests an entity that can "time-travel and move out of the physical body into a spiritual one". The NASA website has a somewhat dated article called "The Science of ''Star ...
s called the Eternal Ones, who appear once an
eon
Eon or Eons may refer to: Time
* Aeon, an indefinite long period of time
* Eon (geology), a division of the geologic time scale
Arts and entertainment
Fictional characters
* Eon, in the 2007 film ''Ben 10: Race Against Time''
* Eon, in the ...
to consume all
sentient
Sentience is the capacity to experience feelings and sensations. The word was first coined by philosophers in the 1630s for the concept of an ability to feel, derived from Latin '' sentientem'' (a feeling), to distinguish it from the ability to ...
energy.
The Captain eventually discovers that the ancient Precursors disappeared on purpose,
devolving themselves into a non-sentient species that the Eternal Ones would not consume. The Precursors also created
semi-sentient robots, the Daktaklakpak, to reverse this process after the Eternal Ones left. However, the Daktaklakpak malfunctioned, leaving the Precursors stranded at an animal intelligence level. The Captain temporarily restores a single Precursor to their full intelligence, who explains that the hyperspace collapse is connected to interdimensional fatigue caused by the Eternal Ones. Before the Precursor dies, they tell the Captain about an unfinished Precursor project, which could harvest sentient energy for the Eternal Ones in a non-lethal way.
The Captain encounters other urgent threats in the Kessari Quadrant. They persuade the Owa race to stop dumping their
antimatter
In modern physics, antimatter is defined as matter composed of the antiparticles (or "partners") of the corresponding particles in "ordinary" matter. Antimatter occurs in natural processes like cosmic ray collisions and some types of radioac ...
waste on Rainbow Worlds, which was preventing them from performing their function of mitigating interdimensional fatigue. The Captain also breaks the power of the Hegemonic Crux, culminating in the defeat of a Crux Precursor battleship at the galactic core.
The Captain finally confronts the Heralds of the Eternal Ones at the galactic core. After defeating them, the Captain finds a way to combine the Eternal Ones' technology with the unfinished technology from the Precursors. The Captain uses the new device to peacefully gather enough sentient energy to satisfy the Eternal Ones, saving all sentient life from destruction.
Development
Hiring and continuity
![Bob_bates_2015_gdc (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Bob_bates_2015_gdc_%28cropped%29.jpg)
''Star Control'' was created by
Fred Ford and
Paul Reiche III
Paul Reiche III ( ) is an American game designer, particularly known for his work on video games. Reiche is best known for being the co-creator, together with Fred Ford, of the '' Star Control'' universe.
Career
Pen and paper RPGs
Reiche was ...
and
published
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
by
Accolade
The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
.
After the success of ''Star Control II'', Accolade offered Ford and Reiche the same budget to produce a third game, which they turned down to pursue other projects. As Ford and Reiche had retained the rights to their characters and stories from the first two games, they licensed their content to Accolade so that the publisher could create ''Star Control 3'' without their involvement. Producer
George MacDonald
George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. I ...
from Accolade decided to work with
Michael Lindner and
Daniel Greenberg of
Legend Entertainment
Legend Entertainment Company was an American Video game developer, developer and Video game publisher, publisher of computer games, best known for creating Adventure game, adventure titles throughout the 1990s. The company was founded by Bob ...
, after hearing about their love of ''Star Control'' from Legend president
Bob Bates
Robert Bates (born December 11, 1953) is an American computer game designer. One of the early designers of interactive fiction games, he was co-founder of Challenge, Inc., which created games in the 1980s for the pioneering company Infocom. ...
.
MacDonald and Lindner led the game design,
and the programming team was led by Mark Poesch.
Legend's writers included veterans from acclaimed
adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...
developer
Infocom
Infocom was an American software company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced a business application, a relational database called ''Cornerstone (software), Cornerstone''.
...
,
with Lindner and Greenberg leading the writing team for ''Star Control 3''.
