I was looking forward to this game for quite some time now and it is very addictive and very fun. It is not without it's problems though:
- No resolution options what so ever, if I play in streched mode I can't see all the UI and if I play in deafult it is very small
- Galaxy can screw you over as in if you take a path, it does not indicate if it leads to the exit. I just played, had rebels on my tail and turns out I cannot jump from where I though I could...
This all can be fixed and I hope it does get fixed, these are impressions from first hours after launch and no bugs what so ever. Can reccomend to any and all sci-fi fans.
Like some of the other reviews say, this game is hard even on easy.
It's addicting, challenging. It has elements I like from a game like Moo2 where you have full control over the gear on your ship but right down to managing your airlock doors to repel boarders and stop the spread of fire.
There are only two reasons this charming and awesome game is not getting 5 stars from me.
1. This is the kind of game I 'personally' have a difficult time enjoying without multiple save slots.
It allows you to save and resume where you left off. If you jump into a system with an asteroid field and a random event or attacking ship beams four attackers onto your vessel early on while you only have 3 crew you're done and you have to start over from the beginning.
The game would still be plenty challenging if you could at least restart from the beginning of the current sector in case you back yourself into a corner. And you have a lot of time to back yourself into a corner or land in a plasma storm or get lit up by solar flares and fending off an enemy vessel.
2. The random elements are fantastic but harsh even on easy. In other words this game is not very balanced. For that reason it will always have a very limited audience.
Still. I'm a glutton for chasing distress calls and have a lot more to figure out before I will be finishing the game.
FTL gives you a modest yet ample tutorial without patronizingly holding your hand like a lot of games. Like many 'good old games' this means you learn the procs and cons of various strategies through trial and a lot of error.
When you feel like getting defeated repeatedly, by this game and enjoy well more than 1,000 ways to die. Eventually you'll stop chasing distress signals and figure out how to beat the game.
It's a fun game with interesting core mechanics, all too often ruined by arbitrary RNG. Often enough there's just nothing you can do - 4 - 6 empty scan locations in a row, or getting 3 2 missile launcher gunships when you have no missile defenses ruin a good run quite often.
It's unfortunate when the strategy choices are otherwise good, the game looks polished and the music is mesmerizing.
FTL: Faster than Light is a space fearing rogue-lite with galactic proportions. Having to deliver critical information across the galaxy is not an easy task with threats lurking all around. The game features a ton of content to keep one coming back again and again, with the advance edition content offering even more variety. Some content will start repeating over multiple playthroughs. Over tens of hours the game slowly started feeling more like a grind.
Most of the game is reading or skipping over different text boxes. The combat is mostly waiting in anguish for something to happen. The battle can very quickly snowball out of control. Luckily the game allows pausing at any time, allowing one to consider their choices. The game features a lot of strategy in choosing the loadout of the ship, targeting in combat and positioning crew members etc. but it also is very luck dependent. This can be infuriating sometimes. The high level game can additionally quickly turn bad if one falls behind on upgrades when compared to the enemies. Some strategies are clearly more efficient than others. The difficulty feels quite steep with even the easy mode offering a considerable challenge. Be prepared to lose many runs early. This made finally beating the final boss that much more satisfying though.
The retro-inspired art style works well and the soundtrack is incredible in setting the mood for different situations. The weapon and alert sounds feel appropriate. The game captures the scale and scope of an epic space adventure. like something straight out of Star Trek. The story, as minimal as it is, works in setting the scene. If one has the patience to read, the game features many interesting encounters.
Play through the base game. Think you've finally mastered it. Download a few mods, get humbled, then become the hero across dozens of new galaxies full of never before seen aliens, weapons, cruisers, and events. Hundreds of hours of content! It's a must have. A great way to kill (lots) of time.