Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Earth 2150: The Moon Project builds on the solid real-time strategy foundation of its predecessor by introducing fresh missions, cutting-edge units, and expanded research trees. From the moment you begin your first Lunar Corporation mission, you’re juggling resource gathering, base construction, and the ever-present threat of enemy counterattacks. The interface remains intuitive: build resource extractors, power plants, and production facilities with simple hotkeys, and queue unit orders while you scout new sectors. The pacing balances fast-paced skirmishes with more deliberate, siege-style conflicts.

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Each of the three factions—Lunar Corporation, Eurasian Dynasty, and United Civilized States—now boasts specialized vehicles and technologies unique to The Moon Project expansion. You’ll pilot hover tanks on dusty lunar plains, deploy high-altitude interceptors above Earth orbit, and experiment with the Lunar Corporation’s signature secret weapon as you peel back layers of the “Project Sunlight” mystery. Campaign missions vary from large-scale planetary assaults to clandestine infiltration operations inside alien bases, ensuring you never spend two missions doing exactly the same thing.

Perhaps the most exciting addition is the full editor suite, which goes far beyond simple map editing. You can craft entirely new texture sets for buildings and units, remake ambient terrain for sprawling deserts or frozen outposts, and even tinker with the core logic using EarthC, the game’s internal scripting language. Modders and curious players alike will find themselves writing custom AI behaviors, designing brand-new tech trees, and sharing creations online—effectively giving Earth 2150: The Moon Project virtually endless longevity.

Graphics

Visually, The Moon Project showcases an early-2000s 3D engine that still holds up surprisingly well thanks to its clear unit models and dynamic lighting. Tanks, mechs, and hovercraft sport distinct silhouettes that make them easy to identify in the heat of battle, while explosion effects and smoke trails help convey the scale of engagements. Zooming out provides a satisfying bird’s-eye view of sprawling bases, creeping frontlines, and distant orbital platforms.

The new lunar terrains push the engine further, with barren rock faces, deep crevasses, and soft, glowing regolith illuminated by Earth’s reflection overhead. Shifting shadows and day-night cycles play a tangible role in both atmosphere and tactics—raiding an enemy base at “lunar noon” feels very different from a stealth operation under the dark side’s eternal gloom. On Earth, your armies trudge through lush forests, flooded plains, and shattered cityscapes, each environment affecting line of sight and movement speeds.

Thanks to the included texture editor, you can overhaul virtually every visual element. Fancy a red-and-black Eurasian color scheme? Simply import your own diffuse maps. Want your UCS buildings to sport futuristic neon highlights? Paint away. Even buildings and vehicles support emissive maps, so base defenses glow ominously at dusk. This level of creative freedom means no two battles have to look the same, and graphical modders continue to breathe new life into the title years after its release.

Story

Set in the war-torn year 2150, Earth 2150: The Moon Project picks up where the main game left off—mankind teeters on collapse as the three dominant factions vie for Earth’s remaining resources and the final escape vessels. The Lunar Corporation has already begun shuttling select personnel to orbital colonies, the Eurasian Dynasty wages a brutal land war with heavy mech battalions, and the United Civilized States relies on rapid-deployment air forces. Tension is omnipresent, and every decision you make can tip the balance toward victory or annihilation.

The Moon Project’s narrative hook comes when reports arrive of a covert operation on the far side of the Moon: Project Sunlight. Rumors hint at a superweapon or a terraforming experiment capable of turning the Moon into a second Earth. As a UCS task force commander, you’re dispatched to uncover the truth—and what unfolds is a tightly woven story of corporate intrigue, betrayal, and a race against time. Dialogue exchanges feel purposeful, briefing cinematics are crisply rendered, and mission objectives steadily peel back the Lunar Corporation’s secrets.

Standalone expansion status means you don’t need the original Earth 2150 disc to play, and your suspicions are gradually confirmed through smartly scripted reveals rather than information dumps. Each faction’s perspective provides enough context to understand motives—whether it’s the escalation-hungry Eurasian high command or the shadowy Lunar scientists willing to sacrifice anything for “Project Sunlight.” The result is a cohesive, globe-and-space-spanning story that keeps you invested from lift-off to final showdown.

Overall Experience

Putting everything together, Earth 2150: The Moon Project delivers a robust, feature-rich package that nails the core joys of classic RTS gameplay while expanding its universe in meaningful ways. You’ll find hours of strategic depth in the mix of ground, air, and orbital combat, and the added technological branches introduce new synergies—like cloaking fields for hovercraft or solar beacons that supercharge your solar power plants. The pacing never drags, and most missions offer optional objectives that reward creative thinking.

The inclusion of the fully integrated editor and EarthC scripting elevates replayability immensely. Even after you’ve run through all three new campaigns, you can download community maps or forge your own, tweaking everything from unit stats to environmental hazards. It’s an open invitation to experiment, teach yourself a bit of programming, and watch as fellow commanders host custom multiplayer battles with your custom creations.

For fans of strategic depth, memorable faction design, and a sci-fi narrative that spans from Earth’s ruined cities to the Moon’s hidden bunkers, The Moon Project is an unmissable addition. It may show its age in some texture resolutions and interface animations, but the modding tools and strong mission design ensure it stands tall among turn-of-the-millennium RTS classics. Whether you’re investigating Project Sunlight or facing off against Eurasian mechs under a blood-red sky, this expansion offers a compelling journey worth charting.

Retro Replay Score

7.7/10