Space Haven, the tried and true of a huge space simulator
Space Haven
Take RimWorld's emerging narrative, mix it with Oxygen Not Included's gas simulation system. Add a pinch of Spacebase DF-9 and the ambition to be some kind of Dwarf Fortress in space. What you will get is a management simulator of enormous proportions, in which the player is left to micromanage every single aspect of a spaceship down to the smallest detail. If the idea intrigues you, continue reading the Space Haven trial.Emerging narrative
Spaceships can get really complex Space Haven doesn't offer a real story to follow. Before starting a game you have to choose the scenario (currently there are three available); the level of difficulty, determined by a long series of factors including the number of crew members, the initial resources available, some limits in the construction of the spaceship and many others; and the individual characteristics of our men. So you find yourself in space, inside the hull of a structure that offers just what it takes to survive, as well as a limited amount of space.If you don't know the game, you can follow the tutorial, which basically consists of a detailed explanation of the first objectives to be pursued, complete with links to the relevant menus for the missions, or set off on an adventure without advice. Of course, the level of complexity of the Bugbyte title is decidedly prohibitive and doing everything yourself can be a very hard undertaking, also thanks to a not exactly immediate user interface. Better to proceed step by step, before trying to move independently.
Space Haven can be daunting at first, like all the best exponents of the genre for that matter. The player has the task of managing every aspect of the space adventure and has so many possibilities of intervening on each element that can remain displaced. You soon realize that you have to take into account many factors at the same time and that the various systems are linked together in a double way. For example, it is necessary to learn how to manage the gases inside the spaceship, maintaining the right level of oxygen and avoiding that the crew breathes the most dangerous ones, which occasionally escape from some machinery, and it must be ensured that the temperature of the environments does not go down or don't go up too much.
This is just the tip of the iceberg: everything that is built must be connected to the electricity grid and has its own set of specific functions and often opens up new possibilities. So, as we expand the ship and prepare it to jump into hyperspace, equipping it with engines, dashboards, stabilizers and so on, we must also take care of the comfort of our men and women, giving them places to sleep, possibly. comfortable, building bathrooms where they are free to fulfill their needs and creating environments where they can relax in moments of pause.
Often the interface is not very clear A quick glance and we realize that their characteristics are still connected to other game systems. Is anyone too tired and can't work anymore? Then we can change the schedule of his daily routine, increasing the time of rest or leisure. Should we go explore a space wreck in search of resources? We can take manual control of the various crew members, arm them from the warehouse, put them on space suits, send them to the shuttle and off to the adventure. But still: current technologies are not enough for us and do we want to have more advanced tools to build, such as super-equipped infirmaries? Then we can equip ourselves with more or less advanced research benches from which to work on future discoveries and whose progress is shown in the classic tree diagrams.
Complex gameplay
The game systems are so complex that can frustrate The truth is that there are so many game systems in Space Haven that it is not possible to describe them all in one article. What is important to understand is how we relate with so much freedom and what satisfactions it can give. As we said, the learning curve can prove to be really difficult, but when you enter the dynamics of the game, the gameplay becomes truly engaging, also thanks to a very accurate progression and a management of the search for resources and events that are never boring.The satisfaction of seeing our ship grow bigger and richer in features is unmatched and one derives great joy from surviving the dangers that fill the universe. For example, you can be attacked by aliens and see one or more crew members kidnapped, only to be displayed as trophies in their spaceships. Being able to save them is up to us alone. So you have to arm the rest of the crew and attack, with the risk of being exterminated and seeing the game over. And the space battles? Some fellow space explorers have a bad tendency to turn into pirates and attack us.
Graphically it's not really a jaw-breaker title To repel them we will have to arm and armor our spaceship, then manage the damage caused by the attacks, hoping to succeed to stop the danger, perhaps by destroying the engines of their ships with our freshly built turrets. After all, it is not at all nice to see the fruit of our hard work transformed into a wreck of space.
From a technical point of view, Space Haven does its part. Let's say that being structured by boxes and offering a huge amount of customization factors, the choice of isometric 2D with elements in pixel art has been taken for granted. It must be said that the individual objects do not surprise too much, but building big spaceships full of stuff gives a certain satisfaction, also from an aesthetic point of view. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is quite anonymous and can be described as a mere accompaniment. Not a problem, given the genre and at least you can compensate by turning down the volume of the game and listening to your own music.
Space Haven is a huge game, so much so that it can scare you. It is full of complex game systems, unfortunately not supported by a sufficiently clear interface. When you enter its dynamics it truly becomes an exceptional experience, but you have to fight a little to reach heaven. However it is still in early access, so there are many possibilities for improvement with future updates. It is definitely one of those games to keep an eye on. It should be emphasized that the Early Access version is already very stable and refined, so by purchasing it you should be able to play without problems.
