Search for:

Everspace 2

EVERSPACE 2 was released in Early-Access on January 18th for PC on GOG and Steam. Like so many of Steam’s recently added Early-Access games, there are huge plans for the game’s future. The German development team ROCKFISH Games wants EVERSPACE 2 to become the gold standard for space shooter games. It combines elements from many different genres, culminating in an experience that sets it apart from any other game. It also represents a great shift from the original EVERSPACE. While the developers are taking full advantage of the same community-based method to refine the game, they’re moving in a different direction with gameplay. They want to take the world of EVERSPACE from a linear roguelike space shooter to an epic open-world space looter shooter.

EVERSPACE 2’s story will take you to very unique locations.

Ever Ambitious

There’s already plenty of content available to the player. There are an estimated 12+ hours of content in the story campaign with full English voice acting. With at least 25 hours of gameplay in total, there are already a great deal of special mechanics that will keep a player interested in exploring the star systems. The game is filled with extensive combat and interesting places to explore. Plus, there are tons of puzzles, crafting, trading, customization options, and characters. There are also alien species, hidden treasures, outlaw gangs, and many other mysteries to uncover through the main missions and side missions. But, there are still plenty of features left to be fleshed out or added.

EVERSPACE 2 features various unique ship classes and there are plans to add plenty of customization options in the future.

A Vast Future

ROCKFISH plans to keep EVERSPACE 2 in Early Access for the next 12 to 18 months. There are a multitude of content additions that they plan to release through quarterly updates. There are going to be a plethora of new locations, enemies, missions, challenges, characters, customization options, items, resources, and more. While the game’s graphics already look excellent, several quality of life improvements can also be expected. Expected improvements can include bug fixes, new language support, ac and Linux support, and new difficulties. EVERSPACE 2 has big plans, so check back in on it from time to time over the next year or so.

#Indie #Space #EVERSPACE #EVERSPACE2 #SCIFI #RPG

Dyson Sphere Program

Dyson Sphere Program is a simulation strategy game where you are tasked with building an intergalactic factory system. The game was released to Steam Early Access on January 21st. The 5-person team of developers, Youthcat Studio, anticipate that they will continue to work on the game for about a year before it receives its full release. Gameplay currently consists of collecting energy and resources, then designing complicated production lines. Eventually, you’ll turn a relatively small workshop into a galaxy-wide industrial empire.

A colossal Dyson Sphere is a sight to behold.

A Vast and Unique Universe

If you haven’t already heard of it, a Dyson Sphere is an incredible theoretical megastructure that orbits around a star and harnesses its energy. This would let an intergalactic civilization survive across multiple planets. A Dyson Sphere is just one of many late-game goals for a player once they get their industrial empire going. The game starts the player off on a planet with a mecha (a controllable robot) where you need to harvest resources and use them to start your factory. As your facilities grow, you can expand further into the procedurally generated universe and fully exploit the galaxy’s resources.

The game’s factory construction system is reminiscent to other factory building sims.

The Sky is Limit

The ultimate plans for Dyson Sphere Program are very ambitious. The developers plan to add a great deal of content into the game at some point. They claim that there are already hundreds of hours of content in the game with much more to come. There are plans to add more customization options for buildings and mechas, more types of structures to build, more types of planets and celestial bodies to discover, more cosmic events to unfold, more music and sounds, and even alien monsters to defend against. Although the graphics look great, there is still a lot of polish needed before the game is complete. There’s also still plenty of room for improvement in translating the game to English. But, all in all, Dyson Sphere Program shows promise as a simulation strategy game in space. If you’re interested, it’s currently on sale on Steam until January 27th.

#Indie #Space #Simulation #Strategy

Skul: The Hero Slayer

Skul: The Hero Slayer had its Version 1.0 release on January 21st of 2021. The game has been in Early Access on Steam since last February and its developers have finally decided to present its full release. The game is developed in South Korea by SouthPAW Games and published by NEOWIZ. Skul: The Hero Slayer is a rogue-lite 2D action platformer where you play as a skeleton on a mission. You must save your king from the Imperial Army and the Adventurers that took him as a prisoner. But saving the Demon King won’t be easy.

Skul can appear in many different forms.

Switch your Skull Up

Skul has a powerful ability. He has the ability to totally change his form by replacing his skull with another. When he finds a new skull, he completely changes his fighting skills and abilities. For example, he could equip a skull that transforms him into a fighter like Robinhood. With each pre-release update, the developers added more and more skulls and unique looks for Skul. There are now over 50 different skulls that give Skul a unique combination of attack range, power, and speed. You can also carry two skulls at once. That means you can switch forms to take on multiple enemies in the smartest way possible.