To guide the project, the staff at Legend assembled a "
bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
" about ''Star Control'' based on the series' manuals and scripts, with the fan community providing corrections and additions.
Fan feedback was actively solicited through magazines and the bourgeoning internet. Legend also consulted with Ford and Reiche to answer open questions from ''Star Control II'', such as the true fate of the Precursors and the relationship between Earth and the Arilou.
Legend wanted to continue the previous story while adding new characters and plots, so they set the game in a new quadrant of space.
This allowed them to introduce new alien enemies in the form of the Hegemonic Crux, as well as expanding on the mystery of the Precursors' disappearance.
MacDonald described the game's relationship between gameplay and narrative, explaining that "''Star Control'' is at its core a giant story, and you have to find this story and explore it."
Design and production
Early in development, a concept document was created by Legend Entertainment co-founder
Mike Verdu
Michael Verdu (born December 28, 1964) is an American manager and producer and author of computer games.
Life
Verdu was born on December 28, 1964. His father worked for a trade union, his mother was a dance instructor. Michael visited the Ren ...
.
Legend also compiled a detailed binder of letters, faxes, and e-mails, with fan suggestions for the next ''Star Control'' game, which they incorporated into their plans.
A major target of fan criticism was the tedium of the planetary resource gathering from ''Star Control II'',
as well as complaints about returning to Earth to refuel.
The team decided to replace planet landing with a colony management system,
an allusion to the strategy elements from the first ''Star Control'' game.
The colony feature was designed to provide a convenient place for players to refuel, as well as a logical location to recruit crew and ships.
MacDonald explained that "we wanted a big universe to explore, but we wanted to make it easier to actually get places".
The developers were fans of the original 2D art of the ''Star Control II'' aliens and were hesitant to utilize 3D graphics that were too mathematical or robotic.
However, they were also concerned that the 2D graphics created in the early 1990s were already obsolete.
Finding a third way forward, they designed the characters by filming live
animatronic
Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions.
It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...
puppets,
designed to take advantage of the storage potential of the
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—CD-ROMs. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold both comput ...
.
MacDonald wanted the new game "to bring the visuals and multimedia elements as far forward as we could".
Working with special effects company SOTAFX, they developed their character concepts into fully-automated animatronic puppets.
The registration points on the robotic puppets were integrated with software that could control their movements.
While a few aliens would be
created digitally, most of them were constructed in person,
filmed against a
blue screen, and then composited with background footage of hand-crafted
miniature film sets.
The team eventually completed animations for 24 alien characters (12 new and 12 returning), which required extensive personnel to engineer, program, film, and convert to digital video.
The developers also added an
isometric view option to the combat screen.
This led to aiming challenges that required more dynamic camera-movement.
They also rendered more ship angles than previous games to support more granular aiming and steering.
This array of camera angles and lighting effects proved to be a challenge but ultimately ran smoothly on an
i486
The Intel 486, officially named i486 and also known as 80486, is a microprocessor. It is a higher-performance follow-up to the Intel 386. The i486 was introduced in 1989. It represents the fourth generation of binary compatible CPUs following the ...
processor,
as found in personal computers of the day.
''Star Control 3'' features professionally
voiced dialog with a
cast
Cast may refer to:
Music
* Cast (band), an English alternative rock band
* Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band
* The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis
* ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William
* ...
different from that of ''Star Control II'',
which was previously performed by personal friends of Reiche and Ford. Audio producer Kathleen Bober auditioned talent from other games, as well as
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
s and documentaries, until they arrived at performances that felt accurate to the alien characters.
They directed the actors to convey the feel of the characters based on inflection and tone, rather than accents or distortions.
The result was a unique voice and lingual pattern for each alien,
with over 11 hours of audio created from 18 voice actors.
The designers also chose a
MIDI
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...
soundtrack instead of the previous sample-based
module
Module, modular and modularity may refer to the concept of modularity. They may also refer to:
Computing and engineering
* Modular design, the engineering discipline of designing complex devices using separately designed sub-components
* Modul ...
format, as this would make it easier to
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
the game to consoles (which ultimately never happened).
