Love the game
Graphics : good and up to date // 8/10
Sound : nothing special, standart "booM!! BAaAAM!!" and something like that in fight. // 7/10 BUT :
Universe at War's genius lies in its asymmetrical faction design. The three races are about as different as they can possibly be, and each does everything in their own unique way, from resource collection to unit building. Even StarCraft didn't go this far, and that's really saying something.
Just a few examples of the differences: the Hierarchy build massive battle walkers that double as mobile factories instead of buildings; Novus can convert units into energy form and quickly warp them across the map through a network of cloaked transmitter towers; and the Masari can switch from an offensive Light mode to defensive Dark mode on the fly to suit any given combat situation. Switching from one faction to another means you basically have to learn how to play all over again - on the one hand, UaW takes longer to master than most games, but on the other, you're getting three totally different experiences from one game.
SO gameplay - 10/10
I didn't like UaW's interface. Why I can't send "stop" or "patrol" command to a unit? Don't understand... But Universe at War takes a lot of chances, and most of them pay off in the form of a unique real-time strategy experience. Just grin and bear the campy story and you'll find plenty to love here.
SO 8.5/10