We love our space sims at PC Authority. Since the days of Elite, and later Privateer, we’ve longed to pilot our own version of Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon (or Mal Reynolds’ Serenity, for the new generation), trading goods, fighting for or against pirates, and building up our own intergalactic empire.
The two most notable games in the genre are Freelancer and the X series, both representing two sides of the space-simulation genre. Freelancer focused on action and story, at the expense of an intricate economy or management elements. X focused solely on building up an empire, with a dynamic trading model and only the barest hint of a story. Sadly, both games missed the mark.
Ascaron’s DarkStar One tries to bridge the gap, and is more like the original Elite and Privateer games that we grew up on. The story sees you hunting for clues about your father, who left you a very special ship – DarkStar One. From there, you can raise funds by hunting pirates, doing special missions, or trading goods from one sector to another. So far, so ordinary, but what makes your ship special is that it can be upgraded into various forms, similar to a character in an RPG, via artifacts scattered around the galaxy.
But despite the refreshingly fun action and polished interface, it’s ultimately repetitive and unsatisfying. The game is neither too challenging nor too easy, and while the galaxy is enormous, you’ll feel like you’ve seen it all after a few gaming sessions. The customisable ship is an interesting idea, yet we’d have preferred to see more playable ships, with more variety in mission type, and more impact on the world around you. Still, it’s a fun blast nonetheless, but we’re still waiting to scratch that space rogue itch.
