Table of Contents
amazon Void Bastards reviews
Concept And Storyline
Set in the Sargasso Nebula, a lawless area full of derelict spacecraft and hostile alien beings, “Void Bastards” puts the player in control of an AI crew of reanimated prisoners. These prisoners are given the task of escaping the nebulas by scavenging the trails of wrecked spaceships, gathering resources and crafting essentials for their journey. The storyline is narrated with tongue-in-cheek narration while mocking the grim situations of the characters and delivering the necessary context for driving the gameplay forward without inundating the players with exposition.
The narrative structure of the game is simple yet effective-centered on the sad plight of prisoners as they make their way through the treacherous conditions of the nebula. Each of these prisoners is a “void bastard,” which aptly describes their increasingly desperate predicaments and the jocular grimness that permeates the game atmosphere. The unfolding of the storyline is shown in comic-book fashion through dynamic panels, one of which is very effective and richly alive in association with the bold visual-gaming domain. The essence of this type of storytelling allows the game flow from point to point effortlessly while being invested in the journey.
In their path, players will find factions present, like the aforementioned citizens of the nebula—human survivors who have adapted to life aboard derelict ships, and aliens in a hostile situation: pirates and janitors. Such factions add plausibility to the game world, placing new hurdles for the players. A meta-narrative about the bureaucratic system keeping tabs on the prisoners appears in the storyline, with parody commentaries on aspects like corporate greed and dehumanization.
Gameplay Mechanisms
At heart, Void Bastards is a conflation of strategic planning and frenetic first-person action. Beyond exploration missions undertaken in derelict spaceships for the benefit of space scavenging, almost every strategy of carrying out said objectives comes with its own layout and hazards and enemies. Food, fuel, ammo, and crafting materials are needs versus very much realistic parameters in achieving any objective-living or dead, concentric on the preservation of the self against all possible dangers inside the nebula.
The Void Bastards began with a short comic, whilst two men guarding a space station complained in a thick English accent that a “somebody” had passed them by, having forgotten a report. The line was funny and witty: it got the writer interested in the game straight away, and with even greater excitement when he realized that the Void Bastards “presented” itself before the player’s eyes like a comic series.
The game has a visual style that is 3D like the classic FPS games, for instance, did with DOOM (do you know 6 reasons to buy DOOM Eternal?) Or Wolfenstein 3D (the latest version is Wolfenstein Youngblood not appreciated yet?), where the characters, the weapons, and finally, the enemies all feel “flat,” like if they were merged into a comic box.
Every sound that comes out of the game is represented by an “effect” written out in words: Thwak! Kaboom !, which entirely gets the writer excited to play through this witty manga book from the “Bronze Age”!
The character building was also a clever twist for the Void Bastards. To some extent, your character was … color-blind and everything you see becomes black and white or is found very short, and suddenly the game becomes like you keep on pressing the button sitting for the entire time!
Not only has a weird expression, but the play of Void Bastards is equally unique.
The player would be “given” a given ship with an equal amount of food and/or fuel to be able to execute a task that was imposed by BACS, the main “narrator” of the game, and from there on role-playing gameplay was born. The Void Bastards owe a lot to earlier games-the influence is quite clear- players are “sent” to ships floating in space to collect resources to upgrade the character they present and for plot progression.
The entire loop of the gameplay in Void Bastards can be defined, therefore,: Fly to the site; land, shoot bad guys, collect resources, run away.
The levels themselves are designed extremely tightly so that every play should always be able to discern the obvious path, from entrance to exit, with some special interactions designed to make your job easier.
Each location a player “lands” has special materials needed for character upgrades or creating a new weapon, and aboard, the player’s number one goal will be to find the original item data; and you need to recognize that this game is not too hard by any stretch!
Players can disembark any time they want, as you don’t always need the upgrade but will always need other resources to finish wherever you currently are. It makes it stimulating. The charm of the game lies in that you can maintain any pace you desire-whether that is when you are at a certain upgrade level and release destruction onto hard places for rare resources, or sightseeing low-key areas that guarantee fuel and food for your forthcoming trips.
Immensely, the Void Bastards grant unfettered freedom and regularly disbursed rewards to ensure that no encounter with the game seems tedious, no matter how it may be approached.
Concept-wise, it is a rogue-like game, where by a single death of the player a permadeath is declared and a start is given, which drives the soul of many funny antics in the game but after dying the seventeenth time when the “accident” confused him just an hour earlier in the game, it felt just plain annoying to the writer!
