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Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity
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Graphics & Sound:
Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity is not just the compilation of the three games in this series, but the culmination of every aspect of each, fused together into one glorious chimera of awesome. It is nothing new for a company to combine its titles together and resell them, seeking to drain the last blood drops of its marketability. This is absolutely not the case. They interlaced everything for a more complete game experience. Re-playability is important to me. No need to analyze my compulsion to mod at this time, but I like to have options. If you are new to the Sins games, this is a perfect place to start. You have the ability to start out playing Trinity, or play each of the individual games successively.
I really forgot how beautiful the actual gameplay is. Not just the cut-scenes or the menus, but the actual heat of battle. You and your ships are jumping between systems in these picturesque star systems and it is really something to experience. It doesn't hurt that I have a new video card and monitor since the last time I played, but it is still such a sexy game. The scale is so immense and how they handle all of this information on the U.I. is just gorgeous. There is a definite style to the opening sequences of the games. Though this style doesn't match up to the actual game style, you can appreciate the artistic craftsmanship that went in to making this game.
The sound is done right. That's about all you can really say about that. Uniquely scored music coupled with properly done technical sound provides you with the immersion and tactical information you need. Though the voiceover work may have come off a little brooding and cheesy, I liked it.
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Gameplay:
Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity is easy enough to get into. There is so much that you can see and do, that it may be a little overwhelming at first, but hang in there for what is going to be a great gaming experience. Before we delve too quickly into how they have intertwined the three games of Sins of a Solar Empire (the original game), Entrenchment, and Diplomacy, let's look back a bit.
Sins of a Solar Empire is a macro-manager's playground. You can tweak almost everything in one fashion or another. The Menu system isn't visually sexy by any means. It is done in a very classic Menu format that is widely recognized and easy to use. However, the actual gameplay is extremely detailed. The classic 4X's are readily at work as you spread across the universe and take, ask, trade, or mine whatever you need. Build civilian and military research facilities that will aid in the research and implementations of new technologies necessary for galactic conquest.
Entrenchment brought new technologies, such as the star bases, that allowed you to take huge strides in claiming space for your race. A huge and diverse tree or network of available research options lay before you, some of which intertwine and cross over. It is not a simple, linear process to build each unit. There is a balance you must strike and sacrifice between diplomatic endeavors, military need and civilian necessity to achieve victory.
Diplomacy only furthered the balance with both military and diplomatic strides to victory and warfare. You can win through diplomatic means over military might. Build ship facilities that will manufacture the vast number of ships you will need to travel and rule the galaxy. Protect each step of your expansion not only from the known enemy threat of "the other player," but also from piracy and diplomatic alliances. There is so much waiting for you in the depths of space. Create, conquer, rule or manipulate your unique universe. Every game is a story to be retold.
All three pieces combine into a seamless, organized and complete game. Once you have played through this huge story, and you think you're done, you are not. Take on friends in huge multiplayer battles. It is your universe to control. Take a look at the link below in the links section and download the Galaxy Forge. There is, of course, the in-game editor that will allow you to quickly create maps. These maps still have randomizing effects that you do not have 100% full control over. Well, that simply will not do here. The Galaxy Forge allows you complete control to create the universe in your image. Or, for instance, other well-known and documented star systems from popular sci-fi. The sky is the limit.
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Difficulty:
Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity has not sought to make things any easier on you. In fact, with the new difficulty settings beyond just Easy, Normal, or Hard, you have Unfair, Cruel, and Vicious. So, they have actually just made it harder. If you're looking for that quick gameplay, I suggest you play on Vicious; it won't take too long the first time. The introduction of Entrenchment provided us with better enemy A.I. to compete with. This new A.I. carries over into Trinity, making for a more believable and difficult enemy to play against from the very start. Remember you can play each game in its original state, but I really don't see this as a great advantage. This is, of course, if you are playing friends who only have one version or another. The organization of the U.I. is still a key feature to simplifying gameplay. It takes away the difficulty of keeping up with information and streamlines it into a simple-to-use command screen. I always get frustrated trying to select units on the move in other RTS games. I usually end up not selecting what I want. I never felt like I was having these "miss-clicks" here. I select the unit I want, and it goes where I want, clean and simple.
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Game Mechanics:
Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity is the epitome of the thought that says, "I wish I could take everything that is good in a game series and just combine it into one game." I don't mean to kick a dead horse, but I have stated many times that when you have a great game, you should leave it alone. Too many times, you see them flawed by progress. I even said this about the previous expansions here, but I am never so glad to eat my words as now. While we are on the subject of what I have already said about this game, I still feel that the entrance into this game is just a little unforgiving and overwhelming to a new player. There is so much to take in and with combined resources from Entrenchment and the diplomatic strategy of Diplomacy, it is a lot to handle all at one time. My admiration of the design of the game is still rock solid. This is still my go-to game when I want to bury myself in an RTS.
The best way to enjoy this game is still in a nice, comfortable chair with the lights turned low, someplace that will allow you to disconnect from the world for a bit. Set yourself up with at least a few hours to take the game in fully the first time you play. You're not going to just pop this one in and play for fifteen minutes, so make the time. It is nice that you can pause multiplayer games and save them for later. Once you're an experienced commander, taking the game in smaller chunks will be fine. Trinity is a must pick up if you enjoyed the game even just a little. Getting all of the games in one compilation, plus the combined effort of years of work into one experience, is a great bonus. What more can you ask for?
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-WUMPUSJAGGER, GameVortex Communications AKA Bryon Lloyd |
Minimum System Requirements:
Minimum Requirements: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista, 1.8 GHz Single-Core Processor, 512 MB RAM (1 GB for Windows Vista), 128 MB DirectX 9 3D Video Card (Radeon 9600 / GeForce FX 6600 and above), DirectX 9.0c Compatible Sound Card, DVD-ROM Drive, 3 GB Hard Drive Space, Keyboard and Mouse, DirectX 9.0c
Recommended Requirements: 2.2 GHz Dual- or Quad-Core Processor, 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Windows Vista), 256 MB DirectX 9 3D Video Card, (Radeon X1600 / GeForce 7600 and above)
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Test System:
Dell XPS DXP061, XP Pro, Intel Core 2 Quad, 4GB Ram, Gforce 8800GTX |
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Related Links:
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