Parkan 2
Parkan 2
Game
Game2008
Darkstar One
Developer Ascaron Entertainment ltd.
DarkStar One is a space trading and combat simulator game developed by German studio Ascaron and published by CDV. The PC version of the game was released on June 16, 2006, in Europe, August 14, 2006, in North America and subsequently digitally via GOG.com on December 17, 2006 (English only), and DotEmu on May 19, 2008 (English, French, German). The Xbox 360 version was released on July 20, 2008, under the title… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
204 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
83
LovedLoved
159 positive · 33 negative
95% range 77–87%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 159 | 33 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
325 of 394 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
83% recommend · 157 yes, 33 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 190 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (521 of 628 positive).
Players praise Darkstar One as a fun, old-school space shooter with RPG elements. [1][2][3] Many compare it favorably to Freelancer, noting similar gameplay and controls. [4][5][6] Some reviewers find the game repetitive and lacking variety in missions. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [8]
The game is just too repetitive to recommend. By the time you leave the second system you've seen what the gameplay will be like for the next 20 hours. You use the same ship the whole game so all progress and upgrades are incremental and just for keeping up with the bad guys. There's no in game incentive to be an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ besides smuggling, which holds virtually no penalty itself. The trading starts out interesting …
- [2]
Simply wonderful space RPG here. Tons of action, the combat is so FUN you will want to do it at every chance you get! The space sim sections are adequate and encourage things like trading and eventually mining and will reward you well. The missions are great too, very vivid with cutscenes and full voice acting. My favorite part is upgrading the ship which you'll learn how to do very shortly into the game. Each …
- [4]
It's Freelancer with a bit of Descent. Very fun, although could get a bit repetitive. It's very old-school, looks the part, the mechanics feel good and snappy, and the voice acting is a bit iffy - but can still very much be enjoyed overall. No compatibility issues with modern hardware so far.
- [7]
Like many others on here, I give this a solid "Maybe" review. It's fun for a while going pew pew in space, and if that is all you're looking for, you can be satisfied by this for a few hours. And I was, as I've largely enjoyed the 13 hours I spent in it. But there's little variation in anything else that you do, that I just don't have any desire to really move forward with the rest of the game. The missions and …
- [1]
Still a good game in 2021. But that's my opinion ^^
Summarised from 34 of the 201 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Darkstar One talk about fun space combat and dogfighting; those who didn't talk about repetitive missions and gameplay. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
DarkStar One received positive to mixed reviews, scoring 71/100 on Metacritic based on 33 reviews. The graphics were often praised, but the gameplay was not. GameSpot lauded its accessibility and simplicity, while ActionTrip derided it as overly simplistic and repetitive. The game was frequently compared to other space sims, including Elite, Freelancer, and the X series.
From the “Critical reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 204 · most liked firstStill a good game in 2021. But that's my opinion ^^
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As always,general ratings first followed by the review : ---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☐ Good ☑ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like to win. It makes me feel good. If you play my way, it is EASY to win regardless of what other posts say. 1) You need to make your ship with only 2 forward guns - the rest should be turrets. You may replace one gun with missiles as needed to take out small ships quickly like when they are attacking your cruiser. 2) You go away from them just outside their attack range. Go UP just enough to bring them into range ~0.9. If you get into their firing range ~0.8, boost to just outside of it.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An old classic. TBH I have not seen a game in ages to come even close to the level DSO has come. I've played aloot of space "sims" from ELITE and SpaceForce to CORVUS and Everspace... and DSO still allows me to live out every space fantasy while haveing a nice difficulty cureve (it realy eases you in as your ship DSO levles up and becomes more powerfull) it easy to use/play (looking at you ELITE and EVE) and all in all is a nice space fligt pacage the only thing that comes close is FREESPACE…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game for chilling out. I bought it years ago on 360, then bought it again here for KB+M controls. Just enough systems to be entertaining, but not so deep that you're micromanaging diplomacy and trade routes. If I want that, then I'll just play one of the X series of games. I love 4X games as much as the next guy, but sometimes I just want gratuitous space dogfights and light trading.