The game features a wide cast of enemies.

The Power of Dark Quartz

Skul flips the typical plot of an action game on its head. In this game, you’re actually fighting the demon-slaying Adventurers and you’re trying to save the Demon King. Most of your enemies are soldiers in the Imperial Army or in the party of Adventurers. But the hardest fights come when you have to fight against the game’s massive bosses. Dark Quartz is a powerful material that corrupts life and creates giant monsters that Skul must vanquish. Skull is usually $19.99, but it will be 20% off until February 3rd to celebrate the game’s full release. If you’re a fan of rogue-lite games or 2D action platformers, consider giving this game a try.

#Skul #Indie #2D #roguelite #platformer #action

NUTS

NUTS will be released for Nintendo Switch and PC on February 4th 2021. The game was produced by a small team of indie developers and will be published by Noodlecake Studios. Nuts has a unique aesthetic and stands alone as an experience that you won’t be able to easily replicate in another game. The fully voice acted story and bold visual style solidifies the game as one that will be hard to forget. Meanwhile, the actual plot of the game is also far from typical.

The ultimate goal of NUTS is to learn more about the native squirrel population.

Strange Squirrels

You play as a recent graduate of Viago University. You’re job is to research the activity of the native squirrel population at Melmoth Forest. To do this, you must arrange cameras in the forest and track the movement of the squirrels. As each day passes by, you’ll notice patterns in the movement of the animals. Your ultimate goal is to find the nest. However, the truth behind the strange behavior of the squirrels might be more complicated than anyone realizes. You will need to analyze the recorded footage from your cameras and show your boss what you’ve found. Over time, you might just unravel the secrets of the squirrels in this forest.

The entire game is displayed in vibrant shades of colors.

Keep Watch

What sets NUTS apart is the uniquity in its plot and ambiance. The entire game is displayed with a memorable visual filter. The game wants you to be surprised by the story. NUTS will offer a different type of surveillance adventure that will envelop the player in the immersive forest. There’s a reason that this game ended up on “Polygon’s 50 most anticipated games” list. This will be an experience of its own. If you want to try out an indie game where the developers are exploring a new type of adventure, check back on NUTS in February.

#NUTS #Indie #ComingSoon

Subnautica: Below Zero

Subnautica: Below Zero is an Early Access game on Steam that’s been available for purchase since January 30th 2019. It will be coming to Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch in 2021. This is the second game in the Subnautica series. Subnautica is a mostly underwater sandbox game where you can harvest resources, build bases, and explore a strange alien planet. Below Zero takes place after the events of the original game on the same planet. But you’ll be faced with unique new challenges in Below Zero. There are new monsters that you’ll have to avoid. There’s a new set of mysteries for you to uncover. And as always, you still need to eat and drink to survive.

Many of the animals that appear in the original Subnautica will also make an appearance in Below Zero.

Under the Ice

Subnautica doesn’t have a direct storyline per se. Rather, you can receive radio signals that will beckon you in certain directions. When you reach the source of that signal, you might find something especially interesting there. Maybe you’ll find records of another fellow explorer’s journey to the planet. Or maybe you’ll find evidence that the aliens on this planet are more than meets the eye. As you uncover the planet’s secrets, you’ll be discovering more and more that the planet has to offer. You’ll be uncovering new alien species of fauna and flora that you can exploit for your own purposes. As you progress through the game, you’ll unlock new tools, base upgrades, and vehicles. These small victories keep you interested in exploring new areas and discovering more of what the planet has to offer. 

You’ll spend more time out of the water in Below Zero when compared to the original Subnautica.

Frozen Secrets

Below Zero is still in Early Access so there’s still planned content that will be added to the game. For example, there will likely be more fleshing out of the story through more voice acted scenes. There are also still plenty of bugs that the development team will eventually patch out. They also intend to increase the performance and frame rate on all systems. We might also see even more vehicles, biomes, or other in-game items that could enhance the player’s experience. The original Subnautica was an Early Access game and that ended up playing a huge role in the quality of the game on its release date. Unknown Worlds Entertainment takes full advantage of the gaming community’s feedback to optimize their games and Subnautica: Below Zero will likely be no different. 

#Subnautica #EarlyAccess #Indie #Survival

Super Drink Bros.

