PC Gamer Article "The Best Space Games on PC" - ED Makes An Appearance
- Thread starter Cruel_R
- Start date
The fact that the Freespace series gets no mention on this list is an unforgivable sin. Freespace 2, in particular, is a strong candidate for THE best spacesim ever made. And, as DWorth mentioned, it has only gotten better since thanks to the FS2Open project.
Another game that really ought to be on the list is Independence War, a game notable for its use of newtonian physics. If you don't know the game, you can watch the intro for it Here - Incidentally, one of the best game intros in gaming history.
Another game that really ought to be on the list is Independence War, a game notable for its use of newtonian physics. If you don't know the game, you can watch the intro for it Here - Incidentally, one of the best game intros in gaming history.
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I enjoyed the original Homeworld. I sometimes mess around with KSP and have a love-hate relationship with FTL.
Oh lord, for an under £5 game I don't think I've ever had as many hours enjoyment as I have out of FTL and I got it for under £2 in a sale iirc.
Deffo props to KSP too... Have to say I'm surprised yet happy to see NMS feature. Kinda gotta give it some credit after recent updates. If they can ensure income/staff/public-perception to continue it could well become a great game in its own right in a few years, it's done a lot since release.
Ah yep, and Sins of a Solar Empire. I have enjoyed playing that over the years too.
Deffo props to KSP too... Have to say I'm surprised yet happy to see NMS feature. Kinda gotta give it some credit after recent updates. If they can ensure income/staff/public-perception to continue it could well become a great game in its own right in a few years, it's done a lot since release.
Ah yep, and Sins of a Solar Empire. I have enjoyed playing that over the years too.
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I have to agree with this, I was mightily disappointed not to see an "X" game on that list X2 & X3 were my staple games after FE2 & FFE, excellent games once you could get your teeth into them.
Both were far less forgiving than Elite Dangerous has ever been.
![[VR] Mad Mike](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/27/27910.jpg?1553527108){kind=avatar}
NMS.... Arguably the most improved game via official unpaid updates ever made imo
We need to sign you up for West World.
Only one positive mention to EvE in the comments, I'm gonna cry. Seriously.
That said, some awesome games there. But for sheer time played x buy price, life sucking, job-losing, marriage wrecking, capabilities, the best two are: ED and EvE-O.
This one?
[video=youtube;5xC1HD0h3qg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xC1HD0h3qg[/video]
I do like Elite - graphically is quite good, save for all the beigeness and the godsawful default Orange color scheme (at least this can be edited), though it's still early in its growth and has a ways to go before it really starts to show its true potential. I'm OK with that though - it means I won't need to buy another game for a while.
I also like No Man's Sky. It's almost the opposite of Elite - the graphics are more graphic-novel, physics are simple, controls are simple, but it's some very impressive technology - the seamless transitions between docked at a space station to landed on a fully procedurally generated planet, terrain deformation, and scannable just about everything is, in its own right, pretty impressive, and it keeps getting better with each new update. Yes, there was a whole lot of boo-hoo at launch, because you couldn't find brand new players and shoot them every time they tried to move, and a whole lot of assumptions and expectations that turned out to be there, just very differently than was expected - and I don't care. I pre-ordered anyways and actually started playing Elite while I was waiting for the actual release of NMS. I formed my own opinion, based on my own experience, and I found out I happen to like what NMS has to offer. Only proves to me that the haternet isn't worth listening to in the first place - but I already knew that.
I'm also a huge fan of Mass Effect - from Mass Effect all the way through Andromeda - the story is great, and I even liked the original endings of ME:3, no matter who thought they weren't really endings...
And I'm really hoping to see a new torch passing a favorite old flame, and see a return to necromorphs and Markers with Dead Space 4.
Never been a big fan of any of the Star Wars games - even Battlefront 2 just doesn't do it for me.
I tried Alien: Isolation, but honestly I found it very dull and far too easy after blowing through it in just under 30 minutes.
The Halo series also never really did it for me either.
Unreal and Unreal 2 (the games, not UT) were certainly a good bit of fun.
Doom and Quake never did it for me either - they're just FPS variants, and that gets old for me.
Star Citizen looked like it was going to have a lot of potential, but their pay-to-win structure is such a put off, it's not even on my list of considerations.
I hated Eve from day 1.
I did enjoy the Wing Commander series, but it lacked replay potential.
For me, Elite and NMS pretty much cover the gamut of what I enjoy in space games - so I'll be sticking with these for the foreseeable future.
I also like No Man's Sky. It's almost the opposite of Elite - the graphics are more graphic-novel, physics are simple, controls are simple, but it's some very impressive technology - the seamless transitions between docked at a space station to landed on a fully procedurally generated planet, terrain deformation, and scannable just about everything is, in its own right, pretty impressive, and it keeps getting better with each new update. Yes, there was a whole lot of boo-hoo at launch, because you couldn't find brand new players and shoot them every time they tried to move, and a whole lot of assumptions and expectations that turned out to be there, just very differently than was expected - and I don't care. I pre-ordered anyways and actually started playing Elite while I was waiting for the actual release of NMS. I formed my own opinion, based on my own experience, and I found out I happen to like what NMS has to offer. Only proves to me that the haternet isn't worth listening to in the first place - but I already knew that.
