Voidship: The Long Journey has you searching for humanity’s new home after we messed up the old one. Big time.
It wasn’t climate change or wars that finally did us in; it was ambition. After breaching some galactic law that prohibits the creation of super-AIs, humanity is basically wiped out by an intergalactic punishment fleet. Oops. One single ship can escape the carnage and is left to explore space and maybe find a new home.
Thankfully, you’re not just setting out into the unknown. Four particular faraway star systems can be explored in hopes of finding some sort of permanent residence. However, getting there is not that easy, as your mission will take centuries. Crew members will die and need to be replaced. Oh, and there are other races out there, worshipping the destroyed super-AI. Unfortunately, they are not exactly welcoming…
The ship that you start with won’t get you too far, either. Resources gathered from mining or combat allow you to add systems and weapons. This part of the game is thoroughly enjoyable in its simplicity: buy a part, attach it somewhere on your ship, and you’re done. Parts can be moved around at no cost, so you’re free to experiment. It’s as easy and fun as playing with Lego, really.
Fights against other ships or even stations take place in pause-able real time on a tactical top-down map. They can be tense, drawn-out affairs that feel a little too punishing sometimes. Facing off against two ships the size of your own vessel is a recipe for disaster, and moments like these can be encountered way too soon in the game, even on the Easy difficulty. But maybe I just had a streak of bad luck. Every playthrough is different, after all.
Still, Voidship’s exploration and ship-building elements are strong enough to make up for the sometimes frustrating fights. Having the time of your journey factor into the gameplay is a clever touch. And persisting against all odds in a hostile galaxy that’s not too keen on humans always feels rewarding.
Voidship: The Long Journey is available now on Steam.
About The Author
For a 2D top-down space combat RPG, Voidship: The Long Journey looks cool. It kinda reminds me of Sipho and X-Morph: Defense. Cydonian Games’ masterpiece have always intrigued me. I do wish that this indie game would someday come to 8th gen consoles. Thanks for sharing this game.