With the
current drought of good space sims on the PC closing in on the decade mark,
SpaceForce: Rogue Universe is an encouraging title in concept for fans of the
long-ignored genre. The game presents the player with two separate and vastly
different ways to play the game, is extremely deep, and looks damn good.
Unfortunately, what works in concept seldom carries through in execution.
SpaceForce: Rogue Universe is too complex and lacks a tutorial system, making it
so that many gamers will tap out in confusion and frustration before the game
even gets going.
SpaceForce:
Rogue Universe offers two very different modes of play. The first is the story
mode, which plays out with set missions. For this mode, you play as an avatar
set by the game as you progress through the universe and the game’s campaign.
The second is a free-form RPG-esque game that allows you to create your own
character and beat your own path across the galaxy. The game’s universe in this
mode is huge, giving you tons of hours of gameplay and countless paths to take
and missions to perform.
As you
progress and complete missions, you can earn cash for upgrades for your ship.
There are many different upgrades to buy, allowing you to gear your ship towards
your own gameplay M.O.
Ambition
was certainly behind Rogue Universe. The game has a huge environment and tons of
missions and deep gameplay for both campaigners and sand-boxers alike.
Unfortunately, Rogue Universe falls prey to some huge issues that might even
make it an unplayable experience for some gamers out there.
The lack
of a tutorial is probably the most frustrating element of SpaceForce: Rogue
Universe. The game basically throws the player into the mix without much
guidance as to how to complete their missions or what they need to do to
progress. This is extremely frustrating, and even those with the patience to
stick with it will probably spend a good long while trying to figure out what
they’re doing before they can begin to get into the game.
Additionally, the game is very unforgiving as well. The AI is very difficult,
and will slaughter you very quickly (couple this with the frustration of not
knowing what you’re doing, and you’re in for an exercise in screaming and
swearing). The game is also a pain to control using the mouse and keyboard
configuration, so unless you have a good flight-stick, you need not apply.
Fortunately, while you may not know what you’re doing for a while, you’ll at
least look good doing it. The game has a great graphics engine, with extremely
detailed ships and great special effects. The environments even look good, a
departure from the standard “static-blanket-of-stars” backgrounds used in most
space-sims. Extremely detailed planets, nebulae and star systems will litter the
background making the look quite fascinating. The sounds are average at best,
with weak voice acting and stock space-sim sound effects.
SpaceForce:
Rogue Universe has all of the makings of a great space-sim, and one that
could’ve been a real rally point for the resurrection of the genre.
Unfortunately, the whole affair falters by being extremely user-unfriendly and
too difficult, no doubt turning away many gamers before they even get into the
game.
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Gameplay: 7.0
The game has a
ton of depth and a couple of different play options, essentially letting you
play through the story or pave your own path. Unfortunately, the game is
extremely complex and the lack of a tutorial will probably push people away.
Graphics: 8.5
The game looks great
with detailed ship models and nice special effects, as well as some nice looking
environments.
Sound: 6.5
Average at best,
with a standard score and sound effects. Voice acting is pretty weak
Difficulty: Hard
The AI is
extremely unforgiving and frustrating, especially when mixed with the overly
steep learning curve.
Concept: 7.5
There are some
really great ideas in play in SpaceForce: Rogue Universe, which unfortunately
aren’t handled well to fruition.
Overall: 7.0
SpaceForce: Rogue
Universe has some great concepts and gameplay elements, but unfortunately the
unintuitive interface and lack of tutorial will keep many gamers from seeing
them.
