FTL: Faster Than Light (PC)

A guest review from Video Games and the Bible.

FTL: Faster Than Light makes you the captain of your own starship (ala Star Trek), with a unique focus on simulation rather than traditional first-person combat.

FTL: Faster Than Light* gameplay from the Video Games and the Bible YouTube channel:

This means you can open airlocks to extinguish flames or suffocate an enemy boarding party

Highlights:

Strong Points: Addictive; extremely high replay value; encourages strategic thought and risk management; advanced simulation makes you feel like a starship captain
Weak Points: Steep learning curve; permanent-death mechanic may be frustrating for some
Moral Warnings: Use of the word for an illegitimate child in certain encounters; Mind Control/telepathy depiction; one anti-religion encounter that seems out of place

Reroute power from your oxygen system to your engines to dodge enemy fire.

These are just some of the many tactical options available. However, many of these decisions-–from defensive positioning to when to fire your battery of flak cannons-–must be made quickly.

To ensure players of all skill levels can enjoy the game regardless of reflexes, you may pause the action at any time by pressing the Space bar. This places any tactical mistakes squarely on the player, as you are given essentially unlimited time to plan your strategy.

All of these opportunities for emergent tactics wouldn’t mean much if confined by a traditional “campaign” structure. FTL solves this potential issue with a clever Beacon/Sector map system.

 

My oxygen is draining, but at least that Heavy Laser missed me…

You hold information vital to the survival of the Federation and must navigate through 8 randomly-generated Sectors to confront the Rebel Flagship. To get through Sectors, you’ll move between the “Beacons” inside while trying to stay ahead of the encroaching Rebel fleet. Each Beacon contains a situation reminiscent of early Adventure games:

Your choices determine how events unfold and may result in rewards or permanent damage to your ship/crew. In the example below, your actions earn the Stealth Cruiser vessel for use in future playthroughs.

No matter what quests you take and what decisions you make, everything leads up to “The Last Stand” at Sector 8.

Here, you will battle the Rebel Flagship for the fate of the Federation:

*This title was received for review/coverage. See our statement of ethics here and game review criteria here.