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Spacebase startopia review6/7/2023 However, that’d probably be an impossibility considering the genre and level layout. Moreover, it was annoying to figure out the needs of both tourists and workers. The UI also didn’t help much here as it felt unnecessarily cluttered and confusing. Perhaps one of the most ridiculous mechanics in Spacebase Startopia is the accumulation of garbage. Apparently, the aliens love to litter, so you’ll constantly see crap on the floor. The usual process goes like this: Fuzzy bots pick up trash (if ever the AI automation can do that properly), garbage bots collect it, the refuse is dumped in recyclers, and, finally, it gets turned into energy (cash). If you don’t find this system reliable, then you can just click on stuff on the floor to pick up the garbage manually before dumping it in the recycler. Coincidentally, too much garbage will spawn vermin (bugs) that can only be removed by clicking on them. If you're going to buy, make sure it's on sale.It’s like a tacked-on Whac-A-Mole system.īut what’s even more surprising is the fact that the game’s first campaign mission had you collecting trash until you’ve earned enough credits. Sitting amongst the company of Aven Colony and Surviving Mars means SS really needs to up its game to stand out in the genre. Overall, SS could have been excellent but even issues like the framerate are too hard to ignore. The story? Well, after my battle to get through the tutorial, I spent the remainder of my time in free mode so that I could actually learn and enjoy the game properly, so I may come back to the campaign another time but I'm not expecting much. ![]() For example, I was told to buy the next compartment on my ship, so I sat there hammering X whilst highlighting it, until I randomly pressed Square and discovered my mistake. Add to that a hell of a learning curve and badly explained mechanics in the game and you could be forgiven for wondering why you're even bothering to play it. Once you get the hang of it, I found it fairly manageable, but I suspect many people would be deterred by this point. I think one of the biggest problems is that these games aren't really suited for console controllers. The gameplay of SS is quite typical of any sim where you're building up a base. Another point of note are very unfriendly menu screens, a common issue in strategy sims. It would have been nice to see more of space rather than just looking out the odd window. It's cool being able to zoom in quite up close, but the curved design of the spaceship makes for nauseating gameplay at times when trying to move through the ship. It's not unplayable, but noticeable as soon as you started playing and, really, is unacceptable from a game released in 2021. You do have a nice futuristic spaceship setting, but the framerate is downright awful in some parts. It's Star Wars meets Age of Empires, right? Well, not quite. The graphics are a cool selling point of SS. ![]() SS is brimming with potential but appears to have cut corners in development. I really wanted to give SS a higher score because I am quite enjoying the game, but I suspect of those who play this game, few will be able to I really wanted to give SS a higher score because I am quite enjoying the game, but I suspect of those who play this game, few will be able to persevere long enough through the flaws to actually enjoy the game.
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