Space Video Games: Buying Guide

Come holiday season, no one would deny the fact that it’s the most convenient time period to acquire new gaming machinery and video games, not only for the sake of the drops in prices of the contents of one pack or the DLC packs that comes separately, but also for the new releases that flood the market. More of these games, variety in genre makes of holiday shopping enjoyable, yet, I wouldn’t claim it is one of the most popular gaming categories out there, but Space games surely do have a massive fan base and are arguably an experience no one should miss. Space games, and as it is apparent from the name, take place in space, navigating various constellations or so using various aircraft systems, with diversity from simulation, role playing and real time strategy. This guide was uniquely made for individuals, whether fans or gift pickers, to introduce them to the space gaming engine featured in many different games to list later on, for a better approach when on the next trip to the store to choose the most suitable item possible. The games I’d personally sort below, would fall within categories of space games that are well known, and the most desirable:

Space Combat and Trading Simulation

This category serves for games that don’t often engage combat to accomplish tasks, therefore conquer the game to a finite extent, relying also in the business-like side of the game, they require a pre-acquired knowledge of the games of the genre for a better experience.

Elite: Dangerous: Have you ever wondered how would it be to chill in space, alone? Employing only relaxing music and a skill set to navigate the galactical system, Elite: Dangerous, despite what user reviews might implicate, is a definite experience for the genre. This open world adventure modernize the concept of governing the galaxy. Starting from but a few power, you have to overcome the many obstacle whether in form of combat threats, natural phenomenons  or economical crisis, all to become a leader of the galaxy.

Wing Commander: Privateer: Anyone who played this game in the past would definitely agree with me to place it within the list. I have hoped on so many occasions that it would be remade, besides the fan projects, I have lost hope that it ever will. The game is stunning, even if it’s the oldest on this entry, includes one of the best storylines in a space based game. Similar to the previous game, it puts you to start with few credits and to build your way throughout foes and vicious paths, you’re required to be patient, skillful and determined to reach your destination.

Evochron: Mercenary: Being one of the most genuine game with its well crafted style, Evochron: Mercenary depicts the life of a mercenary that is controlled by you, in a quest to reach wealth and riches, that is the story line’s main conquest. Multiplayer mode has more diversity in its core, the more you link with various players, the better you will get payed due to the increase in chances of achieving a victory. More so, I do not think boredom would hit your nerves anytime soon, Evochron: Mercenary provokes a divergent gaming style that includes elements and simple tasks, and thankfully, constant updates make of the game a far from tedious experience.

Combat Flight Simulation

The popular genre of combat simulations, throughout the years has been well endowed as one of the top quality game classes. Understanding the term “combat simulation” is a simple, generally, it involves nothing but a flying machine that is able to maintain different types of weaponry and military devices, to both orbit the space in order to either conquer the story mode or to survive in a multiplayer based game.

The Wing Commander Series: Since the original Wing Commander released back in 1990, the name has established its name to be one of the very promising titles that would next set to form a franchise (Vengeance of The Kilrathi, The Heart of The Tiger, The Heart of Freedom and Prophecy). Origin System, Inc. has succeeded into delivering a new aspect of 3D space combat simulation by unboxing out of the traditional methods developers marketed at the time. The futuristic franchise includes space combat against an alien species that is by nature, complex that it will make you rethink your moves before you get on the point of execution. The game indulges you into a variety of spacecraft-style missions that serve to obtain intel, approach  enemy bases to observe movements and analyze behaviors and of course, the infinite-like amount of spaceship combat and flying around.

The Star Wars: X-Wing: Just on the sight of a Star Wars name being dropped wherever, it is total attraction, you’d be definitely sure it would include all the elements that make a space game worth every penny; advanced flight system, modernized combat and well put storyline. The Star Wars X-Wing series is critically acclaimed to be one of, if not the best computer game set in the Star Wars universe, and with merging between space flight combat and a unique strategic design, I can only say that The X-Wing series doesn’t fail to provide.

Freespace 2: No one could deny that Steam reviews have butchered the reputation of this game. Successor to the classic Freespace, the plot of the game is as simple as it can be, yet mysterious as you advance throughout the game’s events. With only a spaceship, your campaign is to discover the descents and the mysteries of the Shivans, but with more enigma and conundrum to the formula of the game’s design, it may seem hard at times to follow, especially during story cutscenes.

Real Time and Grand/4X Strategy

Real time strategy genre conducts the demeanor of a leader, and not just any type of leaders, a space emperor in which duty is to rule a whole vessel, from spaceships to military personnel, resources to weaponry. Expanding your spacecraft, personalising its armory and employing mae-at-arm are the principal criteria of your success, which is somehow similar to the Grand Strategy class in which you’re provided with a pre built realm and you work your way to draw expedition plans and conquer lands whether free or under rule. Typically, the fight grand strategic games employ is more of its best feature. While 4X strategy space games follow certain steps which the name suggests (four X letter; eXpand, eXploit, eXplore, eXterminate), they engage more complex gameplay mechanics, and are sometimes more long than enough, due to the characteristics of the exhausting details that construct its basis; the technological and economical core of your empire. For the sake of the argument I would mention the Civilization game series even though it is not space based, just so you know what a 4X strategy game consists of.

