Best Space Game ?

TechLarry

TechLarry

RIP [H] Brother - June 1, 2022
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What is the best CURRENT space type game these days?

I'm not after anything that's high stressed, fast paced, etc... I want to kick back, play, enjoy the scenery, etc... Battle is ok, but I don't want to do it 100% of the time. I SUCK at fps games.
 
Aside from Strategy, Rebel Galaxy was a nice diversion. Should be cheap when on sale. (Was $20 at launch) Don't expect a great story, but its a great chill game imo.

Worth a play for sure. Got a real outlaw, Firefly feel to it I suppose.

(Edit: Rebel Galaxy, not Rebel Space)
 
I'm not sure any of them fit your low stress/slow paced, but these are my recent favorites check'em out on steam and see if one of them might interest ya:
FTL
Everspace
Space Pirates and Zombies
Starscape
 
Neapolitan6th said:
Aside from Strategy, Rebel Galaxy was a nice diversion. Should be cheap when on sale. (Was $20 at launch) Don't expect a great story, but its a great chill game imo.

Worth a play for sure. Got a real outlaw, Firefly feel to it I suppose.

(Edit: Rebel Galaxy, not Rebel Space)
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i like it, not much story but fun. I added the firefly, serenity and some of super natural's soundtracks just for that reason :)
 
The first question is: Do you have an Oculus Rift or equivalent device? Cause that makes a HUGE difference in space games. The feeling of actually checking your six while steering your ship is amazing. And the sense of scale in something like Lone Echo is something you have to experience. It really feels like Saturn is off in the distance.
 
Spartacus09 said:
I'm not sure any of them fit your low stress/slow paced
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I can think of one. I actually think that he might find No Man's Sky enjoyable if his main interests are exploring and enjoying the scenery.

It's a beautiful game, and I find it extremely calming and relaxing. The feeling of walking around, getting into your starship, and then flying from one planet's surface to another with no load screens was really something the first time I experienced it. Combat takes a distant back seat to exploration and you can avoid many/most confrontations if you want to.

So many people wanted more from the game, found it too grindy and repetitive, etc. but it actually ticks many of the boxes that he is looking for, IMO. I have a ton of games - many of them stressful and action packed - and NMS stands out as an exception. I actually play it TO relax.

NMS3sm.jpg


NMS2sm.jpg


NMS1sm.jpg
 
Everspace is an awesome little gem. Cheap and will keep you busy for a few weeks if you play casually. Great GFX and you can get in and out of the game quickly.

In fact, I wish they would come out with a new Everspace 2 or new content.

My favorite space game of all time.
 
No mentions for Elite Dangerous? If your just starting out, want to relax and explore, buy a Hauler and upgrade the FSD best you can, you can earn credits exploring, stay away from the bubble to avoid combat. When you are out in the black you will never see another soul.
 
Deimos said:
No mentions for Elite Dangerous? If your just starting out, want to relax and explore, buy a Hauler and upgrade the FSD best you can, you can earn credits exploring, stay away from the bubble to avoid combat. When you are out in the black you will never see another soul.
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I tried doing that but was constantly harassed by AI bad guys...
 
Not quite as current and may be a dumb question but have you tried Mass Effect? I consider it (1-3) to be the best games ever made with plenty of sci-fi and space and with good combat but it's not the whole part of the game.
 
Another vote for No Man's Sky. It's the very definition of kicking back, and watching the scenery. A bit of exploring, a little bit of combat, some ground vehicle driving, a touch of base building, and some interesting, (if a bit light and esoteric) story paths to follow if you choose to.

Elite Dangerous is cool, but it's not a kick back sort of game. There are too many controls to fit on your average game pad, and it's better played with either flight-stick setup + keyboard, or keyboard and mouse if that's not an option. It's got a bit of a learning curve, but settles in ok after that. It's very nice to look at, but it's kind of a trucking sim in space (or at least it was when I played it). I know it's got a lot more going on in it now, but it's still not really a relaxing game.

Star Citizen maybe, but it's still not where I'd want it to be to actually get really into it. My meager 315P and I are waiting until a bit later to give it another try. It's impressive, but still not where I want it to be to dive into it.

There are a bunch of action space games around too, some of them were mentioned above. My issue with a lot of them though are the outside the ship 3rd person type view. I like to be in the cockpit, even if it's a simple one like NMS.

Otherwise, there's always the classics. Commanders and Lancers and all that.
 
Nexus: The Jupiter Incident is a very nice tactical spaceship simulator from 2004, but it is holding up very well graphics-wise. Its story is a bit similar to that of the popular Expanse TV series.

And let's not forget THE space game: Kerbal Space Program!
 
3rd'd for NMS
Casual UFO/foot exploring/ground vehicle exploration simulation on a galaxy sized scale basically.

