Faster Than Light is a leaf on the wind. Watch how it soars... and then buy it.
Here's the gist: you're a captain for the nebulous "Federation," teetering the verge of being overthrown by an equally-nebulous "Rebellion." Your ship serves the role of Leia's Corellian Corvette in Star Wars, with information regarding the enemy that would cripple its fleet and win the war. You and your crew move from point to point across the galaxy - racing against the rebels to reach the Federation fleet on the tail-end of the galaxy and face the rebels in a big final showdown.
You get little customization of your crew to start, but you can add other characters of various races as you go, all of which have unique abilities - Rocks are immune to fire, Zoltan provide extra power to systems, etc. Crewmen gain skills over time, so leaving them in one place leads to specialization and a form of characterization - you get attached to your helmsman, for instance, and feel the impact if he dies.
Like any good roguelike, players don't have the time or resources to do everything. You must choose all actions wisely. Bad decisions tend to snowball, and, as you're often flying blind, luck does play a factor. Games like that have a risk of feeling arbitrary, but FTL manages to avoid that for the most part. I will say, though, the final boss made me throw my wireless mouse more than once.
The game's pixelated aesthetic is simple but quite pleasing to the eye; however, what gives the game its atmosphere is Ben Prunty's remarkable soundtrack. It's eerie and charming all at the same time.
Play-throughs can go fast, often lasting less than three hours, and players unlock new ships as they go. Coupled with a robust modding community, the game's potential is limitless. This is a really, really good game, and if you have even a fleeting interest in it, you will be richly rewarded.
