Developed by Ironclad games and published by Stardock, Sins introduces real-time strategy into the tired “turn-based” space strategy game.  Sins is not your traditional 4x game: eXpand, eXplore, eXploit, eXterminate.  What Sins really boils down to is a combination of Master of Orion II and Homeworld with a dash of Starcraft seasoning to bring out the full flavour (or any resource gathering strategy game).  Essentially, in Sins you must build an empire of planets who in turn support your mighty fleet throughout the galaxy.  The more resources you are able to acquire and defend, the larger your fleets will become.  Throw in race specific tech trees, race specific capital ships, marauding pirates and unique artifacts that provide your empire with a competitive edge over the competition and you have a game that has an incredible amount of depth and infinite replayability.

Sins’ emphasis is on managing fleets.  Or maybe I should say armadas.  They are truly a sight to behold.  The space battles in Sins are epic and intense.  The ships and effects look amazing and there is something hugely satisfying about sending in your armada to battle the main fleet of the enemy…it never gets old. The beauty of Sins is the balancing act of trying to build the most powerful fleet possible while also defending your empire, expanding your empire, improving your technology base and managing diplomatic relations with the other empires that all have the same ambitions as you…galactic domination.

For a new intellectual property, Sins is an incredibly well balanced game.  You can play as three races in Sins: The Vasari, the Advent or the TEC.  Each race has different strengths and weaknesses and it’s fun playing any of them.  It will take a long time to decide which is your favourite, a fact that is a tribute to how well all three have been designed.  Do you go with the TEC who have the most powerful economy?  Maybe you want to master the Vasari who boast the most powerful ships in the game but are handicapped by a weaker economy than the other two races?  I’m still trying to pick my favourite after countless playthroughs.

What is a space strategy game without an online or multiplayer component?  It’s a shell of what it could have been.  Fortunately, Ironclad has built Sins with multiplayer online and it is as fantastic as it is addictive.  Taking over the galaxy at the expense of the AI is one thing, but watching your massive armada warp into your friends home planet and obliterate him and all he has fought for is one of the most satisfying moments in gaming.  It’s even great teaming up with some friends and taking on the AI on hard settings.  The possibilities, again, are endless.  In our time online we didn’t experience any lag and we were able to save games and return to them without incident.

One of the best reasons to support a game like Sins is because the developer will support gamers like you.  Stardock is one of the very best publishers around today in terms of community and game support.  I’d go so far as to say that they are becoming more like Blizzard with every new game they release.  They are frequently responding to community concerns, comments and ideas and the game has already received several updates that have improved the graphics, online play and balancing issues.  Administered through Stardock’s own game manager Impulse, the updates are easy to install and ensure the game can be updated by even the most timid PC user.  My Mom may still have difficulty though.

In fact, the commercial success of Sins has been so great so far that there are already four planned expansions coming to the Sins universe.  Rest assured, once you have played this game to death there is going to be plenty of fresh new content coming to keep it smelling fresh.  I’m particularly excited for the Entrenchment expansion that has been released already in beta form and you can read more about here.

The Good:
+ Great balance between races
+ Fantastic graphics that run at achievable specs for once
+ Infinite replayability
+ Strong developer support
+ Fun and exciting multiplayer

The Bad:
+ Bit of a steep learning curve – be sure to use the tutorials to get your empire started on the right foot
+ Some players may be turned off by the “real time” nature of the game (some in the MOO camp may wish for the “next turn” button)

The Verdict: BUY IT

On balance, Sins of a Solar Empire is one of the best PC games I’ve played in ages.  It looks great, plays great and you will never have the same game twice.  It’s fun against the AI or playing with friends or strangers online.  Like the good old days of MOO II, this game will keep you up into the earlier hours of the morning when you wonder what you are really doing with your life.  Even without the “next turn” button, Sins will have you waiting to build that next capital ship, capture that enemy planet or research those new phased shields to upgrade your fleet.  The developer support on this game is matched only by the best in the business and Sins is guaranteed to only get better through continual updates and expansions.  If you are a fan of space strategy games you owe it to yourself to get this game.  You won’t regret it.