8/14/06 - DarkStar One (PC)

[stray]

Just bought this. If there's any kind of game I need right now, it's a good space shooter.

Trailer


The GameSpot review has some nice nice things to say about it:

While other games have practically beaten players senseless with the complicated economics of buying and selling futuristic space-goods, the developers of DarkStar One apparently realized that some of us just want to be Han Solo. This game "gets" the template of 1985's Commodore 64 classic Elite in a way that many other space-trading games released over the past decade or so didn't, thanks to its emphasis on the mid-'80s classic's simple principles of buying low, selling high, and blasting pirates for fun and profit.

Maybe this guy just knows how to push the right buttons, I dunno. I'll see for myself soon. Han Solo is definitely where other recent games like X/X2 have failed though (don't know about X3, but I'm pretty sure it's shit). I just couldn't stay interested (bugs and bad voicework didn't help either). If DarkStar can keep me playing just for a day, it'd be a big improvement.

[stray]

First impressions:

Fun combat. Just what I needed. I'm just using a mouse and keyboard for now, but it feels fine. I can imagine doing spin/strafes against tough opponents might be a little tricky later on, but for now, it works surprisingly well.

The interface is pristine.

Graphics are better than the trailer would suggest, but not mind blowing either (I've got all settings on high, with AA turned off). Explosions are meh. Lots of detail in the artwork though. Nothing looks generic or bland. Unique ship designs.

They broke one major rule: The hero is British. Everyone is British so far. Haven't seen any aliens yet, but I bet they're American.

[stray]

Because addicted to Youtube, and this clip is perhaps 20% relevant.

[Miasma]

Are there any "guard the convoy/ship/npc" missions?  I really hate trying to keep incredibly stupid AI alive, especially in 3D space games.

[stray]

There are escort missions, but I haven't played any yet. Not sure if there's any you have to do in the main storyline, but besides that possibility, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. You can take nothing but bounty or cargo missions if you like. There are even sabotage and reconnaissance missions (eavesdropping or taking pictures of bases and outposts).

[stray]

Lasting impression:

Darkstar One is basically Freelancer, but "better".

Pretty descriptive, huh?

I should say it's Freelancer with more depth then. Not that it's a very deep game itself, but Freelancer had virtually zero depth. So this wins by default.

Simplistic as it is though, I think that is a better formula than the convoluted, broken English bugfest that is X/X2/X3. Right from the start, it has the same dive-right-in feel as Freelancer. Combat, piloting, and trading are straightforward; controls and interfaces simple to understand. It's more arcade-ish than it is sim. Where it improves upon that game though is in the little things:

Mission and enemy ship variety (there are also boss fights here as well).

Combat isn't totally geared for Mouse and Keyboard as Freelancer was, so there are more tactical options here (I always thought Freelancer had more of a "Tempest" kind of feel than it did a Wing Commander type of feel).

Storyline: Darkstar One's story is nothing to write home about or anything, but Freelancer's storyline was basically non-existent (Freelancer had a cooler hero though -- Even if he didn't say shit).

The big improvement, and the most original idea this game has to offer, is the ship itself -- The "Darkstar One". It'll be the only ship you'll ever have, but (as you'll find at the beginning of the storyline), it's an ancient, organic spacecraft that can be upgraded and improved upon to serve more than one purpose, and equip any kind of weapon. It's not just one ship really. You'll have to scour the universe to find "artifacts" to improve it, but that's usually simple enough (the storyline will usually take you to star systems where you'll find these artifacts). Some artifacts will enlarge the size and change the shape of your ship, some will improve standard things like booster and shield regeneration, some give you the ability to drain power from other ships, some improve weapons, some give you cloaking capability, etc..

Anyways, it's not a "great" game necessarily, but it's fun enough. This genre is basically dead, so I'm not going to be too picky here. Like Freelancer, it's a bit repetitive (even with the storyline), but if you don't burn yourself out too quickly, it can be a fun diversion to hop into. With it's focus on dogfighting and arcade action, and less-than-confusing trade mechanics, it provides a better space shooter alternative than the X series. If it drops 10 bucks or so, I'd recommend it.

Score: 7/10

Rumor has it that this game has some sort of copy protection. I'm tired of giving a shit about such things myself. I don't have OCD. If you do, however, then:

Score: 1/10

[Strazos]

Ooo, a better Freelancer? Cool, because I thought Freelancer had an excellent interface and flight/combat mechanics...and not much else.

[Mortriden]

I gotta say though, Freelancer was great for Modding.  I lost months building my own weapons and equipment, let alone ships.