Super Drink Bros is a fun little indie game from the Japanese studio Neko Game Teacher. It’s still in early-access on Steam and you can pick it up for the small price of $4.99. This is a high-speed fighting game where where drink cans battle it out in hardcore combat. Does it sound crazy? Yes. Is it a ridiculous idea? Absolutely. But considering the game’s price, you can actually have some real hilarious fun playing this game with a friend, or even online. Check out the reviews on Steam yourself and you’ll see that the vast majority of players are having fun with it.

One of the characters in Super Drink Bros is a bamboo water bottle with a samurai sword.

Who’s Thirsty?

How many games can you think of where drink cans fight each other? Well, now you can at least think one. The game features multiple different fighters in the form of different types of drinks. Each drink uses a different fighting style. Some drinks fight with their fists. On of the drinks is armed with a gun. There’s even a drink that uses a samurai sword. To top it off, you can even design your own custom can and play with that character. Each fighter has a unique set of moves and characteristics that will make it feel different from the other drinks. There are also mutiple maps that have unique obstacles. For example, fighting in the restaurant will mean that furniture might get in the way. Meanwhile, a fight in the wrestling ring will mean that there’s nothing between you and your opponent.

Every fighter in the game has unique combination of moves.

The Beverage Battle

There are still plenty of features that the developers intend to add in the future. They plan to add a ranked mode so that you can play against players with a similar level of skill. They plan to add a 2vs2 mode so that you can actually team up with a friend against a team of enemy drinks. The team might also add multiple new maps. And of course, there’s also the chance for the characters in the form of cans. The developers have said that the price will increase when the game is fully released, so if you want to mess around with a new inexpensive fighting game, Super Drink Bros might actually be what you’re looking for.

#Indie #DrinkBros #Fighting

Slime Rancher

Slime Rancher is one of Steam Early Access’s greatest success stories. It’s the first game produced by the California based studio Monomi Park. The game has sold over 3 million units and usually has hundreds of thousands of monthly players. That’s an impressive feat for an indie studio’s debut project. The game first arrived on Steam in January of 2016 and was fully released in August of 2017. Since then, a stream of free DLC and content updates have kept the game fresh. The studio’s long-lasting devotion to the game continued to drive it’s sales on Xbox, Playstation, and PC. Slime Rancher proves that you don’t need a giant team to make a well-received game with a healthy community of dedicated players.

There are a wide variety of slimes that you can find on the Far, Far Range.

Not an Average Farm

In Slime Rancher, you play as Beatrix LeBeau. She’s traveled to an alien planet inhabited by creatures known as “slimes”. She’s inherited a ranch on the planet and she plans to make a fortune by collecting and combining the the tons of different types of slimes. Slime Rancher is a sandbox game, meaning that you’re placed placed into a large world with minimal instruction on what to do. You interact with the world the way that you choose to interact with the world. You explore the wild at your own pace and discover the game’s hidden secrets as you navigate the world. As you learn more about the mysterious planet, you’ll also come across more and more interesting and unique slimes. Hardcore fans of the game have spent many hundreds of hours collecting all the slimes, making their own hybrid slimes, and simply taking care of the slimes that they already have. The potential fun is potentially endless, especially considering the consistent stream of additional free content.

Who couldn’t love an angel slime?

The Far, Far Range

How has Slime Rancher been able to maintain its player base? Well, players are excited to see what comes next in the game. Without forcing the player down a questline, they want to see what the rest of the world has to offer. A beautiful soundtrack and welcoming graphics also help to keep people coming right back. People are excited when more content keeps getting added that upgrades everything from the gadgets, to the ranch, to the crops, to the slimes. As long as Monomi Park keeps showing Slime Rancher the love that its shown the game in the past, the player base is probably here to stay.

#SlimeRancher #Indie #Sandbox

Flea

Flea is an indie game released by the one-man studio Lowtek Games on October 30th 2020. Alastair Low ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to create a platforming game that would support a physical NES release. The NES was originally released in 1983 by Nintendo and changed the gaming industry as a whole. Having been a huge fan of NES games when he was younger, Low wanted to create a new game that would run on his favorite old console. Alongside the Flea physical NES cartridges that have been produced, you can also buy physical discs for the SEGA Dreamcast or download the game on Steam. All in all, this is a very unconventional 2020 release with a fun backstory behind it.

Flea uses other bugs as enemies, like mosquitoes.

Back to the Basics

Flea is a 2D retro platformer. It’s a relatively simple game where you play as Henry the Hyperactive Flea. Henry jumps around and navigates enemies that take the form of different types of bugs You also collect blood in order to complete the levels. There are a total of 80 levels with plenty of interesting characters in the game. Characters include the Fleadom Fighters, Humflea, Taiflea, and the Itchhiker to name a few. This game doesn’t bring much innovation to the table, but that’s the point. Flea attempts to entertain the player by bringing them a classic video game experience straight from the 80’s.