After a player dies so many times in the same location, it is no longer worth exploring; this game cannot adopt that approach because after a certain point in the game, he will be “immortal.” All of the rogue-like elements from there on will be completely irrelevant and quite unnecessary…
where can you get a Void Bastards online
Void Bastards – Nintendo Switch: Buy it now
Void Bastards – PlayStation 4: Buy it now
Void Bastards Standard – Switch [Digital Code]: Buy it now
Strengths and Weaknesses
However “Void Bastards” has excellences in several areas but these do not leave it completely immune from the weaknesses, as any other game. One of the areas where the game has strength is in the unique merging of different genres into freshness and innovation. The real combination of strategy and FPS mechanics, plus roguelike elements, gives rise to play that becomes both challenging and rewarding. The gravity of strategical depth coupled with highly dynamic combat resource management makes players think several steps further into the game at all times.
The other big thing which “Void Bastards” takes all strengths on is visual and audio designing. The cel-shaded, comic-book inspired art style is very distinct and visually appealing because it gives the game a whole unique identity compared to so many other titles in the genre. It complements the immersion even further making every second in the Sargasso Nebula feel tense and impactful by atmospheric audio cues and a matching soundtrack.
In fact, you would praise the humor and writing in the game. The well-written, sharp, witty dialogue along with the darkly funny tone gives a new depth to the whole story that makes it memorable. Adding some levity to a rather serious survival game, it seems, really adds to the whole satirical nature of corporate bureaucracy and makes fun of just how absurd of a situation those prisoners are in.
Still after all these positives, “Void Bastards” comes with quite a number of weaknesses. Some people might experience some moments in which they think that the difficulty curve is a little too steep, especially early on, when there are scarcities in terms of resources mostly paired with overwhelming enemies. The procedural generation means that great replayability increases, but on the other hand, it can frequently render instances where the user feels completely unfairly punished by the unlucky or very severe combination of ship layouts, enemy placements, and random occurrences.
Perhaps another downside of this game might be that it is exclusively roguelike, which not every player is going to enjoy. It is an effective way to avoid frustrations regarding permanent death, though some still find that losing progress with a character’s demise is off-putting. The procedural nature does, unfortunately, sometimes lead to fragmented storytelling, since gameplay takes precedence over narrative.
Thirdly, while the game has many weapons, tools, and upgrades, the expansion system is less sexy for some players. The crafting system, though functional, is simple and might not appeal to players wishing for deeper and more intricate upgrade paths. It goes on, as does the traits system, which adds a fascinating layer to strategy, but, now and then, feels limiting instead of empowering due to the random nature with which traits might be assigned.
Conclusion
“A stalwart title, Void Bastards magnificently conjoin elements of strategy games, first-person shooters, and roguelikes in one cohesive, breathtaking experience, yet other attributes permeate the title with peculiarity.” Innovation in style, strategy, and sense of humor create a class of one’s own in the genre, whereas difficulty and procedural gameplay grant the experience variability in terms of playthroughs ever so distinct from each other. With great fervor, from scouring derelict ships for scant resources and battling hostile aliens to making instances of gloriously powerful new weapons, the whole being is felt within the Sargasso Nebula.
I think that an amalgamation of tactical planning, resource management, and first-person action creates a rewarding and addicting cycle that encourages experimentation. The witty humor and nice writing allow the story and characters to remain in the head long after the player has left offs trying to survive in an unrelenting universe.”
There are some criticisms one could make of “Void Bastards,” including steep difficulty with frustrating roguelike elements and a very easy system of upgrades. However, such criticisms would pale in comparison to the game’s many strengths. Strategy game, roguelike, or first-person shooter enthusiasts should consider “Void Bastards” a fresh and exciting experience and one that is worthy of one’s time. A game that requires tactical planning, intelligent decision-making, and game time flexibility underpinned with a generous share of stylish humor, which is a trademark of both the game and developers alike.
To sum up, “Void Bastards” is a perfect glass of game design; perhaps it shows indie developers can provide some experiences that match and even surpass the offerings of larger studios. It is a survival game based on strategic thinking, wise resource management, and a dash of luck that carves its way through a vividly imagined, comic-book-looking, danger-infested, humorously flavored swampy land. If you are looking for a really compelling and fun game that has a lot of dark humor, this is number one on your list.