We’re used to a certain type of sci-fi in our videogames; typically burly space marines in gunmetal grey armour firing oversized weapons at gribbly aliens.
So it’s nice to see RTS/starship captain sim Space Rogue taking things back to the ‘Golden Age’ of science fiction - expect bright colours, funky spacesuits and cool laser guns.
You control a small team of desperadoes in space, taking on enemy starships in space battles and boarding actions, and exploring a variety of procedurally-generated planets. More concrete details than that are a bit thin on the ground right now, but it’s clear the game is taking lots of inspiration from FTL - the developers themselves say; ”We’re trying to combine crew management of FTL: Faster Than Light with space exploration of Space Rangers”.
Screenshots show the same style of strategic compartment clearing, and we’re promised crew and ship management, with random events that “will make your journey across the Universe more varied and give you interesting experiences”.
Early days so far, but the art style is definitely nailed down and the concept sounds like fun. For once there’s no crowdfunding campaign asking for your cash either, though developer Red Beat’s ultimate release and distribution plans aren’t yet clear.
This is Red Beat’s first independent title, though they’ve previously worked on tower defence game Prime World: Defenders. Judging from the team’s blog they’ve been working on Space Rogue since at least January.
Definitely one to keep an eye on.