Nostalgia Galore

Like many of the games that appeared on the original NES, Flea can be very challenging. Although certain levels might be brutally difficult, there is enough fun to be had so that most fans of retro games will be able to get through to the end. Flea is $10 on Steam but it’s 50% off until January 5th at noon. If you’re a fan of retro platformers, then consider giving Flea a shot.

#Indie #Platformer #NES

Hades

Hades logo

While an undeniably challenging year, we can at least remember some of the great games that came out in 2020. Hades, already out on PC and released on the Nintendo Switch last September, was one of these games. Hades won IGN’s Game of the Year Award. It also won Best Indie Game at The Game Awards 2020. It was produced by SuperGiant Games, known for the successful indie title Bastion and a few others. Hades is a rogue-like dungeon crawler. This means that every time you die in the game, you start all the way at the beginning and start your journey again. However, the game is different every time you awaken. Plus, there are loads of powers, weapons, and abilities that will unlock themselves as you get farther with each run through. Hades also features a fully voiced set of characters that tell the game’s story. The art is beautiful and the gameplay is well-designed. Hades has a lot to offer.

Dialogue from the player's character
Every character in Hades is beautifully hand-drawn.

See you in Hell

You play as the Immortal Prince of the Underworld, Zagreus. The game takes lace in the mythological ancient Greek underworld of Hades. It’s you’re goal to escape this world and ascend to Mt. Olympus with the gods. But it won’t be easy, as there are countless waves of monsters blocking your path. As you attempt to escape, again and again, you’ll meet many characters. Some will help you on your journey and some will not. There are well known gods like Athena and Zeus. There are even strange underworld gods like Thanatos and Chaos. You can also find classic Greek heroes like Achilles.  Hades also features powerful bosses with strange motivations. The game’s story is slowly unraveled as you meet these characters and uncover all that this game has to offer. There are thousands of unique story events and no two runs will ever be the same.

gameplay screenshot
In Hades, no two runs will ever be the same.

Time to Go Get Killed Again

Hades is a dungeon crawler. Whenever you enter a new area, you won’t know what’s waiting for you on the other side. It could be a room full of ghosts, you might get to speak to a Greek God, or it might be a giant monster. The spontaneity of each run motivates you to keep trying to make it through the entire world, no matter how many times you die trying. You’ll want to meet every character. You’ll want to slay every enemy. But most importantly, you’ll want to keep on playing. Hades earned its accolades for a reason, so give it a try if you like dungeon crawlers. It’s 20% on Steam until January 5th.

#Hades #SuperGiant #Indie

Elliot

 

Elliot logo

Elliot is a 2D platformer developed by the Spanish studio, Plain and Game. It is currently out for PC and will be released on Xbox and Playstation on December 24th. The game features a relaxing original soundtrack and vibrant colors in the levels. But the gameplay itself is actually quite difficult. Sometimes presenting extremely challenging levels, this precision platformer can be very frustrating to gamers with minimal platforming experience. With over 60 levels, the amount of time that it will take to get through the game can vary greatly between players. It’s really dependant on how often you’ll die.

Screenshot from a snowy level
Elliot’s artwork and sound design doesn’t indicate how unforgiving the gameplay can be.

World of the Mombas

Elliot’s story revolves around uncovering the mysteries in his world. You play as the game’s namesake. He’s a bright little blue ball who lives in the woods. He has a bigger green friend, Manuel, and they both live in a forest with the other Mombas. But the rest of the game’s story will have to be uncovered by the player when they go on their adventure. There are in-game collectible that will provide insight into the story. There’s not much to this $7.99 game’s story though, the real draw for Elliot is the challenging gameplay and interesting design.

Screenshot of Elliot
When playing Elliot, you can expect to die very often.

Colorful Hell

Elliot is presented as an exceedingly difficult platformer with relaxing art and music to accompany the gameplay. There is a movement to nominate the game for the “Best Game You Suck At” at the 2020 Steam Awards. Many of the game’s mechanics are what can be found in a traditional platformer. You run, jump, and dash through the levels. But the game is somewhat unique in the fact that the original soundtrack and art have a cute and whimsical implication while the gameplay itself is unforgiving and brutally difficult. If you have a knack for difficult platformers, you might get some real fun out of this love letter to the genre from an Indie developer.

#Elliot #Indie #Platformer #Challenge

Gaming News and the Ultimate Universe