Every now and then, I’ll try and find a fun, silly, mostly mindless game to get into. Something that doesn’t take too much thought and is at least somewhat enjoyable. While From Space is far from perfect, it has been a nice reprieve from the heavy RPGs and fast-paced multiplayer.
In this From Space game Review, you’ll discover what it’s all about, what it does well, and where it falls short.
STORY MODE
The goal, in simple terms, is to help your comrades and eradicate the alien invasion. Within each area are a few outposts with characters who need assistance. Complete these missions to unlock and move on to the next area, fighting off skittering pink aliens the entire way.
This can get a little monotonous, as the missions are pretty much the same. The variety comes with adding a new alien or two in each area, which adds to the difficulty of the area and the missions. As you progress, so does the difficulty, but really just in the number of enemies and the number of the ones that are harder to kill.
HORDE MODE
Survival of the fittest! Complete objectives in different locations while surviving waves of pink aliens. If you’ve ever played a zombie mode, you know what to expect. Wave after wave, and it only gets harder.
Nothing surprising here. I will say, just like zombies, it is way more fun to play this mode with a group, at the very least one other person. This is also a fun way to test out different Specialists to find one that you vibe with.
THE GOOD STUFF
- I personally enjoy the game art style. If you’ve ever played the mobile games Clash of Clans or Brawl Stars, the style is very similar. It also has that top-down visual common among many mobile games.
- There’s a decent variety of guns to find/use. They are basically separated by ammo type, so it gives some variety and options in different situations.
- There’s also a variety of throwables at your disposal. Not only offensive but defensive as well. These can really come in handy, especially during the capture area missions. You can use turrets, barbed wire, and shock traps to incapacitate. Then, attack with grenades, claymores, and Molotovs to create distance.
- I thought the area design was decent. I’m sure a developer would have suggestions or opinions on this, knowing the ins and outs. But there are some two- or three-story buildings, highs and lows in different terrains, things like that. It just gives a little depth to the space instead of feeling like everything is on one flat plane.
- The NPCs are a nice addition. I’ll get to the negatives below, but it’s nice to recruit a few extras for your party to take the heat off you in some of the missions. Different NPCs carry different weapons as well, so you can get a nice little varied party rolling with you.
- It can be surprisingly challenging – in a good way. It’s not just a point-and-shoot game. There are some aliens you should definitely take out first, no matter the numbers. Defensive throwables and tactics can really save you. You can also hold a doorway or stairs to create a bottleneck when you feel you might get overrun.
THE BAD STUFF
- While there are a variety of guns, there are very clear “best” and “worst.” Also, while there is a weapon upgrade system, you can only upgrade three times before it’s maxed. Once you find the “best” option, it doesn’t take long to max it out. You have a melee in the form of a knife. While you can upgrade it and increase damage, after the first few areas and harder aliens emerge, it’s pretty much useless.
- While there are plenty of throwables, there’s not a great way to replenish aside from discovering and opening chests. In the more difficult areas, you are using everything at your disposal to capture the flag/area missions. Once you make it through, well, you’ve just used everything. So, if you’re to venture out and get in a tough spot, you just have to hope you have enough ammo. Or at least survive and make it to an outpost.
- To add to that, you can replenish your stock at lockers/stockpiles found in outposts or other spots in the area. However, I found that they’re sparse or far apart in some areas. There are some ammo crates you can find, but if you’re out of healing or ammo, these are sometimes your only option.
- While it’s nice to recruit some NPCs to tag along, they can be quite useless sometimes. I also found it annoying that aliens can technically make it into some of the outposts, but the characters don’t do anything. And if this is the case and you’re walking through the outpost, the aliens will attack you.
OVERVIEW
All in all, not a bad game. Mostly entertaining, with some aspects being more annoying than an all-out ruiner. I haven’t tried all of the specialists yet, either, so that is something to look forward to as I continue to play.
I’ll say this – I don’t think it’s worth a $15 purchase. Wait until it goes on sale. It is on Game Pass, so if you have that, I would recommend giving it a try (also available on Steam).
Grab a friend and kick some pink alien booty!
Happy gaming, nerds!
It’s a shameless plug for one of my previous articles. Alan Wake 2 was just released last week on the 27th. Read my Preview here.
