![]() ![]() But it doesn't matter, because all you need to know is that you've got a Rebel fleet gunning for you and a bunch of unexplored star systems spread throughout a string of sectors to check out if you're going to come up with the fuel, weapons, and gear to make it all the way to the Feds on the other side of the galaxy.ĭeciding which ship systems to upgrade and when is almost as tense as combat. What is this dire secret? It never comes up. This plucky vessel is on the run from Rebel forces in possession of a secret that must be brought to the good guys within the galaxy-ruling Federation. Here you play as the commander of a ship called the Kestrel in the only mode of play, a zippy single-player campaign geared to be finished in one or two sittings. The main theme blends elements of Elite and Rogue into a space sim that plays like an old-fashioned dungeon crawler with randomly generated rooms and encounters. It doesn't take long for Faster Than Light to get its hooks into you. Audio is limited to various booms and bangs, and to the mono bloops that served as the primary musical accompaniment to games in the '80s and '90s. Very little is animated, aside from dinky crewmen puttering around inside your ship and various rockets and missiles being blasted across the void between you and the many enemies that you encounter during your travels. The only other main screen to note governs upgrades to your ship's core systems and how to equip weapons and other gear. You spend most of your time looking at an overhead schematic of your vessel seen in front of a spartan backdrop consisting of a planet, nebula, asteroid field, or whatever other scrap of intergalactic real estate dominates the star system that you are currently exploring. ![]() The game consists of just a couple of screens. Graphics are intentionally pixelated, particularly the big, blocky text used to provide ship information and menu options. What first strikes you about Faster Than Light is how old-fashioned it looks and sounds. Unlike space sims that make you feel like you've had your head jammed in a Jefferies tube during an ion storm (if we can mix sci-fi franchises for a moment), this lighter entry in the genre combines an endearing retro feel and an even more endearing $10 price tag with gripping gameplay packed with tough choices and frenetic combat.īattles may look dry and uninvolving, though that sure isn't the case when you're the one loading the weapons and putting out the fires. This spaceship simulation may look like something from the golden age of 16-bit gaming, but it offers a good deal of fun and depth. Faster Than Light might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. ![]()
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