The turn-based strategy genre can, at times, be a challenging, quick-decision, exploration that feels like chess on steroids. You don’t have a lot of time to think so you react and that translates into victory or defeat that is played out rather well graphically. On the flip side, though, it can also digress into a ponderous micro-managing affair in which each turn seems to last forever and progress feels agonizingly slow.

Lost Empire: Immortals tends toward the latter category simply because the development team (Pollux Gamelabs; Paradox is the publisher) has packed so much into this that it has a grander scope than a Cecil B. DeMille epic from the latter portion of his filmmaking career.

The plot line is a bit tired. An ancient race is down to its last two living beings, and they wish to rebuild the empire they once knew. To that end, they are calling in existing mortal races to further their cause by colonizing the galaxies. Sounds simple, but when you consider that hundreds of star systems occupy the smallest of the game’s maps, you begin to get the feeling that this is not a game you will conquer in a weekend. That’s the good news. The bad news is that unless you are an absolutely dedicated fan, the pacing is such that you may give up and move on to something else long before you conquer even a single small map.

But the nuances of Lost Empire does manage to generate a sense of wonder, once you get past the daunting feeling.

Micro-management is the key to this game. You have to colonize planets and do so to the benefit of your burgeoning empire. You will need to find planets to sustain a growing population simply because you will need the revenue generated from taxes; mining worlds provides the materials for the huge resource/technology tree; agricultural planets feed the populace, and so on. Some of the worlds, if you plan correctly, can act as a hub for resources to move outward.

As you climb the tech tree, you receive better bonuses to your abilities, but each time you research you have to invest time to progress along the tree and that is another of the game’s attributes or failings (depending on your perspective) – Immortals is a huge time sink that requires dedicated time to move through the world toward the end game.

The game itself can be played in either a sandbox mode or in the campaign mode. The latter does have a story arc that pulls players through the game. The game has an interesting dynamic when it comes to combat. Everything you have done before comes into play, but you don’t actually handle the combat yourself. This is a turn-based game, so while you are making your decisions, the computer is doing the same. At the end of all your management, you hit the button that ends your turn and that is when any conflicts are resolved in a 3D-esque display. Yes, you can move the camera around to watch the battle, but you can’t have any input. This is where the time spent in ship design, armament and such pays off. If you have done your research correctly, you may win. If not, the outcome will likely not favor you. 

The game’s graphics are not what one would consider to be in step with some of the latest releases, but manage to get the job done. The controls are accessible, but there is a minor learning curve with this game.

Lost Empire: Immortals is not for the faint hearted in the TBS genre, nor is it really an introductory title for those wishing to get a taste of the strategy class. This is a game that is built for the hardcore turn-based enthusiast who enjoys spending hours micro-managing virtually every aspect of their civilization.

Gameplay: 6.0
This is the type of game where you feel that you have just invested a lot of time and accomplished little. The game moves at a snail’s pace, with the requirement that each step is carefully measured. For those that enjoy that kind of in-depth gaming, this is exactly what the game guru ordered; for the rest, this pacing will prove frustrating. The control scheme has a minor learning curve, but once you understand the scheme, everything is accessible and you can focus attention on the game itself not in trying to figure out what you need to do to accomplish a set task.

Graphics: 6.5
While not stellar (pun intended), they do manage to get the job done. The focus here is on the gameplay, not on the imagery.

Sound: 5.0
Not much here and you can turn off your speakers without losing too much in the process.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard

Concept: 6.5
This is a hard category to grade out simply because the game seems to have incorporated all the elements that any good TBS should have, and then does it on a grand scale. But if there is such a thing as being too big, or too grand, Immortals flirts with that concept.

Overall: 6.5
Massive and daunting easily describe this game. Lost Empire: Immortal is not a game for the first-time turn-based strategy gamer, but rather for that niche that wants to micro-manage every nuance of a society and slowly (sometimes it feels agonizingly slow) build up to a point where you truly are the power in the universe. If you are prepared to invest a lot of time in this game, you will see the rewards. For those, though, wanting to get in, play and accomplish something substantial in small time windows, this is not the game for you.