Summary
Just like it has for the worlds of written fiction and cinema, the sci-fi genre has remained a mainstay of the video game landscape since its very beginnings, with the first recorded sci-fi game,Spacewar!, technically releasing in 1962, long before even the advent of home consoles. For decades,sci-fi has remained a staple in the realm of video games. Now, whether it’s grand strategy games likeStellaris, movie tie-ins likeLEGO Star Wars, first-person shooters likeHalo, or large-scale RPGs like Bethesda’s recentStarfield.
But with the sci-fi genre remaining so popular for so long, fans have naturally come to expect certain features from modern sci-fi video games, and that’s especially true for large-scale AAA projects likeStarfield. There’s often an expectation that a sci-fi RPG likeStarfieldneeds to put space exploration front and center of the experience, right alongside ship customization and ship combat. Thankfully,Starfielddoes exactly that. But whileStarfield’s ship-to-ship combatand space exploration are some of the game’s best features, those looking for a more easy-to-digest sci-fi gaming experience might want to turn toFTL: Faster Than Light.
Starfield Fans Should Try FTL: Faster Than Light
FTL Offers Some Great Ship Customization and Combat
A game that was first released all the way back in 2012,FTL: Faster Than Lightwas one of the first and only majorKickstarter video game successes, and upon its initial release, it quickly became one of the best Indie games of its generation. Despite being well over a decade old at this point,FTLstill stands up absurdly well, with its core loop still feeling just as rewarding and addictive as it did back in 2012.
The mainroguelike gameplay loop ofFTL: Faster Than Lightsees players control a ship with a specified layout and set number of crew. The player needs to use this ship and crew to traverse eight sectors, each filled with a slew of interactable planets that house various randomized events, from a hostile ship setting its sights on the player to a colony of peaceful aliens that need to be escorted off-world. Being procedurally generated,FTLhas an extreme level of replayability, especially with all of the content added in its free 2014 “Advanced Edition” update.
While there are a ton of different scenarios that players can find themselves in, the core gameplay loop ofFTLmainly revolves around this notion of ship customization and ship combat, which go interweave with one another splendidly. As players progress through the game they’ll be given new resources, crew members, weapons, and even entirely new ship modules, all of which will need to be carefully managed during the game’s pausable real-time combat. For thoseStarfieldplayers who really wanted more from the game’s ship combat and management systems,FTLis the perfect alternative.
FTL Offers Bite-Sized Sci-Fi RPG Adventures
Starfieldis an incredibly dense RPG. While some missions can take players just a few minutes, the vast majority ofStarfield’s questlineswill see players embark on multi-hour adventures, with multiple parts and possible endings. While that high level of complexity is exactly what fans wanted fromStarfield, it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some players might prefer a more bite-sized experience, andFTLoffers exactly that, with all of its missions and combat encounters taking just a few minutes each, and an overall run lasting just an hour or so.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
