(Game review) Void Bastards, is a spectacular tactical space adventure

Void Bastards, is a video game developed by Blue Manchu, the game is inspired by System Shock and and BioShock. It belongs to the genre first-person shooter and Roguelike, is a multiplatform game released in 2019 which received positive reviews for its artistic design in the form of American comics and its script that contains much black humor. Void Bastards also received negative reviews which highlighted its repetitiveness and underdeveloped story. However, this is a very addictive, irreverent game in which the strategy prevails to achieve our goal and for being a Roguelike we will die in various ways and have moments of unbridled action.

In Void Bastards, we will embody a prisoner that can be dispensed with, our character is released in order to fulfill certain missions, which are directed by a computer and if we fulfill the assigned missions we will get our freedom. Our character is forced to look for supplies, for which they must jump from ship to ship in full space, in order to obtain food, fuel and ammunition for weapons. Void Bastards doesn't want to focus on a complex story, but rather to enjoy it. Therefore, it focuses on the gameplay to make the player have a pleasant and, above all, energetic time.

Void Bastards does not present the typical gameplay of the FPS, it revolves around the strategy that we can implement to manage our resources in an optimal way. Within the game one of our main objectives is to get supplies that help our survival, gasoline for the ships, food, ammunition; if you don't know how to manage these supplies for sure your characters will die. The game uses the procedural aspect to create the ships in each new game, therefore, each new game is different. Void Bastards doesn't want you to get attached to a single character, so at the moment of death when starting the game again we will be assigned a character at random with different characteristics and skills. The game presents a simple and effective control achieving a precision and mobility that deserves recognition. To face the enemies we have a not so wide variety of weapons, and although we want to kill them all Rambo style, we must apply the strategy to ration our supplies, so our environment becomes relevant either to run away or to use it in our favor.

Void Bastards, is a game that stands out from the first moment, implementing Cel Shading and choosing an aspect of American Comic, this graphic design falls like a ring to the finger. One of the aspects that stand out the most are the onomatopoeias that appear when we face our enemies, they remind us of the Pim, Pam, Pum of Adam West's Batman, being this a plus because they recreate all kinds of sounds like explosions, shots, impacts and the walk of our enemies. The designs of our characters will be of the most varied and crazy. This Cel Shading look reminds us of Killer 7 and Borderlands. The aspect where Void Bastards fails is to constantly repeat the design of the scenarios and our enemies.

Void Bastards has a soundtrack that turns out well but doesn't stand out like in other games of the genre, in spite of that it complements itself well, it is oriented towards electronic and ambient music. The ambient, object and character effects give more personality to the game. Void Bastards knows how to take advantage of the action scenes and the search system by recreating sounds that disturb and keep you tense.

Void Bastards is a pleasant surprise within the Roguelike genre, being a game that immerses you, it can be played without complexities. As you advance through the stages you will find crazy moments and above all full of tension that will test your skills. It is a demanding game and above all full of fun. Its weak point is not to present variety in the design of the scenarios and enemies, another point against it is that being a game of the Roguelike genre it has limited arsenal. Void Bastards is a game that knows how to consolidate its narrative, its graphic aspect with the gameplay raised resulting in a game to spend hours sitting in front of the TV.

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