I'm also a huge fan of Mass Effect - from Mass Effect all the way through Andromeda - the story is great, and I even liked the original endings of ME:3, no matter who thought they weren't really endings...
And I'm really hoping to see a new torch passing a favorite old flame, and see a return to necromorphs and Markers with Dead Space 4.
Never been a big fan of any of the Star Wars games - even Battlefront 2 just doesn't do it for me.
I tried Alien: Isolation, but honestly I found it very dull and far too easy after blowing through it in just under 30 minutes.
The Halo series also never really did it for me either.
Unreal and Unreal 2 (the games, not UT) were certainly a good bit of fun.
Doom and Quake never did it for me either - they're just FPS variants, and that gets old for me.
Star Citizen looked like it was going to have a lot of potential, but their pay-to-win structure is such a put off, it's not even on my list of considerations.
I hated Eve from day 1.
I did enjoy the Wing Commander series, but it lacked replay potential.
For me, Elite and NMS pretty much cover the gamut of what I enjoy in space games - so I'll be sticking with these for the foreseeable future.
Yes I have bought that one, but for me it doesn't come close to the experience of the real Homeworld games.
I crave to see those incredibly well designed spaceships again.
There's only a few on that list I haven't played (Valkyrie, Tacoma, and The Dig) but most I've put many hours into. Don't regret them one bit. Space games are the best, imo.
About FTL.
What I think FTL really lacks is some kind of infinite play mode.
And I really hate that final level. I just can't be bothered by that kind of boss gameplay. I hate that in every game no matter the genre.
Yeah Tachyon the fringe was a great space combat game.
Personally my favourite, that's not on the list and gives Elite a bit of a run for its money:
Edge of chaos: Independence war 2
What a game.
Also, I need to add Nexus: The Jupiter Incident to this list
If you havent played that game then you cant call yourself a fan of space games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZgnO9p-u5Y
Interesting list. Some of them kind of head scratching like NMS? ,if the list is going for the "best" of the space games.
As mentioned some of the better ones not in the list.
X2, which also had EVA mode where you could rig up a deserted ship and take over it as your own, or jimmy other ships parked in a station to find any goodies. I forget if it was really possible, but you could "dock" with a station in the eva-suit even if you didn't have a ship.
Master of Orion 2. , X-Com: Ufo defense. X-Com: Apocalypse.
If they're counting adventure games such as the "Dig", then KOTOR the original should count as the best SW game besides the Xwing games. Besides the great rpg, animatic, and overall experience of the old Bioware then, KOTOR had the best story twist since the original trilogy , and the EU(now 'legends') and the movies since hasn't really topped it.
I never really got into the Wing Comander games. I did think FFE was the most amazing space simulation type game. The X-series also helped fill the absence of no new elite games until ED, although you knew you weren't really getting the "free" roaming and realistic space of FFE anymore.
As mentioned some of the better ones not in the list.
X2, which also had EVA mode where you could rig up a deserted ship and take over it as your own, or jimmy other ships parked in a station to find any goodies. I forget if it was really possible, but you could "dock" with a station in the eva-suit even if you didn't have a ship.
Master of Orion 2. , X-Com: Ufo defense. X-Com: Apocalypse.
If they're counting adventure games such as the "Dig", then KOTOR the original should count as the best SW game besides the Xwing games. Besides the great rpg, animatic, and overall experience of the old Bioware then, KOTOR had the best story twist since the original trilogy , and the EU(now 'legends') and the movies since hasn't really topped it.
I never really got into the Wing Comander games. I did think FFE was the most amazing space simulation type game. The X-series also helped fill the absence of no new elite games until ED, although you knew you weren't really getting the "free" roaming and realistic space of FFE anymore.
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Yeah how can Tachyon: The Fringe not be on that list (that's the trouble with lists that have the word best in them). A space game voiced by Bruce Campbell! Enough said
Not only that, but when it comes to a subjective medium like games, "best" is definitely subjective.
Have to say though, I almost forgot about Tachyon despite how much I loved that game... also I even named my Cobra "Bora" and I still almost forgot about it.
For some that aren't on the list I'm going to include games with a space theme even if they didn't categorically feature space combat:
Supreme Commander
Star Wars Republic Commando
Xcom
Artemis
Not sure if they'd deserve to be on a "best of space games" list but all are on my "still installed and playing occasionally" list
Supreme Commander
Star Wars Republic Commando
Xcom
Artemis
Not sure if they'd deserve to be on a "best of space games" list but all are on my "still installed and playing occasionally" list
This is very true. Two other space games which I love tremendously, but I would never claim for them to be the "best ever" space games:
- Galactic Civilizations II - My all time favorite space 4X game, I've played hundreds of hours of this. The AI for the other civs is some of the best in any 4X game I've ever played, and the game is packed with unique qualities that just put it above the crowd IMHO.
- Starfleet Command II - It's just a tactical starship combat game in the Star Trek universe, and the campaign mode is a bit barebones, but it's great at giving you that feeling of truly commanding a starship into combat against all manner of odds, some which you can not win. It's old and dated now but I still find it great fun to play from time to time, I wish someone would make a modernized version of it.