Starsector, originally named Starfarer, is an absolutely brilliant top-down 2D open-world space game that's been going for years and a huge new release is finally out. The gameplay carefully mixes together RPG mechanics, open-world exploration, tactical and exciting space combat with lots of ship and weapon variety and economics.
Here's just a small slice of what's new in the 0.95a release:
- Complete story missions and uncover some of the mysteries of the Sector
- Face new endgame enemies and acquire their technology, including new weapons and a unique capital-class ship
- Make playstyle-altering choices using a revamped skill system
- Customize your playthrough – mentor officers, specialize colonies, make permanent alterations to ships, and more
- Raid the core worlds for what you need using a targeted raid system
- Improve your colonies using lost technology
- Build relationships with contacts and gain new opportunities
- Take on many new types of bounties, choosing the challenge level you want
- Incorporate automated ships into your fleet
- UI scaling and support for 4k monitors
- Ship AI and combat balance/gameplay improvements
- Several new ships
This is easily one of my favourite indie games, it's been something I've personally followed since around 2011 and it was a personal purchase too because even back then it was impressive. It's the combat and the ship design that really pulls you in though, it's just awesome. It has some of the absolutely coolest looking spaceships in any 2D space game.
Some great audio went into the game too. If you want a look at some of the fun combat side of it, here's a quick walk-through of the basic tutorial. This gives you an idea into how deep the game goes, considering the many things you need to think about during ship to ship combat.
Direct Link
If you love space combat and exploration, go get it. Currently though keep in mind it's not finished.
You can buy it from the official site.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
DebianUser Mar 31, 2021
Quoting: MisterPaytwickI guess I shall start over a session again. Sounds like the part when you start building up some power will be a bit more interesting, I may finally face the outer space horrors.
Let's disrupt commerce and sell space heroin to miners again.
Quoting: DebianUserExcellent game, i have discovered it only one year ago since a french known youtuber has made a letsplay on it.
Got a name here? I mean I did (re)discover the game (as I read once back in like 2015) with Sseth, but you got me curious here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5fpZN6yFLM&list=PLT8d94Bi5BRYXM0WQpP8enpDfdLxHMTCU
Last edited by DebianUser on 31 March 2021 at 4:24 pm UTC
Quoting: amataiI bought the game. It's nice but I don't like the combat. They are slow and I can't understand how it works. I just take command of a ship that don't go in combat, let the AI play and go doing something else as they are not skipable
Later in the game, when you have a large fleet, you have to think much more about managing your ships, giving orders etc. but at the very beginning of the game you mostly have your own ship that you have to deploy and that you take full control of. You steer the ship with WASD and aim and fire using your mouse. Pressing shift and A or D lets you strafe in that direction rather than turn.
The combat, in my opinion, is a lot of fun in this game.
Game is nice except for one main flaw : the rhythm. Game is too grindy, trip are too slow even on x2 mode and battle are far too slow due to a cautious AI and low precision of the weapon and low speed and maneuverability of the ships. Even by offering myself 1 milion credit by 5 hour grinding (via save edit) and using the mod to make battle far faster the game is still very slow.
That's a pity because beside that, the game could have been the Mount & Blade in space we deserve. What SPAZ 2 should have been. The simulation, exploration and mission are nice and interesting.
But the combat lack the speed of M&B, SPAZ or Reassembly and the depth of turn by turn combat like with the Sunrider franchise.
I hope some mod will solve thoose issues, this game has a lot of potential
Patreon
PayPal
See more from me