Legacy of a Thousand Suns Review

Legacy of a Thousand Suns is another free-to-play iOS pseudo-MMO that feels pretty familiar. But hiding beneath the stamina and energy timers, the missions players can complete for experience, and the PvP combat is a surprisingly compelling experience. It seems a little like "more of the same" at first but before long I started to feel like a real space adventurer. Heavy use of imagination required, of course.

Legend of a Thousand Suns has players using energy to complete missions for cash and experience, acquiring and purchasing better equipment, and using stamina to fight bosses and other players. However, unlike similar examples each mission is accompanied by a fairly lengthy bit of text that tells a single part of a continuous story. So rather than simply tapping a button to do X, players are progressing through their own space opera. While tapping a button to do X. Another change-up is the inclusion of ships, captains, and crews to use during raids and PvP in place of something more akin to a deck of cards or a team of Mafioso thugs. It's just different enough to feel unique.

I was pleasantly surprised with Legacy of a Thousand Suns' hidden complexities. I like occasionally earning free gear every so often from facilities that I've bought and upgraded. I like being able to summon massive bosses that require lots of time and other players to take down but pay out big time. And yes, I actually rather like the silly space drama that plays out in installments as I complete each mission. Heck, as simple as it is I even like being able to operate and manage my own ship. They're small elements but they come together to make something that actually feels kind of special.

There is something that bugs me, however. It's the way Suns, the game's premium currency, are used for almost everything. First off I'm not crazy about calling them "Suns," but that's a whole other matter. The real issue is that there's very little in the shop that I can buy with anything that isn't Suns. I can purchase the same equipment I already own, get a handful of weapons and crew, and purchase consumables and that's it. Everything else requires Suns. It's disappointing; although all that accumulated cash I can't really spend on anything is at least useful for buying and upgrading facilities. And facilities will sometimes produce more equipment. So it's not totally one-sided, but it still feels pretty restrictive.

My unexpected love for Tale of a Thousand Suns might be partially due to my love of space stuff, but I still feels it's genuine. It touts an interesting story, not just for a freemium game. It has a fair number of little quirks that make it feel unique. And it really feels like I'm living my space-dream.