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VOID BASTARDS (British space bureaucracy roguelite)

Started by Blue Jam, August 15, 2019, 05:02:37 PM

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Blue Jam

"ALRIGHT KNOB'EAD..."

Thanks to a recommendation from shh in the GOTY thread and thanks to Game Pass I am now playing this and enjoying it immensely and thinking it deserves its own thread:

In VOID BASTARDS (I feel the need to type that in all caps for some reason) you play as a prisoner on day release from a prison spaceship, and you've been forgiven for your small and twatty crimes for a bit and let out because the ship has broken down in a nebula and there's a small chance you may be able to find a way to power it up again and get it safely through to the other side. Naturally the nebula is full of dangerous things, and you can permadie, at which point you regenerate into another prisoner and get to have another go.

It's part-FPS, part survival game, part strategy game. It was inspired by Bioshock and System Shock 2 (and some of the devs had previously worked on those games) but to me it's like Prey: Mooncrash meets The Stanley Parable (the voice of the prison ship's computer is very familiar).

Oh yes, and the design is inspired by 2000AD artwork, and it's gorgeous:





I'm not far into this and there's a bit of a steep learning curve, but now I'm getting my head round it it's a lot of fun. I especially like the Juves- the Mancunian scally aliens who shoUT "HEY DICKHEAD!" and "I CAN SEE YA, YA KNOB'EAD!" at you while they're shooting, and the mundane space arguments between confused alien tourists who aren't enjoying their holidays and have names like Barbara and Ian. The weapons are creative too- there's a "Regulator", a gun which allows you to uphold rules and regulations (via the medium of bullets), and a deadly staple gun if you run out of ammo and want to dish out a fitting punishment to a few space bureaucrats.

It's definitely worth a shot if you've got Game Pass and are looking for something light-hearted and refreshing and fun.


Blue Jam

It can get a bit repetitive, but I'm still finding it fun to dip into. I really wish I could adopt a more stealthy playstyle though, and a melee attack would be a huge bonus.

I also love the way the Tourists sound like "Jeremy Corbyn" from Athletico Mince ("SEEN YOU!"):

https://youtu.be/kZ89XnELOh4

Mister Six

It's a crying shame that this thread didn't get more attention. Oi! Everyone! Go play Void Bastards now!

There's a steep learning curve as you figure out what the hell is going on (especially as the menus are really cumbersome and counterintuitive) but once you've got a handle on things it really shines.

The core gameplay is pretty simple: you board a derelict ship, gather as much loot (crafting supplies, ammo, food and fuel) as you can without dying, and move on to the next one, killing or avoiding whatever is in your path.

There are various kinds of ship, each with their own special function - some ships let you get special abilities by rewriting your DNA, for example, while others have torpedoes that you can steal to fend off attacks by space whales and pirates while you're flying through the void - and while the maps are pre-designed, elements in them are randomised. That includes placement of doors and walls, environmental hazards, enemies, security measures, loot containers and more besides.

The great thing is that it's almost always utterly fair: you can choose not to board a ship, or to leave at any time, and once you've figured out what you're doing, the only way you'll die is if you get sloppy or overconfident. Dying robs you of your hard-earned ammo and inventory and sends you back to the last checkpoint, so it does feel like a bit of a gut punch, but at the same time there's nothing to do but kick yourself in the shin and try harder next time.

Oh, and it's pretty funny too. Love it.