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OGame

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Full Review
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Area: Global
Official Site: OGame
Publisher: Gameforge
Developer: Gameforge
Platform: Web Browser

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Overview

"OGame" is a text-based resource management and space-war browser MMO set in a Sci-Fi universe, and has accumulated over two million accounts.

Features

Polished interface
Easy-to-learn gameplay mechanics
Simple controls
Immersive gameplay descriptions

Area: Global
Official Site: OGame
Publisher: Gameforge
Developer: Gameforge
Platform: Web Browser

Review

Reviewed by Cody Hargreaves

"Forgive me father for I have sinned. It has been six years since my last confession. Fooled by the sorcery known as high-quality graphics, I have betrayed the text-based browser games that I once loved so dearly, and left them to rot in the unforgiving abyss we call the Internet." That's a fairly accurate assessment of how I felt having spent just a few short hours developing my homeworld of Naxion in the sci-fi browser MMO, "OGame." As with almost any game of the text-based variety, a few hours didn't really allow me to make much progress; however it was more than enough to see just how much a dedicated player could do with it.

Following the instructions of a message left in my inbox shortly after the creation of my planet, my first few hours playing "OGame" were spend building, upgrading, and managing mines to allow the steady gathering of resources. There are three different resources in the game: Metal, Crystal, and Deuterium; each can be collected via mining, or obtained through other players via trading or battle. Mining these minerals requires the building of structures - structures that can be upgraded to increase their effectiveness, but required more minerals to do so. Of course, these structures require power, and power is obtained through the building of more structures (Solar Plants) that require, you guessed it, more minerals. You see, the concept is really quite simple to grasp, and once you have it there's really no stopping you.

It's a strangely addictive cycle of waiting, building, and upgrading and it sets the foundations for the entire game. Having mined the required resources, and built the required buildings, the option to develop new technologies and buildings begins to open, and with them, the ability to create ships and a fleet, and take to the stars. There are literally thousands upon thousands of different planets in each of the many galaxies and universes of "OGame," yet with over 2 million accounts, things can still get a little crowded. Having ships and a fleet beckons the expansion of your colony, thus making your mission quite simple: find more planets, and obtain more resources. Along this path you are given the opportunity to partake in missions, form alliances, and wage war with other players in an attempt to capture their planets and resources.

The inclusion of the mineral Dark Matter, however, which for the most part can only be purchased using real money, tends to change the outcome of many situations in a slightly unfair fashion. Dark Matter is used among other things to purchase a title, or profession of sorts. Forking over the cash allows for a range of different upgrade options such as the Geologist which increases your mining production rate, or the Commander which gives a number of useful battle improvements. The problem is that these upgrades give those who purchase them a significant advantage over those that don't, and while this scenario is in no way uncommon, it is rarely encouraged as it gives a noticeable unfair advantage. As with most text-based games, the real magic can be found hidden deep within your imagination. Happily, the in-depth explanations and intelligent systems found in "OGame" make it incredibly easy to get lost in its many galaxies and universes, and also make it a must-play for any sci-fi fan with some free time who's not afraid to take advantage of it.