Summary
- Space games like Heat Signature and Dead Space improve with time due to complex mechanics.
- Games like Deep Rock Galactic offer more meaningful upgrades and unlocks as players progress.
- Titles like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart become more enjoyable with an expanding array of unique weapons.
Many space-themed games offer immediate fun, such as the instantly accessible Outer Wilds. However, plenty of these titles get better with time. While the space-sim is the most obvious contender, with games such as Kerbal Space Program getting much better with practice and knowledge, multiple genres have been included for variety's sake.
These games often include an immediate sense of difficulty, inaccessible controls, unforgiving gameplay, and/or complex systems and mechanics that take time to appreciate. Others lean on progression systems that offer meaningful rewards, such as the wildly different weapons present in Dead Space.
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8 Dead Space
Diverse Horror With Unique Weaponry
Dead Space
- Released
- January 27, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated M for Mature for Blood and Gore, Strong Language, and Intense Violence.
- Developer(s)
- EA Motive
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Dead Space gets off to a somewhat slow start; while it doesn't take long for everything to hit the fan on the iconic Ishimura, Dead Space is slow to expand the player's arsenal of weapons. This does work in the game's favor, though, emphasizing horror early on.
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That said, Dead Space certainly improves as time goes on, offering bigger, badder enemies and more diverse gameplay. Set-pieces and an unfolding narrative also help to improve engagement as the game progresses. However, it's the added variety of weaponry as the game goes on that allows it to improve with time.
7 Heat Signature
A Roguelike Space Game With A Steep Learning Curve
Heat Signature
- Released
- September 21, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- nr
- Developer(s)
- Suspicious Developments
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PC
Heat Signature is a unique action roguelike that tasks players with breaking into spaceships and completing dangerous missions. The immersive-sim aspects of the game allow players to make clever use of myriad items, exercise stealth, and create clever solutions to emergent problems.
However, the sheer agency that Heat Signature affords its players can be difficult to harness, as mistakes are often punished swiftly. As a result, Heat Signature is a game that becomes more fun as players gain a better understanding of its items, and how to use them effectively.
6 Deep Rock Galactic
Exploring Procedural Alien Caves
Deep Rock Galactic
- Released
- May 13, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen due to Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ghost Ship Games
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
Deep Rock Galactic has players exploring procedurally-generated caverns out in space. Exploration is entirely underground. However, the space setting is prevalent in the enemy design, weapons, and abundance of utility items.
Fans of horde shooters such as Left 4 Dead 2 and the cave exploration of games such as Minecraft may enjoy Deep Rock Galactic, but it certainly offers its own distinctive flavor. This flavor becomes even more palatable as time goes on, most notably due to the variety of meaningful upgrades and unlocks that the game has to offer.
5 Oxygen Not Included
An Unforgiving Colony-Sim Set In Space
Oxygen Not Included
- Released
- May 18, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Klei Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Survival, Management
- Platform(s)
- PC
Oxygen Not Included is a simulation-heavy colony-sim that takes place in space, offering players truly harsh environments to contend with. As its name suggests, Oxygen Not Included tasks players with maintaining their oxygen supply. However, players must also worry about food and water, all while handling the safe disposal of waste and various other conundrums.
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It may sound tedious, but Oxygen Not Included is carefully designed to lead players through the experience. However, failure is part of progress, and maintaining a colony is no small feat. As a result, players may not interact with the more interesting aspects of the game until they've sunk a few solid hours into learning the basics.
4 The Outer Worlds
A Sci-Fi RPG That Quickly Expands
The Outer Worlds
- Released
- October 25, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG
The Outer Worlds is an open-world role-playing game with unique character progression, a distinctive sci-fi western setting, and a sense of humor. Immediately stylish and expressive, The Outer Worlds wastes no time getting to the point.
That said, The Outer Worlds is a space game that gets better with play. Most notable are the game's various companions, each with distinctive and memorable personalities. As the game goes on, players will encounter more of these companions, eventually resulting in a ship that's warm with charming - and not so charming - company.
3 Quasimorph
Challenging Grim-Dark Tactics
Quasimorph
- Released
- October 2, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+
- Developer(s)
- Magnum Scriptum
- Genre(s)
- Extraction, Shooter, Roguelike
- Platform(s)
- PC
Quasimorph is a hardcore roguelike that excels with its grim-dark setting and distinctive gameplay loop; while Quasimorph does feature permanent death, players are able to build a stash of equipment over time, not unlike an extraction shooter.
Quasimorph can be incredibly difficult at first; enemies, both human and not, can be incredibly dangerous, with even a single gunshot capable of dealing considerable damage. However, once players have built a considerable stash of equipment to draw from and gained a deeper understanding of the game's systems, Quasimorph becomes a more expressive and less frustrating experience.
2 Cobalt Core
Deck-Building Space Battles
Cobalt Core
- Released
- November 8, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Rocket Rat Games
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Digital Card Game
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch
Cobalt Core is an expressive roguelike deck-builder that excels with its thematic gameplay and charming visuals. It's an immediately stylish experience that eases players in with grace, but Cobalt Core only improves as it goes on.
In the game, players command a spaceship in tactical turn-based battles using a deck of cards, represented by three unique crew members. These crew members are chosen at the start of each run, and more are unlocked as players go on. As a result, the game becomes more diverse - and more expressive - with time.
1 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
An Ever-Expanding Arsenal
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Released
- June 11, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart offers a vibrant, spacefaring adventure that's packed with visual variety and frequent action. There's a heartfelt narrative, an abundance of impressive set-pieces, and memorable locations that are a joy to explore.
However, the greatest strength of Rift Apart is arguably its diverse arsenal of distinctive weapons. These weapons make combat a truly expressive experience, and this arsenal only expands as the game goes on. This, along with the ramping pace, results in an experience that gets better with play.
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