trol 3 was considered a commercial success. It debuted on PC Data's computer game sales charts in the eleventh place in September 1996, and climbed to tenth position the following month. The game exited PC Data's top 20 in November. In its initial two months, Star Control 3 surpassed 100,000 units in sales. The PC version received positive reviews from critics. According to review aggregator website Metacritic, Star Control 3 received an average score of 89%, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. The game earned a nomination for a Spotlight Award at the 1996 Computer Game Developers Conference, for "Best Script, Story or Interactive Writing". Reception Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic 89/100 Review scores Publication Score CGM 4.5/5 stars CGW 4/5 stars GameSpot 9/10 Next Generation 4/5 stars (PC) 2/5 stars (Mac) PC Gamer (US) 90% PC Games A- PC Game Parade 83 PC Review 9/10 RPGFan 86% MacHome Journal 4/5 stars Macworld 2/5 stars MacAddict 3/4 stars Chris Buxton from PC Review praised the game for its combat mode and called it "one of the best games on the PC", with the magazine highlighting it as a "PC Review Essential". Tim Soete of GameSpot celebrated Star Control 3 for its integration of action, adventure, strategy, and exploration, calling it one of the best games of 1996. Computer Games Magazine also called it one of the best games of the year, applauding its characters and story, as well as its improved graphics and animations compared to Star Control II. Writing for PC Gamer, Michael Wolf felt that Star Control 3 blended elements from previous games "with mixed results". While he praised the evolution of combat and story within the series, he also criticized the strategic elements that were inspired by the first Star Control. Overall, PC Gamer awarded the game an "Editor's Choice" with a 90% rating, stati