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0 From Space is a top-down co-op action shooter that can be played solo or with up to four friends. This sci-fi adventure is by Triangle Studios (It Came from Space and Ate Our Brains) and brought to us by Curve Games (Autonauts vs Piratebots, Embr, I Am Fish). It is available on PC via Steam and on Switch as of November 3rd!
Aliens Have Invaded in From Space!
Alien invasions seem to be a popular genre in all types of entertainment media. I’d reckon they rank up there along the lines of Zombies and Post-Apocalyptic themes, which also tend to go hand in hand. Though the overall theme itself feels outdone at times, it’s nice to look at a game like From Space and think, “Hey that looks different… could be interesting.” What about you reader? Are there certain genres or themes in games or other popular media that you see over and again but keep coming back for more? Let me know!
Gameplay
The main objective in From Space is to keep humanity in the fight against the invading pink aliens. Crystals of unknown origin have crashed into Earth and the alien invaders followed soon after. It is up to you alone or with a squad of friends to do everything in your power to defeat them. The best thing you can do is experiment and find the specialist that suits your playstyle or rounds out your team.
Players are able to choose from several different specialists in From Space. Each comes with unique perks, items, and weapon. As with most games that carry some sort of class system, the specialists can be broken down into the usual trifecta – tanky, damage, and utility. Though I didn’t have a chance to play with anyone yet during my time in From Space, it did feel that having a good balance with your squad would make or break your foray into battle. I was drawn more toward the Electrician role in my playthrough because I like his Tesla coil item that acts as an area damage dealer.
As you progress through the main missions you will run into additional side missions. The side missions though seem as if it would be harder not to complete them. While playing From Space solo I was also occasionally able to ask NPCs to run around with me for a while. Those NPCs often became available after completing their side mission. I will note though that it felt very hard at times to keep any of the NPCs alive for very long.
In addition to the specialist weapons and items, From Space also features perks. You have to first find a perk and equip it to see any bonuses. Inventory space as well as the number of perks you may equip only increase with level. However, you are able to upgrade weapons and perks with currency that you pick up by simply running around killing things. So make sure you get out there and lay waste to those pink heathens!
Graphics & Audio
I personally really like the style of graphics that From Space has going on. They are somewhat of an animation or cartoon style, but not in a way that is over-the-top obnoxious for my not-so-young self. The game also has a cool way of highlighting when you run into an enemy that you haven’t encountered before. Though if you feel like you’ve seen these aliens before, it’s because they seem to be straight from Triangle Games’ previous game It Came From Space and Ate My Brains.
For my outing with From Space I was on PC. I have heard that it plays well on Steam Deck as well though not currently listed as verified. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to give it a go on my Steam Deck though I can’t imagine it not being smooth. Display and Graphics tabs are present for options. Whereas Display is more about your standard resolution, brightness, contrast, etc the Graphics options are about quality. The quality options are what you’d typically see under an Advanced tab in most games nowadays. I do wish there were a setting for the crosshair though to make it bolder or a different color as I often lost sight of it.
The audio tracks and effects in From Space are decent. The ambient music speaks heavily of alien invasions and changes with your combat or event state as you play. The sound effects I felt were pretty basic though and could have been a bit more unique for each weapon rather than seeming to be more unique only to the ammo type. Overall though the audio matches well with the graphic style.
Longevity
From Space is very clearly a descendant of the other alien invader game by Triangle Studios. Despite that, the game seems like it does have a leg of it’s own to stand on. Playing around with the different specialists adds a bit of time to the game in that aspect alone. Finding some friends to play with may give it even more. I can’t speak for how the storyline will fare in the long run. My progress was reset before I was able to progress very far in.
Final Thoughts
Overall I would say that From Space is a decent top-down shooter. It is family-friendly and probably best to play with others. However, it doesn’t really set itself apart from similar games of this type and feels somewhat stiff. Regardless, I still feel it is deserving of the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out my other reviews here.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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