Picked it up again recently with newer patches and it's great with the additions, more to do and keep focus. Still as chill as always.
20180615154329_1.jpg
 
talk2troy said:
Is NMS just a gamepad game? Like totally casual, coach flyer?

Looks like prices have been down to $24 & currently $60

Search - IsThereAnyDeal.com
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You can play it with M+KB or gamepad equally well. I've done both. I prefer it on the pad though, as I can sit back, and enjoy it in a relaxed way that fits the pace of the game. It controls very well with the pad too, and none of the action feels like it's too tense for a controller. Some games you just get a sense that you'd be playing better with the mouse, but this one suits the pad very well.

Plus, they're just about to release another update with full multiplayer. $24 is a great deal for it. I got it for $45 or $47 or something when it released, and it's been worth every cent of that. (for me even before all the recent additions, but I kinda like exploration games...)
 
My vote would be for Dead Space series. Game with well defined story and gameplay also they have directed anime series to give closer look to the game.
 
Everspace and Rebel Galaxy immediately come to mind whenever people request a "casual space game"....

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion definitely deserves a mention!!

EDIT: Can't forget XCOM: Enemy Unknown / Enemy Within.
 
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I picked up NMS. I also saw Titanfall 2 Ultimate was on sale for $9, so I grabbed that as well. It's a bit faster paced than I wanted but dayum. It is gorgeous. And a bargain at $9
 
I don’t remember where I got it but it was some sort of no-online version for like $5
 
I like Empyrion as well, but another good one is Rodina. Those are the two best ones on steam. As for space exploration there's another project by someone here:



It's not a full game yet, but it does have free releases.

In Space Engineers I was able to fly to another planet as well, but it's a bit to involved for simple exploration.
 
I'm honestly amazed to see any NMS recommendations. Have they ever bothered to fix/refine the (IMO at least) extremely clunky and non-intuitive menus and interfaces?
 
JoyfulDreamer said:
I like Empyrion as well, but another good one is Rodina. Those are the two best ones on steam. As for space exploration there's another project by someone here:

It's not a full game yet, but it does have free releases.

In Space Engineers I was able to fly to another planet as well, but it's a bit to involved for simple exploration.
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I actually have Rodina on my wishlist because it looked interesting, but considering it's being made by a single developer I thought the project sounded a bit...ambitious, lol. But I'm keeping my eye on it. You really think it's one of the best space exploration games on Steam? That's high praise indeed!

Q-BZ said:
I'm honestly amazed to see any NMS recommendations.
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You shouldn't be, given the context of the thread. Yes, the menus were a bit clunky and yes, many people had major nits to pick with the game. But OP asked for a kick-back-and-relax space exploration game that's both beautiful and not stressful or combat-focused, and I can't think of many that fit that role better than NMS. If you do, please post them because I'd be interested in playing them (seriously)!

They have released a couple of huge patches for the game and I believe they did tweak the menus a bit, but aside from some minor improvements I don't remember them changing THAT much (of course, I have no idea how long it's been since you played...if you played a very early version it's possible that things have improved since then). I believe there might also be some mods that may help with this.
 
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the X series with a few mods. You don't need to fight, you can run a trading empire all from menus.
 
Star Control Origins seems to fit the bill too. It will release around September 20th. It is a story driven top down space exploration game. Well acclimated for couch gamepad gaming.


Also, I would check out Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time. It had some really enjoyable space exporation bits in there too (PS3).
 
Neapolitan6th said:
Star Control Origins seems to fit the bill too. It will release around September 20th. It is a story driven top down space exploration game. Well acclimated for couch gamepad gaming.


Also, I would check out Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time. It had some really enjoyable space exporation bits in there too (PS3).
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If it's star control you want, go with star control 2, I believe it's free and available under the name Urquan Masters.
 
If you get the CGM:Buildings mod for Stellaris, and enable construction automation, it takes the tedium/micro out of the game. You can just kick back and make strategic decisions at a slow pace, as you watch the map grow.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1365485813&searchtext=Core+Game

People mentioned Empyrion and Space Engineers, but I'm more partial to StarMade. The planets aren't as cool, but the ship systems are way, way cooler... It just needs a bigger multiplayer population. And it's still free, AFAIK.
www.star-made.org
 
Aireoth said:
If it's star control you want, go with star control 2, I believe it's free and available under the name Urquan Masters.
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It is now owned by the people doing Star Control Origins and it is available with the purchase of Star Control Origins. My friends were the ones behind Urquan Masters btw and it wasn't SC2, it was supposed to be a follow up game.
 
NoOther said:
It is now owned by the people doing Star Control Origins and it is available with the purchase of Star Control Origins. My friends were the ones behind Urquan Masters btw and it wasn't SC2, it was supposed to be a follow up game.
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But it is star control 2, a functioning port of the 3D0 version. Didn't someone lose the source code to the PC version?

Ur Quan Masters http://sc2.sourceforge.net
 
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