Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander

I have, despite my gripes, but it’s less than the sum of all those parts that I couldn’t help but see the edges of as I played, and I was longing for more engaging combat long before the end. Even if the galaxy continues to grow, I don’t think I’ll return even.

Despite a few small details holding it back, Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander is one of those titles that cannot be recommended enough to fans of 4X games, JRPGs or space-based science fiction.

Halycon 6: Starbase Commander may lack the nuances of some of its peers, but it nonetheless delivers a charming and moreish strategy RPG for science fiction fans to enjoy.

Ultimately Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander is a game that’s fun in short bursts with considerable levels of potential that shine through in its combat, but the sheer level of busywork in-between sometimes felt unnecessary and too time-consuming for my liking.

For some, these performance issues will be a bit too much to handle. While they didn’t entirely ruin my experience with Halcyon 6, I could see it being a problem for others. The addictive “one more turn” aspect of the gameplay was enough to get me hooked, as you are almost constantly making micro – and macro – management decisions in order to improve the efficiency of your dealings, as well as keep your galaxy safe. If it weren’t for these technical hurdles, I would go as far as to say that Halcyon 6 is a must-own for the Switch, but you’ll have to watch some gameplay in order to see if those hiccups are worth the entry price. Either way, I can’t recommend it enough, as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander is a fantastic game. The gameplay, visuals, and goofiness of the game are treats. I didn't necessarily enjoy the ramping difficulty of the game; I found myself almost destroyed 30 days into the campaign against a single alien fleet that ripped my three ships apart. Combined with the randomness that can potentially kill you (I ended up losing one of those ships in a random encounter) means even the best intentions can kill you. If you enjoy the threat of imminent death with fun gameplay, this one is for you.

Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander is a fun (and funny) game with great art and novel ideas. For a casual experience, it’s a game that offers a lot of enjoyment, but can get a little stale pretty quickly. It’s a large improvement on everything that’s good about the games I love on iOS, but it doesn’t manage to bridge that gap to a full-fledged PC game completely, leaving you hanging in a few areas wishing for a bit more depth.

Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander is an addictive title that require tons of micromanaging, but it's somehow still fun.

An addictive mix of strategy, RPG, exploration and storytelling, Halcyon 6 is slow to start but should satisfy anyone craving a deep, retro-affectionate science fiction adventure.

This is one of the few titles I have played this year that I plan on revisiting over the years for a great time.