Space Run Galaxy (PC) Review

By Thom Compton 05.10.2016

Review for Space Run Galaxy on PC

4X and tower defence games are niche titles, that people will either love or absolutely detest. It's hard to just meet in the middle, finding a title just okay. This is because the player either falls in love with the planning and strategy, or hates the slow and methodical way that the action plays out. Space Run Galaxy seems to want to speed the action up, but how well it does is really up in the air.

It all begins with loading the precious cargo onto a severely small ship. Each piece of cargo takes up space that could be used for cannons and thrusters, so managing the space is incredibly important. Then, the ship takes off into the deep reaches of space, trying safely to reach the cargo drop off without losing too much of the parcel in the process.

It's an interesting idea, as it becomes clear quickly that tower defence and inventory management share enough similarities that Space Run Galaxy has found a perfect balance. Each hexagonal section of the ship needs to be properly managed, as early as deciding how much cargo the ship can carry from the onset. The instant the ship reaches the trail to the cargo drop off, enemies attack. This is where the resource management should pay off, but it doesn't manage to excel.

Screenshot for Space Run Galaxy on PC

The big issue is that planning ahead requires an almost omnipotent knowledge of how enemies will attack. Laying down thrusters and cannons means setting their angles in advance, and watching sectors of the ship get decimated by making a bad decision that couldn't have been planned for. Frantically changing the layout of the ship is both necessary and consistently annoying.

Of course, this is almost a moot point, as enemies are like mosquito. They appear randomly, die incredibly quickly, and don't seem to be bothered with you. All the planning really breaks apart further when enemies are just as absent as they are inept. After all the combat, the planning feels rather superfluous, as enemies just take off after they shoot for a certain amount of time.

Really, this is a fun game for people who may not want to feel challenged. Tower defence games are about the terror that sets in as a poorly placed cannon fails to destroy a nasty enemy, and then initiating the appropriate strategy to remedy the issue. Space Run Galaxy feels more like a placebo for that terror, and anyone wanting an incredibly deep experience would do well to look elsewhere.

Screenshot for Space Run Galaxy on PC

Cubed3 Rating

6/10
Rated 6 out of 10

Good

Space Run Galaxy isn't a bad game, just a confusing one. The ideas are all there, but the execution of those ideas feels both cumbersome and vapid. Controlling the ship is both simple and ferociously misleading. Enemies treat you like you are in training wheels. For anyone looking to get into the genre, this is a good jumping point, but hardcore fans will probably find this an attempt that will not satiate their long term hunger.

Developer

Passtech

Publisher

Focus Home

Genre

Strategy

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  6/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date None   Australian release date Out now   

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