''Star Control 3'' had been scheduled for release by the end of 1995, but the game was delayed due to the complexities of all the interactions between the different aliens.
The game was finally published on September 24, 1996.
A version was planned for the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
, as well as bringing the series back to
Sega
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
consoles on the
Sega Saturn
The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...
, but both ports were ultimately canceled.
In late 1997,
MacSoft
MacSoft was an American video game developer and publisher founded in 1993 by Peter Tamte as subsidiary of WizardWorks, specializing in the production of video game ports from Microsoft Windows to Macintosh operating systems, as well as producti ...
announced that they would re-publish several Accolade games for
Mac OS
Two major famlies of Mac operating systems were developed by Apple Inc.
In 1984, Apple debuted the operating system that is now known as the "Classic" Mac OS with its release of the original Macintosh System Software. The system, rebranded "M ...
, leading to the re-release of ''Star Control 3'' in April 1998.
By the early 2000s, the ''Star Control'' series was no longer available at retail. ''Star Control 3'' was later re-released in 2011, allowing the game to be played on contemporary
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...
s.
Reception
''Star Control 3'' was considered a commercial success.
It debuted on ''
PC Data
PC Data was an American market research and point of sale tracking firm founded in 1991 and based in Reston, Virginia. Its founder, Ann Stephens, had worked previously as the head researcher for the Software Publishers Association. Initially, th ...
''s computer game sales charts in the eleventh place in September 1996,
and climbed to tenth position the following month. The game exited ''PC Data''s top 20 in November. In its initial two months, ''Star Control 3'' surpassed 100,000 units in sales.
The
PC version received positive reviews from critics. According to
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, ''Star Control 3'' received an average score of 89%, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
The game earned a nomination for a
Spotlight Award at the 1996
Computer Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is an annual conference for video game developers. The event includes an expo, networking events, and awards shows like the Game Developers Choice Awards and Independent Games Festival, and a variety of tutori ...
, for "Best Script, Story or Interactive Writing".
Chris Buxton from
''PC Review'' praised the game for its combat mode and called it "one of the best games on the PC", with the magazine highlighting it as a "''PC Review'' Essential".
Tim Soete of ''
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' celebrated ''Star Control 3'' for its integration of action, adventure, strategy, and exploration, calling it one of the best games of 1996.
''
Computer Games Magazine
''Computer Games Magazine'' was a monthly computer and console gaming print magazine, founded in October 1988 as the United Kingdom publication ''Games International''. During its history, it was known variously as ''Strategy Plus'' (October 1 ...
'' also called it one of the best games of the year, applauding its characters and story, as well as its improved graphics and animations compared to ''Star Control II''.
Writing for ''
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...
'', Michael Wolf felt that ''Star Control 3'' blended elements from previous games "with mixed results". While he praised the evolution of combat and story within the series, he also criticized the strategic elements that were inspired by the first ''Star Control''. Overall, ''PC Gamer'' awarded the game an "Editor's Choice" with a 90% rating, stating that it "has some pretty big shoes to fill, and it does so beautifully".
A few publications were critical of the game's strategy-based colony system, while still recommending the game overall.
Although ''
Computer Gaming World
''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...
'' felt that "the strategy module isn't much fun", they were "totally engrossed" by the game's fusion of ship combat, story-based adventure, and character interaction.
According to Jeff Lundrigan of ''
Next Generation'', both the strategy elements and graphics fell short of expectations, although the narrative and overall variety "more than make up for it".
Comparing the game to ''Star Control II'', Barry Brenesal from ''PC Games'' praised the addition of the colony system. While Brenesal noted that ''Star Control 3'' had lost some humor and color from the previous game, he felt this was outweighed by the game's broader changes, including its improved
game engine
A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...
and
game balance
Game balance is a branch of game design that is described as a mathematical-algorithmic model of a game’s numbers, game mechanics, and relations between the two. Game balance consists of adjusting values to create a certain user experience. Play ...
