Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion PC Review - PAGE 1

Sins of a Solar Empire isn't what anyone might consider accessible, even by RTS standards. Regardless, the series has endured – practically unchallenged – for years, offering a level of complexity and scale that has yet to be matched by competitors and wannabes. Four years after the series began, we’re seeing a third expansion, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion.

Unlike the Entrenchment and Diplomacy micro expansions, Rebellion is a standalone experience that builds on the base Sins game. Not surprisingly, it’s also the biggest of the bunch, not to mention the first in the series to make use of Steamworks, albeit to a limited extent.

Something Familiar

At its core, this is still the Sins we know and love and (for some of us) struggle with; build your fleet, expand your influence, and blast the opposition into submission. Of course, anyone familiar with the game knows it’s not really that simple. Rebellion brings back the same demanding gameplay that Sins is known for, where a short attention span is your worst enemy, and obsessive determination reaps the greatest rewards.

With maps stretching across multiple planets and stars, a single match can run anywhere between 15 minutes to several hours – if not longer. Sprawling tech trees string you along with promises of more powerful ships, and situational variables keep you on your toes at all times. Believe me, there’s nothing worse than having your hard-earned fleet brought down by endless pirate raids, just as you’re about to lay down the hurt on a hostile planet. Diplomatic relations can be a major pain, but it’s all these little things that make the game special.

New Toys to Play With

What Rebellion brings to the table is pretty much more of everything, from playable factions to new ship classes. Each of the three races has been split in half between Loyalists and Rebels, and both sides bring with them unique abilities and ships. Disrupting the holy frigate-cruiser-capital Trinity are corvettes and titans, two new warship classes found at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Existing warships also received a bit of love in the Rebellion expansion, including balance tweaks and new capital ships armed with their own array of skills, but Sins fans are no doubt eager to try the new warships ASAP.

Corvettes are swift, nimble, and incredibly cheap to produce, like Sins’ very own Zerglings. Capable of outmaneuvering larger ships, these ships are soft but hit hard, especially in large numbers. Now in the other corner, we have titans, technological behemoths that hover unhurriedly through space, their sheer size and production cost testament to their fearsome power. Interestingly, titan warships don’t start out as invincible juggernauts, requiring a bit of time and additional research before they can be considered true threats. The dedication and resources you pour into building these units, however, will be greatly rewarded. Also, you have the satisfaction of knowing the enemy is probably freaking out a little at the in-game notification helpfully informing them of your titan’s completion.

What some might find off-putting about Rebellion is the lack of a single-player campaign, which I personally think is a shame just because the lore is so rich with potential. That said, players who would rather avoid multiplayer can still lose hours in the robust single-player skirmish mode, which allows a number of different game setups and challenging AI opponents. On higher difficulties, the updated AI becomes more apparent, as well.

Final Thoughts

Veteran Sins players will no doubt find much to love in Rebellion, but the series’ accessibility is still a bit of an issue. Diehard strategy gamers may really want to take a look at the standalone expansion, but it’s no less daunting than before for new players. Despite an incredibly detailed tutorial, Sins of a Solar Empire still demands a lot of time and dedication (I'm still learning). For newbies, getting comfortable with Sins doesn’t happen overnight, with so many moving parts to consider. It’s plain to see, however, that there’s just no other game quite like this, and if you’re looking to jump in, Rebellion is as good a place to start as any.