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's Freelancer with a bit of Descent. Very fun, although could get a bit repetitive. It's very old-school, looks the part, the mechanics feel good and snappy, and the voice acting is a bit iffy - but can still very much be enjoyed overall. No compatibility issues with modern hardware so far.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just like Free Lancer but better.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Simply wonderful space RPG here. Tons of action, the combat is so FUN you will want to do it at every chance you get! The space sim sections are adequate and encourage things like trading and eventually mining and will reward you well. The missions are great too, very vivid with cutscenes and full voice acting. My favorite part is upgrading the ship which you'll learn how to do very shortly into the game. Each upgrade actually changes the looks of your ship to make it more awesome looking,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →IN DEPTH SPACE SHOOTER WITH RPG ELEMENTS LOTS OF FUN LIKE BEING IN A MOVIE
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Old school, simple graphics, but so much fun. An engaging storyline combined with extreme freedom of choice.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Darkstar One is an interesting take on the Elite/Privateer formula where you move around the galaxy, be good or evil, while upgrading your ship and chasing a particular objective. However, some design quirks, such as "1 mission at a time", difficult trading, and unclear upgrade path, as well as "gradual reveal" of the map makes for some frustrations. The story was a typical "young pilot inherits a ship", but this one had you chasing someone who you believe may have caused your father's death.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Old and basic but still fun. Voice acting is so terrible it is mostly amusing. Some starter tips: 1) Remap the keys for roll to Q/E and you have one of the few spaceship games that control well 2) Make sure you pick up an assignment in the menu before you leave the first space station 3) Remember what the door looks like when you leave the space station so you know which ones you should use in future 4) Default of space bar + mouse to click on various UI buttons on the top and to the right…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just some simple space shooting fun no extras no micromanaging anything just a ship some guns and go kill some stuff this would be a great game to port to VR
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's like a b movie version of elite but worth a try if on sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Like many others on here, I give this a solid "Maybe" review. It's fun for a while going pew pew in space, and if that is all you're looking for, you can be satisfied by this for a few hours. And I was, as I've largely enjoyed the 13 hours I spent in it. But there's little variation in anything else that you do, that I just don't have any desire to really move forward with the rest of the game. The missions and content are so repetitive that I just don't wanna. I like the initial spirit and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My Childhood :3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Star Citizen can only strive to be this good
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a great game. It's got huge flaws, and more than a handful of bugs, but as a passtime for someone who likes to play story-driven space games with a certain element of trading, this is pretty good. It seems to have survived the transition to Steam too, and plays just fine on (relatively) modern systems. Definitely recommended. The flying and fighting is almost up to Descent quality. The only thing lacking is vertical strafing, as we had with Descent. Without that you do feel a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you are patient it is worth at least one playthrough. Explanation below. Oh boy, this one did not age well. The story is basically a 80% Freelancer rip off, there were some good fresh ideas and some awful ones to change things up. The main problem with it was that it dragged on for so long with so much filler. Nonetheless there are some good moments. Gameplay wise you have all these cool races and ships but you are stuck in the Darkstar One, its evolving mechanic is cool at least.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love smuggling illegal video games to aliens
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kinda unpolished gem. Still, one of the best space sims...ever!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Who said the xbox controller never worked with this game??? It was the one thing the reason i never brought it. as guess what as soon as i started the game it found my controller i re - config the buttons and i am good to go. any one else out there wants too know yes xbox one controller works great. and with it on sale what a steel.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Persona 5 Royal on Switch and No Man's Sky. Looking forward to Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance and Darkstar One coming very soon! I finished vanilla SMT V some time ago, and my daughter has been playing it, so we're both excited to see what Vengeance has in store.
