Seeking recommendations for some great space exploration/simulation games.
I tend to be an observant, introverted, imaginative person, so any game that offers a rich universe to explore is right up my alley. I'm more of a sci-fi fan than a fantasy one, though, so I prefer space exploration games over the more popular "fantasy world" franchises like Ultima, Oblivion, Fable, and WoW.
Unfortunately, few games in the space sim genre have struck my fancy, so I humbly turn to the Hive Mind for some advice on new titles to explore. Here are some of the games I've seen that have come closest to my ideal, to give you an idea of exactly what I'm looking for:
- Noctis - Probably the best example. A staggeringly huge persistent galaxy, with billions of planets and moons to wander. The art style is evocative and spare. First-person, 3-D, and with an emphasis on open-ended exploration. See this review for an excellent description of this game's appeal.
"The real joy of Noctis lies in setting eyes on alien landscapes that nobody has ever seen before. From verdant rain forests to bleak, blasted deserts, the worlds of Noctis never fail to engage the senses. In my voyages I have found icy planetoids so distant from their parent stars that it is impossible to tell where the ground ends and the darkened sky begins. I have swum upon giant worlds with liquid-rock surfaces whose temperatures extend into the thousands of degrees Kelvin. I have watched triplicate stars rise above placid green meadows, their light refracted by a high canopy of crystalline trees. From mountainous peaks extending thousands of meters above rolling oceans, I have gazed down at my distant landing pod and marveled at my own precious insignificance."
Unfortunately, the game's graphics are not the best, there's no sound, and the long-awaited sequel is pretty much vaporware at this point.
- Spore - Not out yet, I know, but its vast galaxy of traversable planets teeming with life has more than caught my attention.
- Infinity: The Quest for Earth - Also not out yet, but a good example of what I'm after. Persistent universe, billions of planets, ability to land and explore on foot, realistic scales, etc. Developer's page is here, Wiki article here.
- Battlecruiser: Millenium - A laughably bad game in most respects, this one captured my imagination as a kid for its large catalog of planets and the ability to enter their atmospheres and walk, swim, and fly across their surfaces. Click here for a decent write-up of the game.
- Celestia - Really more of a glorified planetarium than a game. Once you leave the Solar System there isn't much visual stimulation to be found, but I still love this space sim for its great interface and the way it conveys the immense scale of the universe.
And, just to clarify things, here are the types of games that I am
NOT looking for:
- Space flight simulators - I'm not too keen on having to pilot the orbital equivalent of a Boeing 747 just to get around. The aforementioned Battlecruiser lost a lot of points in this respect. Noctis hit the sweet spot of navigation, with its point-and-click interface and the ability to name and leave notes on locations in a shared database.
- Space combat games - Combat can be present, but it shouldn't be the game's primary component.
- MMOs or subscription-based games - There are plenty of "WoW in space!"-type games (EVE, Anarchy Online, Star Wars Galaxies), but most of them don't quite fit the bill. The focus in these games is usually on player interaction (trade, combat, role-playing), while exploration is an interesting novelty, or even unavailable. Infinity (mentioned above) comes closest to my ideal MMO exploration game.
So, bottom line: I'm looking for a persistent 3D universe, preferably procedurally generated (millions of worlds or more), that permits open-ended exploration both in-system and on-planet. Something solitary, relaxing, and beautiful, with plenty of visual variety. Online/offline functionality doesn't matter.
Thanks in advance!
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posted by divabat at 6:12 PM on December 20, 2007