This prisoner isn’t just different in name, but in their abilities, their features, and their quirks. This means that the next prisoner that follows your bloody footsteps, is that much more prepared for the dangers you encountered. Your character doesn’t come back, but your gear does. With that being said, the way these seemingly different pieces were designed and how they fit together in this game is nothing short of brilliant.Īs mentioned before you’re a prisoner, and every time you die…you die. That’s not necessarily different in Void Bastards heck, it’s expected in the genre. What keeps things fresh is the procedurally generated levels and your ever changing character. You push as much as you can to make it somewhere new and learn what hides in the depths regardless of your survival. You may not leave a ship alive, but you may help the next prisoner that comes after you. On the contrary, you are continuously rewarded throughout. It never feels as you’re being stepped on for taking a calculated risk. The game invites you to plan as much as possible and witness your strategy crumble in cel-shaded glory. Which is where Void Bastards main hook lies. It’s like you’re juggling incredibly sharp knives that may cut you to pieces at any moment, but it all feels surprisingly manageable. If you run out of these you’ll either die of starvation or lose control of your ship. Every time you jump to a new ship you spend valuable resources. Sometimes you may not even have a choice. However, you’re always given some information about the ship your considering, either what materials are on it or what dangers lurk inside. This decision is not one to make lightly since each ship you explore can either extend your run or end it prematurely. From here you are able to choose where to go and if you’d like to dock there. You are thrown headfirst into the thralls of a deceptively treacherous space map. Like its main inspiration FTL, Void Bastards is all about freedom of choice and accepting the consequences of your decisions. To infinity and…I’m not gonna make it, am I?Īlthough the premise of the game might sound restrictive, its execution is anything but. But not to worry, the helpful A.I., B.A.C.S., is there to help you navigate the hot pink tape and guide you through the bureaucracy. You’re a prisoner, you don’t have the permissions or necessary documentation to get these repairs underway. However, nothing is ever that straightforward. Your mission is to get back to the SOM Mothership by fixing your ship’s FTL drive by scavenging derelict vessels in the surrounding area. You are part of a motley crew of prisoners stranded in the Sargasso Nebula, seemingly condemned to live out your sentence aimlessly drifting through space. Void Bastards is a first-person roguelite shooter focused on exploration and adaptation. Now, sit down, strap in and let me take you on an interstellar spaceship ride. If anyone is still here (no idea why that would be), I now have a singular mission: do my best to capture what this game brings to our wonderful hobby and, hopefully, recruit another client into the fray. If you’ve been curious about this game and have a feeling you’d dig it, do yourself a favor, stop reading this and go out and buy it right now. This is easily one of my favorite games in the genre. If this sounds like an early commendation, that’s because it is. It’s a combination of space exploration, roguelite, crafting, and pushing your luck all to the styling of your favorite graphic novel. Void Bastards is unlike any first person shooter you’ve played. Seven years later enters Blue Manchu, the creators of the cult classic Card Hunters, and unbeknownst to them, they create one of my dream games. Why do they get to have the most fun? For the longest time I thought I was alone with my space pillaging fantasy. I was envious of those mantis aliens shredding my ship to pieces and destroying my best laid plans. Sure, I could send my pixel crew to wreak havoc on some unsuspecting vessels in my stead but I would just sit on the sidelines admiring from afar like the pompous and zealous captain I was cheering my team to victory while I sat comfortably at the sound of Wilhelm Screams coming through my intergalactic speakers. But one thing that FTL could never give me was the feeling of invading enemy ships myself. The brilliant combination of survival and exploration was too enthralling to put down. I was enamored by how expansive it felt and its nearly infinite replayability. The rogue-lite elements combined with random encounters and its addictive “one more go” game play loop left me obsessed for weeks. Back in the days when FTL first came out, I remember getting lost within its novel take on space exploration.
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