A friend of mine recommended Starsector and I am very glad that they did. I was unaware that this game has been around for a very long time and has undergone many large updates. Even now, the better part of a decade later the small four-person development team is working on the game so that they can fully realize their grand vision.
How to Download Starsector
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The Game Review
So, what kind of game is Starsector? Well, it is kind of hard to pigeonhole this game into just one category in all honesty with you. I think the best way to look at it is that it is a sci-fi game. A sci-fi game that has space exploration, resource management, money management, space combat and more. You are a space captain who starts with nothing, but their grand ambitions.
You play the game from a top-down perspective and I know this may have your eyes rolling. However, I found this to be a very appealing game in the looks department. It has a nice and clean look to it and while not what I would call “epic” there is something very real to the way the ships move that help you get invested in what is going on.
The story here is in the future mankind has mastered faster than light travel. Something goes wrong and these devices used for super-fast travel are no more. This has led to different factions forming and people trying to find their way in the galaxy and ensure that they and the people they follow or follow them are being looked after.
You start small, just trying to get by. In the early part of the game, you will be mostly doing things like getting contracts to do various jobs such as finding a resource, making a delivery and so on. You do all this and earn money; money is the key to pretty much everything in Starsector as you would expect!
With money, you really open things up. You can get new ships, crew, equipment and so on. The idea is to build up into your own faction and be able to stake your claim as one of the biggest and badest (well maybe not badest) factions in the galaxy. It is quite addictive stuff and while resource gathering and management is a major part.
What will actually dictate how your role in the galaxy fairs is two major gameplay factors. The first is in how you deal with people. I was very impressed with the dialogue system in this game. You have many ways that you can communicate with people and trying to keep people on your side as much as possible is going to make your life easier. Of course, this is easier said than done and sometimes a beating is all people understand.
Combat is fast, fun and also quite tactical. At first, I was just moving my mouse around like a maniac and doing ok. As your progress and have more ships and come across more powerful foes. Starsector is the kind of game that really requires you to think about how you are going to go about combat.
In all, I feel that Starsector is a fun game. It does have a lot of things for you to manage, but in doing this you can become a major force in the galaxy. I enjoyed dealing with the different people I came across and the actual combat is a ton of fun too. While the game is still not finished, I would say that this is well worth checking out if you have an interest in sci-fi.
