Imperium Galactica is a single-player game, it has both the combat and resource management elements of a real-time strategy game and the vast research tree and colony-building aspects of traditional turn-based 'space-empire-building' 4X (eXpand, eXploit, eXplore, and eXterminate) games.

The player, in the role of Dante Johnson, begins the game with command of a small capital ship - a Guardian-class Destroyer - and three Raptor-class Fighters (later in the game the player would command up to 28 capital ships and 180 fighters in one fleet), and three colonies, named Achilles, Naxos and San Sterling, unable to move beyond the boundaries of the small sector assigned for him to defend and expand.

Story

The story, concerning the Galactic Empire's current status in the 4th millennium, during the 3200's, serves as an entry point, gradually introducing the player to new concepts (planet management, space battles, ground battles, research, component & ship production, diplomatic functions) as he rises through the ranks from Lieutenant to Captain, Commander, Admiral and eventually Grand Admiral (where all functions are unlocked and the player has full control), all the while revealing the character's shrouded past, revealing that Johnson is the Galactic Empire's secret weapon that was created in desperation, an android, through flashbacks.

Interestingly, regardless of the player's actions, the galaxy outside his or her view continues to take shape even as they are completing the "training" ranks prior to being promoted to Admiral. In this way, a player who quickly defeats his initial enemies at early ranks might enter the larger galaxy before the other races have been too badly hurt by the antagonist species, the Dargslan Kingdom. A player might also take an excessive amount of time in these "training" missions and get promoted to find that the entire galaxy has been conquered.

The game was generally given moderate to good scores. Critics enjoyed the game's unusual depth, replayability, colony management, and research system. Digital Reality would later make its sequel, Imperium Galactica II, in 1999.

Game Details:

Developer(s)
Digital Reality

Publisher(s)
GT Interactive

Designer(s)
Digital Reality

Platform(s)
PC (MS-DOS)

Release date(s)
March, 1997

Genre(s)
4X, Real-time strategy, Real-time tactics

Mode(s)
Single player

Rating(s)
ESRB: Kids to Adults

Media/distribution
CD-ROM

System requirements
MS-DOS 5.0
486 100 MHz
16 MB RAM
65 MB Hard-Disk Space
4X CD-ROM drive