FTL {Faster Than Light} Review

FTL which stands for Faster Than Light is a Space Sim that gives the player control of a ship and crew. The player is tasked with carrying vital information across the galaxy that could potentially win the war. All the while however the rebel fleet is right behind the player which means taking your time is out of the question.

Jumping from one sector to another is a choice taken by the player on the galaxy map. What isn't in the player's control is what happens when the player reaches the sector. Without warning the player could be set upon by pirates, rebels or drones but not all outcomes are hostile. The player could encounter a space station in need of assistance or a fleet in need of protection. Doing these tasks means that the player will receive goods like Salvage and Fuel that the player will need to carry on.

A mighty fine ship

What I have encountered on numerous occasions is a sector right next to a sun. A pirate who must be a thick as the metal his ship is made out of attacks the player while solar flares shoot out. The first few times I encountered this I died every time with my ship burning to nothing. After repetition I found that a crew member should work on the engines to recharge the FTL to allow the player to jump away as soon as possible just before another solar flare, imitating a scene from Battlestar Galactica.  Strategies like this will come to every player as they will need them to survive events like this.

Ship control is an important factor of the game and one that isn't hard to come to grips with. One of the three crew members must always be piloting the ship, the other two can be positioned at any of the ships systems that the player thinks are important.  My choices are usually weapons and shields but there are also sensors and engines as well. Fires are also a risk in this game as when the player is fired upon then certain places will catch fire and will need to be put out by the crew or the fire will spread. Personally I just opened up the airlocks and let the vacuum of space take out the fires, also works for boarding parties as well. 

"Fire!...Fire!...Abandon Ship!"

The game will sometimes throw situations at the player that require the player to use their crew, these are arguably the most dangerous and risky situations in the game.  This is because the player only has 3 crew members to start off with and as the player progresses their skills increase.One example would be the player coming across a derelict ship which gives the player the choice to send a crew member to explore the ship. Losing a crew member means that the player needs to find a new member and train them from scratch.

The resources I mentioned earlier are Salvage, Fuel and Missiles. The Salvage is used as currency and for repairs/upgrades to your ship. Salvage is given for any services that are performed or for ships that are destroyed which is the same for Fuel and Missiles.

Battles in the game are basic but very enjoyable. A diagram of the enemy ship appears on the screen and the player must select key systems for your ship to attack until the enemy is destroyed. Really this is where the player will certainly die as its a flip of the coin deal that the enemy ship will be twice as powerful as the player. 

"Did we hit it ? Did we hit anything ?"

Despite how simple the game looks and plays it can offer the player hours of enjoyment.  Yes you will die more times than you can count and you might not even reach the end of the game but that's not the point. This game literally offers players a different experience with every play through because there are a number of events, the sectors change with every restart and so does the galaxy map. Sometimes you won't leave the starting area but that's part of the appeal after all.

9/10