Support us on Patreon to keep GamingOnLinux alive. This ensures all of our main content remains free for everyone. Just good, fresh content! Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal. You can also buy games using our partner links for GOG and Humble Store.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

The developer of ASTROKILL [Steam] has been busy! The latest patch has just release and the Linux version has been improved.

Note: There is no SteamOS icon to indicate Linux support, but it is there. The developer is likely waiting for more confirmation about how it runs before properly advertising it.

The initial Linux version had problems with random freezes, resolution changing issues, problems on AMD GPUs and more. This patch should fix practically all of those problems.

The developer said that the rendering between DirectX and OpenGL should now be "almost identical". I don't have Windows installed to test, but it certainly does look good on Linux.

After testing it out, I can say that it does peform really damn nicely for me. On some of the highest settings I was getting constantly above 140FPS and it felt incredibly smooth and responsive.

The developer certainly wasn't kidding about it being inspired by Freespace 2 (one of my all time favourites), it shows for sure. For example, the targetting system and the sounds it makes seem very similair. For me it's a good thing, it's certainly not copying it, but it has a very familiar feel to it. It also has elements of Battlestar Galactica in it too (the newer version), a certain mission in an asteroid field felt very similar to an episode involving a certain Cylon Raider, your ship in this mission also somewhat resembles a Viper.

Considering how much I've missed playing a decent space shooter, ASTROKILL might just be able to plug that little hole for me.

It's not often I come off so overwhelmingly impressed by an Early Access game, but ASTROKILL feels really quite amazing. The action is intense, the controls feel like they should and it's pretty damn exciting.

I did encounter one bug, where the controls randomly inverted by themselves. I had to invert them in the settings and then undo it to fix it. Minor issue, but apart from that it seems fine.

I have to hand it to the developer, they've really put in the effort in this one, I think they're well worth supporting. You can see their full changelog for the recent update here.

Thanks to the "King in the North" for gifting me a copy.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
5 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. You can also follow my personal adventures on Bluesky.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
All posts need to follow our rules. For users logged in: please hit the Report Flag icon on any post that breaks the rules or contains illegal / harmful content. Guest readers can email us for any issues.
24 comments
Page: 1/2»
  Go to:

Leopard Sep 8, 2017
There is no SteamOS+Linux sys req page and SteamOS icon.

Is it alpha or beta for Linux?
Liam Dawe Sep 8, 2017
There is no SteamOS+Linux sys req page and SteamOS icon.

Is it alpha or beta for Linux?
There is no SteamOS icon to indicate Linux support, but it is there. The developer is likely waiting for more confirmation about how it runs before properly advertising it.
Leopard Sep 8, 2017
There is no SteamOS+Linux sys req page and SteamOS icon.

Is it alpha or beta for Linux?
There is no SteamOS icon to indicate Linux support, but it is there. The developer is likely waiting for more confirmation about how it runs before properly advertising it.

I see but people won't be aware of a Linux version exists for that game , unless they're not following GoL or Reddit. So that is not helpful if they want some feedbacks.
Liam Dawe Sep 8, 2017
There is no SteamOS+Linux sys req page and SteamOS icon.

Is it alpha or beta for Linux?
There is no SteamOS icon to indicate Linux support, but it is there. The developer is likely waiting for more confirmation about how it runs before properly advertising it.

I see but people won't be aware of a Linux version exists for that game , unless they're not following GoL or Reddit. So that is not helpful if they want some feedbacks.
Having it fully advertised, with thousands of people buying it can overwhelm a developer with feedback, especially with a small team.
silmeth Sep 8, 2017
Having it fully advertised, with thousands of people buying it can overwhelm a developer with feedback, especially with a small team.

And, to add to that, especially when the developers themselves are aware that their game has annoying problems (and from the article I gather it had before this update) – that’s cool they want first to do their own QA and eliminate the bugs they are aware of before advertising to the wider public.
iiari Sep 8, 2017
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
Yeah, that's what the developer is doing. Slow roll out to the Linux community via sites like this one to squash the bugs and refine it before slapping on the Linux/SteamOS logo. The dev has a Discord channel and has been super responsive there.

It's a GREAT space combat engine. While longer term they have more work to do on things like more diverse missions and balance, for an EA title, the action is smooth, refined, hot, and heavy. LOTS of fun. It's not as deep mission-wise as, say, Freespace 2 or XWing, being more action oriented, but boy does combat feel chaotic and white knuckle... I'm not sure there's anything else on Linux quite like it.

EDIT: BTW, still amazes me we have two EA space titles within a month of each other. This and Helium Rain. I think they both use UE4, but could not be or feel more different (both in great ways).


Last edited by iiari on 8 September 2017 at 12:06 pm UTC
AlveKatt Sep 8, 2017
What I want to know is, is it a 6DOF game?
Cheeseness Sep 8, 2017
What I want to know is, is it a 6DOF game?
Sort of - as much as FS2 is. It's not Descent or Sublevel Zero or NeonXZ where 6DOF effectively means a zero gravity FPS-style experience, but you can rotate and move along all three axes.