Star Wars: Empire at War: Another Star Wars title to be features in the list, released in 2006, Empire at War introduced the Star Wars universe into the strategy genre with both land and space combat. In game, you’re either to take charge of the Rebellion and try to put an end to the Empire (Rebel campaign), or the opposite; you can choose to act as the supreme leader of the galaxy and rule them all (Imperial campaign).The plot doesn’t represent much of a difficulty to follow, same as with the Star Wars original story, it contain space fighting, infiltrating enemy bases, holding hostages captive and ensuring the safety of your clan. With mechanics that include crafting, salvaging resources to build up money, constructing defense lines and upgrading your combat skills, Star Wars: Empire at War is one of the utmost best real time space strategy games to ever hit the computer gaming industry.

Conquest: Frontier Wars: You rarely see Ubisoft in publication for real strategy video games, but when they do, the results are definitely interesting. Conquest: Frontier Wars, since its initial release in 2001 has received many awards, notably IGN’s Real Time Strategy Game of the Year, and user reviews have been nothing but positive, more of the same, Frontier Wars hasn’t been publicity friendly and the lack of its public claim has endangered it to be a nameless modern classic, yet fans made sure the world knows what it is missing. Both singleplayer and multiplayer modes are excruciatingly hard, which make of Frontier Wars one of the first and few strategy based games to have a sense of challenge for players, in which it is depicted in the various missions of reckon and discovery at the utmost.

Distant Worlds: Universe: It is new, it is massive and it is breathtaking… yes, it’s Distant Worlds: Universe! This Universe Release, includes the Universe game plus every other previously released Distant Worlds game in the series, and throned as the Bestest Best Strategy of 2014 by Rock Paper Shotgun, it features brand new elements of gameplay and an incredible line of the story. It is as simple in bias to employ real time strategy aspects as any other 4x strategy based space game and contains massive worlds and infinite planetary systems, that are filled with friends and foes on whatever campaign you choose to immerse yourself into.

Third Person Role Playing

In general, third person fighting games provides you with a full view of your character’s built, appearance, behaviors and weaponry, this visibility offers a better edge and point of view to analyze landscapes and space zones. Basically, Third Person RPGs are keen  to operate with more shooting aspects than the previous sub genres. One of the few games that is identified as a third person RPG is the infamous Mass Effect series, if you have played it you’ll have knowledge of the next, if not, I will try to simplify my pick as far as I can for you.

Space Rangers HD: A War Apart: A remastered version of the classic Space Rangers 2, made by SNK Studios in which everyone knows they are trustworthy and a they adhere into making games with a determined vision to receive praise, critical claim and positive reviews after the development of said games. Envision how it would be if Pirates of The Caribbean was a space themed video game, Space Rangers HD: A War Apart revives the very influential events of Space Rangers 2 and put you in a pirate’s shoes, with a low grade and practically nothing to employ, your goal is to reach the top of the piracy community and lead the way. The game consists of a campaign story mode that contains missions you are tasked to complete in order to learn informations, infiltrate and assassinate whoever it is you are asked to ensure the death of.

Drox Operative: I don’t think any of Rock Paper Shotgun reviews shouldn’t be mentioned when you’re looking to acquire a PC video game, let alone third person space role playing games, with all their complexity in construct and delivery, you should take a look at that. Drox Operative is a third person RPG styled game, that includes elements of the 4X strategy category, that puts you (a mercenary) in a galaxy that is ferocious with all its creatures, and the deadly consequences of a galactic civil war. Within the game, you can build the greatest vessel of starship in the galaxy and make your enemies fear your existence, more so, Drox Operative doesn’t stop at that point, the multiplayer mode presents new adventures for you and your friends to either exploit together or compete to achieve.

Arcade and Rogue Space Games:

The both genres consist of more harmful fun to your campaign, that is why I would be brief and get to the point directly. Games that fall within this trajectory are either just brutal in gameplay or just too fun to even consider their story mode a challenge, but either way, we enjoy that creativity and the infinite amount of enjoyment they provide.

FTL: From the many games I would recommend, come FTL (Faster Than Light). You can never experience the sense of brutality in any other title, it literally just you against situations that are just a hassle to get through.

Other options would include: Infinite Space franchise.

Really Big Sky: This game is just fast paced, shooting enemies and bosses would let you perplexed and confused in aim, it gives the motto of “when defending your planet, you just go face to face and destroy whatever comes in the way!”

Other options would include: Space Pirates and Zombies, and Gran Vitreous.