Star Empire

Star Empire is a video game in the action genre and published by First Row Software Publishing, Inc. originally released in 1988. It is currently playable on DOS, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64.

The ultimate goal of Empire! is to build a large galactic empire protected by a huge frontier shield. However, before achieving this, players have to complete various missions, trade with starbases and fight off invading aliens.

The ship is controlled from a top-down perspective, with four gauges indicating its energy level, temperature, radiation level and shield status. When the radiation level or temperature reaches the maximum, the ship is destroyed. The ship heats up when it is near a sun or firing weapons. The radiation level increases when carrying radioactive pods. When the ship runs out of fuel, it can refuel by collecting ore from planets. Two direction finders at the bottom of the screen point to the next starbase, the mission target or the manually selected target.

At starbases, players can accept missions and trade minerals, ores or people. These three goods can be found on planets (in the form of pods). To land on a planet, players must enter a warp hole. Once on the planet's surface, the game switches to first-person perspective and the player has to dodge or destroy the rockets fired at the ship and follow the direction indicators towards the pods or the 'exit'. Starbases must be supplied with materials in order to produce 'performance pods' and equipment for the ship.

To reach other star systems, players have to fly through asteroid belts. Although some systems can only be reached with a special hyperspace capsule.

Many star systems are overrun by aliens and can only be recovered when all aliens are eliminated. There are also systems that are infected with the plaque and players must be careful not to spread it to other systems.

As the game progresses, more aliens, better equipment and new starbases appear. When all systems have been visited, players can purchase starbases. When all systems are owned by the player, the game can be finished by building the border shield.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.