Ever since 1993, when Master of Orion first appeared on MS-DOS and Macintosh, PC games have been tirelessly setting out to the stars, seeking to explore, unite, and conquer unknown planets and galactic civilisations in compelling galactic campaigns. Where the likes of Civilization have covered the 4X genre right here on Earth, there have been myriad games taking the well-trodden Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate path into the vastness of space.
Now, a new 4X venture from Iceberg Interactive and Rhombus Studios, Lord of Rigel, is about to make its first expedition into Steam Early Access, hoping to go where no space-based 4X game has gone before.
In a galaxy that's on a warpath, you take control of one of ten vastly distinct species. Will you be the Warlord of the newly united tribes of the feline Katraxi, using industry and war to overcome your rivals? Will you pursue the goals of the mysterious insectoid Aranaid or Ornithon? Or perhaps you want to extend the galactic influence of humans, espousing the virtues of democracy and diplomacy to create a united cosmos (while firmly bringing into line those who would seek to undermine that noble goal).
Once you choose your species, you'll begin your journey on a home planet where you must research the necessary technologies for survival. Stabilise your home front with things like barracks, colony bases, and hydroponic farms, but don't linger for too long, because there's a whole galaxy and hundreds of stars to explore, and each turn your rivals are extending their own influence across them.
Through a combination of procedural generation and smart AI factions that will adapt to the unique conditions a given game map presents, your every campaign through Lord of Rigel will be different, shaped by the emergent stories and challenges of that particular run. There's a good reason that 4X games keep players transfixed for so many hours - they're endless story generators - and Lord of Rigel aims to harness all that is great about this venerable genre while offering its own slant.
Each action you take in relation to other factions will affect the overall galactic tension. Take an aggressive stance, and this will have a destabilising effect on the cosmos, which in the full release will speed up the game's Doomsday clock. Seek the path of peace through trade, mutual aid, and alliances, and you may find yourself at the head of the Galactic Council, pushing for a diplomatic victory.
But your campaigns aren't just shaped by the actions of you and other factions. In this cosmos, many events are driven by two so-called Elder Races, the Rigelans and Arcturans, who are locked in a simmering conflict over control of the galaxy. They will seek to disrupt and sabotage your progress, via war and more cunning means, and you'll often be presented with events and threats stemming from these enigmatic beings. Their overbearing influence will be felt throughout your campaign, and you'll need to be both powerful and shrewd if you're to survive the impending Final War instigated by the Elder Races.
Of course, the game's journey has just begun, but even in Early Access it's already expansive, with eight playable species and a vast galaxy of procedural possibilities. The final game will offer three different victory types, but at this nascent stage of Early Access you can only win by conquest.
So ready those battleships, planet killers, and biological weapons, and prepare to fight for supremacy of the galaxy.
Lord of Rigel is out now on Steam Early Access.