.
Italian publication ''PC Game Parade''s Davide Mascaretti also felt that the game had lost some of the novelty of ''Star Control II'', but he still recommended the game overall, especially its combat.
''Star Control 3'' was consistently praised for its combat,
as well as its writing and character interaction.
Two years later, the Mac OS version received more mixed reviews. ''Macworld''s Michael Gowan wrote that ''Star Control 3'' was lacking a modern feel, particularly in its action and dialog.
''Next Generation'' criticized the port as "obsolete" and rated it lower than the original release, saying that ''Star Control 3'' falls short of other space simulation games on Mac OS.
''
MacAddict
''MacLife'' (stylized as ''Mac, Life'') is an American monthly magazine published by Future US. It focuses on the Macintosh personal computer and related products, including the iPad and iPhone. It’s sold as a print product on newsstands, and ...
'' still praised the game for its plot and character interaction, despite the game's "outdated" graphics.
The game also received four out of five stars in ''MacHome Journal'', who felt that the depth of the single-player game was complemented by an additional multiplayer mode.
Legacy
Ultimately, ''Star Control 3'' is not remembered as fondly as its predecessor. Despite earning critical praise on release, the fanbase never warmed up to it and some fans do not consider it part of the series
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western can ...
.
In 2000, ''GameSpot'' listed ''Star Control 3''s ending on its list of the ten most disappointing game endings, calling it "the final nail in the coffin for a game that could have continued a much-loved legacy". When ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' compiled their 2003 list of greatest games, they celebrated ''Star Control II'' while noting that ''Star Control 3'' "paled in comparison". Upon its re-release in 2011,
GOG.com
GOG.com (formerly Good Old Games) is a digital distribution platform for video games and films. It is operated by GOG sp. z o.o., a wholly owned subsidiary of CD Projekt based in Warsaw, Poland. GOG.com delivers DRM-free video games through it ...
noted that fans were critical of the game, despite its excellent reviews.
Game developer and historian Neal Tringham suggested that ''Star Control 3'' was not successful at reproducing the successful design of the second game.
Historian Rusel DeMaria also explained that fans did not consider ''Star Control 3'' as good as its predecessor, noting that they were developed by different teams.
Writing for ''
Kotaku
''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.
History
...
'', Logan Booker stated that "no one's really nailed a successor to ''Star Control II'' and an official addition to the series was killed off by the lacklustre ''Star Control 3''."
Initially, series creators Ford and Reiche had promoted ''Star Control 3'' as a "visually rich" and "captivating sequel". Years later, the duo cautioned against focusing too much on questions from the previous games, concluding that a "smattering of that is fun, but the whole point is to extend the mystery". Reiche also felt that the new character design lost the charm of the previous game's
digital painting
Digital painting is an established art medium that typically combines a computer, a graphics tablet, and software of choice. The artist uses painting and drawing with the stylus that comes with the graphics tablet to create 2D paintings within a ...
s.
Kurt Kalata of ''
Hardcore Gaming 101
''Hardcore Gaming 101'' is an online video game magazine founded by Kurt Kalata. Kalata established the site after graduating college, when he noticed the overabundance of game strategy guides, and felt that someone should create more books about ...
'' described the efforts of Legend Entertainment, that "
's obvious the designers of ''Star Control III'' had great reverence for the older games, it still can't help but feel like fan fiction. That feeling, that everything is slightly off, is what harms ''Star Control 3'' the most."
Still, the publication also noted that the antagonist's goal of harvesting sentience was an influence on the ''
Mass Effect
''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univers ...
'' series and their antagonist, the
Reapers.
In 1998, a follow-up game titled ''StarCon'' was planned, featuring the Crux as a major faction, but Accolade suspended the project to re-evaluate their plans for the ''Star Control'' license.
''Star Control 3'' thus marked the last official installment to the series.
References
External links
*
''Star Control 3''at The Pages of Now and Forever
{{Star Control
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