FTL (Faster than Light)
Earlier this week I was sat browsing the Steam store when I came upon the game FTL. Now this game has been recommended to me before so I thought why not have an hour or so of fun, right? FTL is a space combat/exploration game where you control a ship and crew with the mission of transporting data of the rebel attack to the Federation base. This is a simple premise but if there is one thing that this game is it is NOT simple. This game is a challenge. How hard? I have yet to complete easy mode. Despite this I keep coming back for more! So what is it that keeps people coming back to this top down space explorer game?
The gameplay essentially comes down to micromanagement. You're responsible for the ships systems, the fuel level, crew health and abilities and so much more. At first It's pretty easy to get a grip with how to control everything, but right then this game thrown a space age spanner in the works and you suddenly lose a crew member or two, enemies teleport onto your ship and start destroying systems from the inside while their ship peppers you with lasers from afar. Thankfully you can pause the game and stack up actions but this, in some cases, is futile. The game is full of nifty ways to defeat the rebel ships however, you can purchase various guns for your ship, hire new crew members, human or alien, that bring their own abilities to the table or (if you're stuck with intruders like I always am) why not drain all the oxygen from the ship by opening the blast doors? I could ramble on about the countless situations you find yourself facing within this randomly generated solar system but all you really need to know is that this game is fun. Wait a minute, you just said this game is hard? Yes. It is. But this FTL gives you a similar sense of accomplishment as Dark Souls, meaning when you finally overcome a high level enemy ship and raid their supplies you feel great!
Faster Than Light doesn't have a deep story or next gen graphics but what it does have is a fantastic gameplay experience with mechanics that make you feel responsible when your weapons systems get destroyed or a crew member perishes to a strange alien race. FTL will bring hours of fun for anyone looking for a casual game or indeed a challenge.
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