Unlike Freespace 2 and just about every other space combat sim, AstroKill has inertia (you can turn to face a different direction from the one you're travelling in, and it takes extra thrust to counteract that if you want to change directions), and that impacts heavily on how those 6 degrees of freedom can be used.
iiari Sep 8, 2017
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
[quote=Cheeseness]
Unlike Freespace 2 and just about every other space combat sim, AstroKill has inertia (you can turn to face a different direction from the one you're travelling in, and it takes extra thrust to counteract that if you want to change directions), and that impacts heavily on how those 6 degrees of freedom can be used.
Actually, if you press 'T,' the automatic inertial compensation goes away and you can play and thust in a completely zero-g fashion! I haven't played the game that way yet, though... Given how fast the action is, it might be tough. I'll be great in missions where you need to strafe fire on capital ships, though!


Last edited by iiari on 8 September 2017 at 1:15 pm UTC
AlveKatt Sep 8, 2017
Actually, if you press 'T,' the automatic inertial compensation goes away and you can play and thust in a completely zero-g fashion! I haven't played the game that way yet, though... Given how fast the action is, it might be tough. I'll be great in missions where you need to strafe fire on capital ships, though!

That's something I really enjoy doing. It's a very viable strategy in I-war 2, but that may be because it has such an ingenious relative velocity indicator that makes it easy to see which way you are floating. It gives you a whole new freedom of manoeuvres.

Unlike Freespace 2 and just about every other space combat sim, AstroKill has inertia (you can turn to face a different direction from the one you're travelling in, and it takes extra thrust to counteract that if you want to change directions), and that impacts heavily on how those 6 degrees of freedom can be used.

That's how it should be. :D

Might be looking to get this one. Gonna find a gameplay video and see how it looks.
iiari Sep 8, 2017
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
Here's a gameplay trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn7iUPN458E
AlveKatt Sep 8, 2017
I found a gameplay video. Question, can you only play it in third person?
Liam Dawe Sep 8, 2017
It has multiple camera modes, including first person.
razing32 Sep 8, 2017
Good to hear they are making progress.
Will wait till full release to buy though.
johndoe Sep 8, 2017
Bought it! Nice game.
It also runs quite nice with my Intel Iris Pro 5200 iGPU (low settings) and Mesa 17.2.0.
Seems like Ureal Engine 4 is getting ready for Linux.
g000h Sep 8, 2017
I'm interested to know which is the better game: Avorion, ASTROKILL or Everspace ?

Anyone have any viewpoints to share? How do they compare to Elite Dangerous?
LinuxGamesTV Sep 8, 2017
Next Round: Patch 0.9.1 on openSuSE Tumbleweed, kernel 4.12.10, AMD Phenom II X4 960T + NVIDIA GTX 760 2 GB VRAM Factory OC on NVIDIA 384.69 Driver: View video on youtube.com
(German Voice)
Liam Dawe Sep 8, 2017
I'm interested to know which is the better game: Avorion, ASTROKILL or Everspace ?

Anyone have any viewpoints to share? How do they compare to Elite Dangerous?
Avorion is completely different, it's a build your own spaceship game with trading and combat.

ASTROKILL is much more like EVERSPACE, but it's already clear EVERSPACE is far more polished.

Edit: Not saying ASTROKILL is bad, but it's an Early Access game :)

Never played Elite Dangerous, but from what I know none are like it.


Last edited by Liam Dawe on 8 September 2017 at 3:48 pm UTC
iiari Sep 8, 2017
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
[quote=liamdawe]
Never played Elite Dangerous, but from what I know none are like it.

For Linux, the EA Helium Rain is the closest new title to the space economy and trading of Elite Dangerous, although Helium rain doesn't have quite the scope of the massive and advanced Elite Dangerous. Going back into the past, the X series on Linux also is similar to Elite Dangerous (although apparently we are not getting the upcoming X4, at least not yet). The prior Linux title closest to Astrokill and Everspace might be Strike Suit Zero.

Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen are the only reasons I ever occasionally return to Windows. Overall, though, it's amazing that while graphics and engines have advanced, the historical high water mark for space combat and 3D space strategy on any platform were titles from 10-20 years ago. Ones like Freespace 2, IWar/IWar 2, XWing/Tie Fighter, Homeworld/2, SW: Empires at War, Freelancer/Allegiance have yet to be bested, IMHO, by any "modern" title (and happily most run on Wine on Linux). If you install any of these today (especially with modded graphical updates by the modding communities) they are just as amazing to play now and feel fresh and contemporary. Elite Dangerous, Star Citizen, Astrokill, Helium Rain, etc are all great and "new," but none have really added anything dramatic or deeper than the greats. Only Star Citizen is really striving to advance the genre, and time will tell if the gameplay ever comes together or is really any fun...
johndoe Sep 8, 2017
I'm interested to know which is the better game: Avorion, ASTROKILL or Everspace ?

Anyone have any viewpoints to share? How do they compare to Elite Dangerous?

ASTROKILL feels realistic and it reminds me also of Battlestar Galactica (Liam already mentioned it).
You don't shoot with laser or plasma cannons like in EVERSPACE.
Here you have "kinetic weapons" like machine guns, flak cannons, homing missiles and rail guns... I really LIKE this!
But ASTROKILL needs some more time (Early Access) to get finished.

EVERSPACE on the other hand already released fully for Windows and Mac.
I will buy it in the next days but for me it looks like a simple action space shooter with ship upgrades.
But simple does not mean it makes no fun. And having fun is most important for me:)
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.