The Long Journey Home

The Long Journey Home is an epic space adventure for me. I´ve played it 10h so far and well... I am just in love with this game and looking forward for Updates. It feels like there is infinite content and even after 4 Runs (one time to earth ;) ) I am still not satisfied playing it. I just have to see more! But be aware of the difficulty! I like it hard, but without advice its really hard to play. Still: Dont give up! Learn and get better with every run! I love this game, thanks to deadelic west <3

No time warp Not like kerbal controls as in no keyboard Not enough minerals on entire planets nor combined minerals like galena or combined storage when solids (-realism) Innacurate mission risk One chance encounters for things like opening a derelict *rolls eyes. Poor explanation of modules; who knows what a biotic coating does when the thing that needs it is the lander. Nice animated gifts play when docking, but actual gameplay is no better than the GOG refused game 'infinite space: sea of stars' that arguably only differentiates itself by a more casualized focus. 2d platformer world wrap is handled by a black out for reasons I cannot fathom. Lander is so cheaply thrown into the game that they do not even bother with a turn around animation. No trivial coding effort put into customisation of ship, crew (there's 8, come on did a guy work a single weekend to make them?) No zoom out for space trajectory even with useless mathematician. Ship only has inertia in space screen not in asteroid fields where it has dampening for no probable cause. Not rogue like as you do not have any real progression in skills or ship/'s. All module damage is random with no 'cause'. Races seem very one track and unoriginal (ferengi anyone?). No way to check stellar map without warping, and no exiting map when you find out you're at where you need to be. Paralax forefield obscures the 2d planet map at crucial moments like landing (poor design). Console controllers only a big miss when the game is obviously designed for the console market (hates key~+mouse). Ship faces cursor for movement but fires from sides conflicts with directing travel and maintaining focus on angle of gunfire. Planets can have life forms 'none' but are heavily infested with the parasitic plant species *rolls eyes. You have a refinery scientist and engineer but you cant turn mined elements into useful items. Mined Elements seem to have arbitrary value and there is no real sense of a trading economy. Thrust is linked to hyperdrive WTF!?! Edge traverse can completely stop inertia (bug). No map but zoomed right in everywhere (for what reason? *shrugs) Things that shouldn't get expended like a tool chest are one use only :P . Tainted goods cannot be sold for cred even though the race has no way of knowing and can be proven as such during customs checks. Price is horrendously high for what is a slightly upgraded browser game.

Strange controls, average dialogs, normal visual. Enough said.

I always was reluctant to play a rogue-like game, especially with much of adventure style in it, but TLJH is really different, there is a central purpose in the game (returning to Earth) that you try to pursue in a captivating fashion. It's not a game that you start and eventually you reach the end in some big playing sequence, no. The game is sheer difficult and you will often die, after which you get in for a new procedurally generated round and you are even more eager to succeed. The good grafics and the outstanding design for the aliens and their quests will give you real motivation to go on, unaware of how many defeats you have taken. You will get better next time, although it will never play out the same way. If I had a free wish, I would say: Please make this same game in 3D with the player in FP mode! This would have a huge potential. Maybe as a TLJH 2. There are however some negative aspects in the game that I must mention. First, the game has a high price in relation to its gameplay features, but this will not influence my rating because I never discuss prices, one can wait for promotions etc. Really negative aspects include: - Other than the galaxy map, there is no possibility to zoom/unzoom the view in the system travel or during combat, making it a cumbersome limitation - There are no upgrades that enhance the speed and maneuvrability of your ship during combat, you remain essentially a sitting duck, the enemy ships are waaaay more powerful and faster than you. The combat departement lacks some good possibilities here that would make the game far more abordable by a lot of players. - No keyboard mapping possibility. The game plays with mouse/keyboard and gamepad but no custom settings are possible. - Although normal in rogue-like games, I miss a saving possibility into a slot or at least some training missions for landings that you can chose in the main menu. The gamemakers have included 3 tutorial videos (you need to be online to watch them on Youtube), but in-build training missions would be that much better IMO. Overall I recommend this game to sci-fi and space game fans, because so different from other games in the genre. All you do in the game has a clear defined purpose, it's not about stupidly shooting randomly withtout purpose against enemies, you cannot play it as a sandbox because your ressources are limited, you need to have good strategy and tactics to succeed which makes the entire game challenging. Good gameplay design!

Fascinated by the gorgeous artwork and intriguing story and by how much love was put in this project by the devs, as soon as I saw this game, I had to buy it. It was a no brainer, all the fun one could have in this game, all the stories and eastereggs you may unveil, how somebody can resist this urge to explore is beyond my comprehension. You start off easy, pick your crew, each member has a speciality, one may do well in the lander, the other may help you communicate with aliens, maybe someone will even help discover what's going on with some of your 'friends'. Next choose colour, ship and lander. As with the crew, the ship and lander define how you'll play. You can go with light manoeuvrability, a solid middle ground, or slow but sturdy. After that, and be sure to choose wisely, you set your seed which determines your universe. If you are an adventurer like me, you'll probably play the same seed over and over again until you have seen it all. Then you probably move on to the next seed to discover even more. While gathering resources and a quick way home should be your priority, make sure to contact all the benevolent aliens there are and seek out any chance to look at shipwrecks, ruins, etc. The interaction with other aliens and their stories is awesomely implemented in this game. The dialogues are witty, well written and funny. Of course there are dangers out there everywhere and you will often find yourself stuck in a situation where there will not be a right answer. Amazingly you will find yourself pondering how to further proceed quite often. This might put you off and this game surely will not take you by the hand and lead you home. You are often lost in translation and will die often. That's what you take with you for the next run, knowledge what's not working. Repeat and succeed. Let's face it, this game is not like modern games, it is much more, with a lovely soundtrack and the possibility to explore on your own, what is out there and what you can do.