Summary
Many space-themed games offer immediate fun, such as the instantly accessibleOuter Wilds. However, plenty of these titles get better with time. While the space-sim is the most obvious contender, with games such asKerbal Space Programgetting much better with practice and knowledge, multiple genres have been included for variety’s sake.
These games often include an immediate sense of difficulty, inaccessible controls, unforgiving gameplay, and/or complex systems and mechanics that take time to appreciate. Others lean on progression systems that offer meaningful rewards, such as the wildly different weapons present inDead Space.
Dead Spacegets off toa somewhat slow start; while it doesn’t take long for everything to hit the fan on the iconic Ishimura,Dead Spaceis slow to expand the player’s arsenal of weapons. This does work in the game’s favor, though, emphasizing horror early on.
That said,Dead Spacecertainly improves as time goes on, offering bigger, badder enemies and more diverse gameplay. Set-pieces and an unfolding narrative also help to improve engagement as the game progresses. However, it’s the added variety of weaponry as the game goes on that allows it toimprove with time.
Heat Signatureis a unique action roguelike that tasks players with breaking into spaceships and completing dangerous missions. The immersive-sim aspects of the game allow players to make clever use of myriad items, exercise stealth, and create clever solutions to emergent problems.
However, the sheer agency thatHeat Signatureaffords its players can be difficult to harness, as mistakes are often punished swiftly. As a result,Heat Signatureis a game that becomes more fun as players gain a better understanding of its items, and how to use them effectively.
Deep Rock Galactichas players exploring procedurally-generated caverns out in space. Exploration is entirely underground. However, the space setting is prevalent in the enemy design, weapons, and abundance of utility items.
Fans of horde shooters such asLeft 4 Dead 2and the cave exploration of games such asMinecraftmay enjoyDeep Rock Galactic, but it certainly offers its own distinctive flavor. This flavor becomes even more palatable as time goes on, most notably due to the variety of meaningful upgrades and unlocks that the game has to offer.
Oxygen Not Includedis a simulation-heavy colony-sim that takes place in space, offering playerstruly harsh environmentsto contend with. As its name suggests,Oxygen Not Includedtasks players with maintaining their oxygen supply. However, players must also worry about food and water, all while handling the safe disposal of waste and various other conundrums.
It may sound tedious, butOxygen Not Includedis carefully designed to lead players through the experience. However, failure is part of progress, and maintaining a colony is no small feat. As a result, players may not interact with the more interesting aspects of the game until they’ve sunk a few solid hours into learning the basics.
The Outer Worldsis an open-world role-playing game with unique character progression, a distinctivesci-fi western setting, and a sense of humor. Immediately stylish and expressive,The Outer Worldswastes no time getting to the point.
That said,The Outer Worldsis a space game that gets better with play. Most notable are the game’s various companions, each with distinctive and memorable personalities. As the game goes on, players will encounter more of these companions, eventually resulting in a ship that’s warm with charming - and not so charming - company.
Quasimorphis a hardcore roguelike that excels with its grim-dark setting and distinctive gameplay loop; whileQuasimorphdoes feature permanent death, players are able to build a stash of equipment over time, not unlike an extraction shooter.
Quasimorphcan be incredibly difficultat first; enemies, both human and not, can be incredibly dangerous, with even a single gunshot capable of dealing considerable damage. However, once players have built a considerable stash of equipment to draw from and gained a deeper understanding of the game’s systems,Quasimorphbecomes a more expressive and less frustrating experience.
Cobalt Coreis an expressive roguelike deck-builder that excels with its thematic gameplay and charming visuals. It’s an immediately stylish experience that eases players in with grace, butCobalt Coreonly improves as it goes on.
In the game, players command a spaceship intactical turn-based battlesusing a deck of cards, represented by three unique crew members. These crew members are chosen at the start of each run, and more are unlocked as players go on. As a result, the game becomes more diverse - and more expressive - with time.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apartoffersa vibrant, spacefaring adventurethat’s packed with visual variety and frequent action. There’s a heartfelt narrative, an abundance of impressive set-pieces, and memorable locations that are a joy to explore.
However, the greatest strength ofRift Apartis arguably its diverse arsenal of distinctive weapons. These weapons make combat a truly expressive experience, and this arsenal only expands as the game goes on. This, along with the ramping pace, results in an experience that gets better with play.