neutral · AI labelView post →The "recommend" is with the caveat that when it's on a huge discount. This game is likely the most dumbed down, repetitive and cliche of the whole genre -- to the point it's perfect for when you want to shut your brains off. But that also has a plus side. It is SO dumbed down that you can even skip the grind that takes a lot in other games. Also, thanks to being so dumbed down, it has no place for gam-impacting bugs common in many other games. And it's worth grabbing if only to look at the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is not Freelancer, but it really tries to be like it. I remember playing this back in 2006. It was okay but didn't quite hold up to Freelancers standards. * The story is meh. * The dialogue and especially voice overs are abysmal. * Combat is okay. However i still found myself enjoying it since i wanted my next Freelancer fix back then, and this came pretty close. Mouse/keyboard game just as Freelancer/Freespace. Some RPG elements to earn som credits for new stuff. It still works pretty…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Similar to Freelancer, explore the galaxy, upgrade your ship, fight, trade and so on. Does get a bit repetitive, is singleplayer only and the story is a bit meh but if you liked Freelancer and you can get it cheap, it's not that bad of a time sink.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A beautiful hidden gem.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game, easy to pick up and play, easy to learn. It's the alternative to freelancer, which steam should get.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →*Crimson Skies* was an arcadey combat flight sim with comic-book flavor plot-oriented gameplay and a setting that was...I don't know what the word is. Steampunk-style "older technology used to build a historically-large and advanced systems", but using interwar-era technology rather than Victorian stuff. Kinda similar to *Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow*. Has dogfighting. If you take out the time of the setting, then I'd think that you'd be asking for an arcadey combat flight sim with…
neutral · AI labelView post →DarkStar One... isn't a good game, let's be honest. It took me 18 hours to beat on normal difficulty (finishing the plot + all side missions + all artifacts), and it doesn't really have half as much hours worth of unique content. That being said, it isn't offensively bad either, and I did derive some enjoyment out of it, so if you want a numbingly-simple spacesim to play for an hour or two during a slow evening, this game might be just about right. I say the biggest entertainment value is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A true classic of the action adventure RPG space game as they were back in their early days. Great story, great gameplay loop.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game holds up very well considering how old it is. Some of the most fun I've had in a space "sim". The hours showing on my account is wrong because I played this several times before steam tracked offline play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is a very fun older game I enjoyed many hours of it back when it was new the biggest mistake people always made early on was rush for upgrades. there is a few story points where was almost ententionally designed to block that method of becoming over powered. There 2 station defence missions where if you upgrade your own ship too fast the enemy fighters are so over powered compared to station the mission is impassible. so best timp level slow till after the second one
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →underrated and complete forgotten game very sad :(
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An excellent space simulator. A bit outdated, but still a lot of fun. Feels great after Freelancer.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nostalgia trip... games is like Freelancer or Aquanox but in space... big difference is that you have one ship that you can choose what it becomes Fighter/Gunboat etc ofcourse due to the nature of the game it can become repetitive so i suggest playing in episodes not the whole game in one go visuals while dated are actually pretty good.. especially when you are in space game runs smooth onlly problem might be that the higher your resolution the smaller the UI i recommend 1920 by 1080
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is just too repetitive to recommend. By the time you leave the second system you've seen what the gameplay will be like for the next 20 hours. You use the same ship the whole game so all progress and upgrades are incremental and just for keeping up with the bad guys. There's no in game incentive to be an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ besides smuggling, which holds virtually no penalty itself. The trading starts out interesting but once you get the hang of it gets tiring. If you are interested in trading…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It' a shame the game works right out of the Box under Windows 10. There is an Mod that fixes some of the Gamebreaking Bugs... (Versteckte Cluster by https://www.supernature-forum.de/showthread.php/100632-Darkstar-One-Modding-(PC-Version) The Graphics are still OK, the controls with mouse and Keyboard are responsive. And the opening Storyline is for the 1st 2 Hours ok'ish but after that, the Money for Shakespears Monkeys was spent and the Game slides into a boring Grindfest... Shame....…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dev couldn't even be bothered to add or fix controller support even though this was on console, so it wouldn't of been very difficult. Why even bother adding any? because what is added is totally useless, half the buttons don't work or they move you in the wrong direction and the same with the sticks, and when you collide with something the rumble starts but never stops.... its a shame because the small amount of time I did manage to get to play it, it did look like the type of game I have…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still one of the most approchable space simes I have played. no frills no complexity just fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an excellent oldie! Part Freelancer part Starlancer. If you like space ship to ship combat you'll love this game. The graphics are a bit dated but they actually scale pretty well and wont have you cringing. For it's age it's actually quite beautiful. Give it a try. I'm sure you'll like it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Modest space sim with a peppering of role-playing elements. Meaningful reputation system, customisable semi-organic ship, enticing economy. A great entry point to the genre.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very cheesy, very shallow Space Opera. It is very much like Freelancer minus the Ships. All you get is this weird looking, very tacky cruiser, that is completely OP in every way. Economy is completely pointless, i maxed out at 9.999.999 Credits by the end of the storyline because theres just nothing worth buying. All the best weapons are drops from repetitive Pirate Clan encounters. These guns are always better than what is in stores, so there is no need to bother. Game is very linear and has…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game tries to pretend to be an open-world space-sim, but in all honesty it's more of a linear space shooter. There's only 1 ship (it can be upgraded), and the new star sectors open up in a pre-determined sequence. You technically can return to previous locations, but there's no point in doing so. Fun enough for a playthrough.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DarkStar One is a space action RPG developed by Ascaron Entertainment and published by Strategy First that places players in command of a unique starship on a galaxy-spanning journey of exploration, combat, and personal discovery. Originally released in the mid-2000s, it occupies an interesting space between arcade-style space shooters and more complex simulation-heavy titles. Rather than overwhelming players with intricate flight physics or economic micromanagement, it focuses on accessible…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Better than Freelancer, and works better on modern systems.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Darkstar One! Very good game (I have a few hours in the GOG version). Kinda like Freelancer in a lot of ways although you can only have one ship and it has a cockpit view. In fact a lot of the game is similar, including UI and textures and sound. I wonder if it's using the same engine?
