Out There is one of those rare occasions when feelings and emotions are given as much attention as the gameplay itself. An original and very atmospheric game for rogue-like fans, classic science fiction fans and those who just miss quality games.
The pilot of the single-seat spacecraft was on a standard flight from Earth to one of Jupiter's moons. Only this time something went wrong … Having regained consciousness after suspended animation, the pilot realized that not only Jupiter, but also the Solar system itself was not nearby. How much time has passed since the start and how many light years it was from home, one cannot even guess. One thing is clear – the way back will be long …
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Instead of a preface
Half a century ago, mankind raved about space. If now talk about distant planets and brothers in mind is no more fascinating than tales of wise elves and bloodthirsty goblins, then everything was different. Space exploration proceeded at such a speed that flights to other stars seemed to be a matter of the near future. The first artificial satellite, the first flight into space, the first exit into airless space and the first expedition to the moon – humanity rushed forward at full steam and was not going to stop at all. Science fiction was then not just an abstract invention or a funny fairy tale, it was an attempt to understand what would happen to us in a couple of decades. Then it seemed like a gigantic period, during which everything could not only, but must have completely changed.
It is now clear that nothing on this front will happen in the next couple of decades. God grant not to lose at least what has already happened. Traveling to other stars has long ceased to be perceived as something real, everyone understands that so far these are just empty fantasies. Science fiction is more and more often referred to as 'space'; it increasingly differs from fantasy works only in its external surroundings, setting. Elves were replaced by Martians, and magic spells were replaced by unknown technologies, that's all. To seriously think about how a spaceship should function and what everyday problems an interstellar expedition may face is considered as stupid as seriously developing the design of elven arrows. A famously twisted plot, cool special effects, dramas in the personal lives of the characters come to the fore. The rest is nothing more than a trendy background. If one of the readers or viewers points out to the author that his creation is unrealistic, he will laugh in his face. What kind of realism can we talk about, is it just an abstract invention, fantasy?
In spirit, Out There is closer to old science fiction rather than modern space operas and trendy Hollywood films. Of course, the point is not in realism as such – this is not and cannot be in a simple mobile game. The point is rather in the problems that the hero faces. Like most modern space-themed works, this is also a story about heroism and struggle to the end – but it is presented in a completely different way.
Man has no place in space, and only the thin steel skin of the spacecraft enables him to stay alive. But even so, his days are numbered – life goes away drop by drop, with every breath, with every kilometer. Around – an ocean of cold emptiness, there is nowhere to wait for help, because all random fellow travelers are in the same boat. For the most part, there are really no enemies here either, the main danger for the cosmonaut is not at all some bloodthirsty Aliens or mythical Forerunners, but space itself. Cold and indifferent.
Game process
The rules of the game are pretty simple, so the tutorial was very short. The devil, as usual, is in the details – but they just don't explain to us.
The first thing that a pilot who has come to his senses sees is a mysterious space station. They explain to us how to fix a stale spacecraft engine and fly up to the station. There the player learns the technology for making the hyperdrive and the coordinates of a very, very distant star. Hints at the top of the screen explain how to navigate to the ship layout and build a new module. And then – how to fly to a nearby star. This is the end of learning and the beginning of a long, lonely and almost hopeless journey.
Out There is one of those games that cannot be played on a swoop. Dozens and even hundreds of hopeless attempts await the player. The journey will have to start over and over again, but every time it will be different.
At the same time, the gameplay itself is simple. The player's task is to jump from star to star towards the goal. Most stars have planets to explore. In some cases, it is sufficient to simply launch the probe from orbit, in others it will be necessary to land. Every action, be it takeoff, landing, launching a probe or flying to another star, consumes fuel and oxygen, and sometimes leads to wear of the hull skin. These are the three main ship metrics to watch out for. To repair the skin, the pilot will need iron, to resume air regeneration – a new portion of oxygen, and helium or hydrogen will do as fuel. These and other substances can be mined on planets using drills or probes. But sometimes the costs of exploring the planet turn out to be much higher than the profit that you can get. But what awaits the pilot after the next jump, where and when it will be possible to replenish the reserves of fuel and oxygen is unknown. The line between life and death is very thin here, and it is far from immediately possible to find it.
Some planets have an atmosphere, sometimes even life. Representatives of other races speak a different language, but over time, the pilot begins to understand the meaning of individual words. Sometimes in space you can find various incomprehensible objects like abandoned space stations or even ships in distress. Among them there are also working specimens of varying degrees of damage – you can change into them, leaving your old ship to drift in space.
Each spacecraft consists of several compartments. They can be used either as a warehouse, storing up to 20 units of the selected chemical element in each cell, or equipment can be installed there. However, the latter is not at all easy – first you need to find its blueprints, and then also collect the necessary resources. There are many types of resources, it is difficult to guess what and when will come in handy, and there is a sorely lack of space in the holds.
The game also lacks randomly generated events. Dangers lie in wait during each jump – asteroids, ships of brothers in mind, accidental breakdowns of equipment, problems with plotting a course – there are a lot of options, and most of them will not please you. Sometimes the player is simply confronted with the fact that this and that has happened, sometimes they are offered to choose one of several options for action.
Outcome
Simple in its mechanics, but very atmospheric game, which is very different from traditional mobile timekillers like all kinds of 'Swampy Crocodiles' and 'Angry Birds'. There is only one global drawback – sooner or later events will begin to repeat themselves, the notes from the pilot's diary will be learned almost by heart, and the space, once full of secrets, will lose most of its charm. And the gameplay here is quite simple and by itself is not able to force the player to replay the game many dozen times. However, for a mobile game, for which hardly anyone will spend day and night, this is not so critical.
Of the other minuses – in some places not the most successful Russian translation, sometimes slightly spoiling the atmosphere and a rustic interface, which would obviously not be prevented by buttons like 'collect all resources'. Well, and the price of the game, which is almost 300 rubles. By the standards of mobile applications, this is a very solid amount.
