Astra Exodus is a 4X strategy game and one that really did capture my attention. What makes this seem so cool is that it is clearly inspired by many of the classic strategy games from the 90s. Add to this what seems like a really large and well thought out sci-fi world and you have a game that is really interesting.
How to Download Astra Exodus
You can download the game from Steam. Click on the Download button at the end of the review.
The Game Review
The first thing to talk about is the campaign. Astra Exodus is aiming to have a pretty blockbuster campaign that is spread out over 9 missions. The campaign is centered around the Earth Legacy Task Force who is exploring the galaxy and along the way find out facts about Earth as well as having to deal with friendly and hostile forces. The campaign has many ways you can shape what happens which is cool.
The sandbox mode is one of the most ambitious I have seen in a 4X game in quite some time. You have 8 factions to pick from ranging from factions that are about peace and diplomacy to those that will just destroy and take what they want. You have a ton of options in regard to things like difficulty, win conditions and more.
The faction that you take over will see you be involved in pretty much every single aspect you can imagine! This ranges from diplomacy, war, espionage, developing technologies, exploration and everything in between. This is something that makes Astra Exodus a game, not for the faint of heart. This is a game that demands all of your attention that is for sure.
You have two kinds of combat in the game. You can battle in space and on the ground. I really like the idea behind the battle system. While having access to powerful weaponry is great, using your head and playing the right tactics more often than not will be what sees you prevail in battle.
There is a lot of randomness to the game. I am not just talking about the way that the planets are formed, it goes much deeper than that. Astra Exodus has a strange and interesting tech grid which is partially randomized so that no two playthroughs will ever be exactly the same.
While I do feel that this is a game with a lot going on. I never once felt like I was overwhelmed or did not know what to do next. Some are actually criticizing the game for this saying it is too simple. I for one would not agree with that as it is still a very challenging game, but one that does not make everything cryptic like other 4X games can sometimes do.
The Bottom Line
In all, Astra Exodus is a solid 4X strategy game. I like the combat, the story and the way it randomizes the tech and world you play in. The game has some strange issues with its writing, but it is far from being a big deal. If you like strategy games and games with a good sci-fi world, have a closer look at this.