positive · AI labelView post →Had this in my Steam library for ages, decided to play again. A surprisingly fun game, WW2 dogfights in space, but it does get repetitious since each system is about the same. Note that enemies scale with your level which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. Smuggling drugs, videogames, or androids is the best and most fun way to make money in the game; I was laughing at how tense it was hauling 100+ tons of illicit trade goods while aiming for the perfect…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Positives: - Attractive female characters. - Value for money if you get it on sale. Negatives: - Flight controls aren't as good as modern equivalents like 'Star Citizen', 'Elite Dangerous', or arguably even 'No Mans Sky'. - While the female characters are attractive, the game has no real sex appeal, & the general aesthetic is that this is very much a game for young children, which is fine, but this is my review, so I am stating my preferences, not other peoples, & this game has a very…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Better than elite dangerous. I still have my old old CD and its original case, CD is heavily damaged caused I played this SO MUCH when I was a young little thing. NOTE: You might have to run a patch to get it working! Look it up!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Obscure game on the Steam Deck time! This is Darkstar One, a space/trade simulator. It's a budgety Freelancer but it's pretty fun. It's finally fully supported with Proton 7.0-5 #SteamDeck #obscuregames #darkstarone #gamingonlinux #steamos #RetroOnSteamDeck
positive · AI labelView post →★★★☆☆ Good! Action Not a fantastic game by any means. Outclassed by others in the genre. Customizing your ship with weapons and special abilities is the best part about this game. While space battles are well done, fun, and with good physics, it does get boring somewhat quickly. The main missions and side quests can be interesting as it progresses through the storyline, but it does not give you a feeling of great accomplishment as you go through them. The trading aspect of the game can and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's an easy version of Elite Dangerous.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A good game of its own time, which was a bad period for this genre. But now it has only some nostalgia value at best. Because there's X: Rebirth now, for the similar experience of a single ship unique in the whole universe, the story and comments from your co-pilot, but with a much richer world. The universe in Dark Star is similar to Galaxy on Fire 2. Still, it isn't bad, and if you're a space game fan, might be a good little thing to spend a few days in it. Just don't expect anything novel…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far it's awesome, cool game for 2006 and it runs good in 2020
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When I started playing this game, I was in love with it for a few days. Then it seemed less fun, but still worth playing. Then it just got tedious and I decided to stop playing well before I got anywhere near the end of the story. There's simply not enough variety. The game also doesn't offer a terribly consistent challenge, either. When it started feeling too easy, I bumped the difficulty up a notch, but then I kept dying without much of an idea of what I should be doing differently. So I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A good relative little space simulator. Graphics are average, but may crashes sometimes by running on the higher quality. The mechanics is the typical of genre but with an original premise: player dont need buy new spaceships because his starting fighter is an unique experimental model that can be fully upgraded with new equipment by found and stocking a rare material disperse over the universe. The player will never get a capital ship, but yes one capable to beat anyone bigger spaceship and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a good game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun game with a few bugs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't bother. It does not work past tutorial mission 3.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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