Absolute Territory

About

Absolute Territory is a first-person space combat game featuring Newtonian physics and tactical warship gameplay. Engage in a 21-mission campaign and two leaderboard game modes, battling large warships and enemy starfighters. Customize your load-outs, manage flight assist and power settings, and outwit hostiles in this immersive and challenging space flight experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 26 reviews

story4 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game offers a solid dogfighting experience with a great flight model and engaging combat mechanics, reminiscent of classic space sims like Wing Commander.
The developer is responsive and actively works on improving the game based on player feedback, which adds to the overall positive experience.
The inclusion of a mission editor allows players to create and share their own missions, enhancing replayability and community engagement.

The user interface, audio design, and overall presentation feel outdated and lack polish, detracting from the immersive experience.
The game is criticized for its minimal content, with a short campaign and repetitive mission structure that may leave players wanting more.
Many players experience issues with control mapping and functionality, particularly with HOTAS setups, making it frustrating for casual gamers.

story
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
80%
9%
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with mission briefings presented as static text blocks and no voice acting or cutscenes to enhance the narrative experience. Players noted that the campaign consists of repetitive missions reminiscent of classic space sims like Wing Commander, with little context or engagement regarding the factions involved. While the gameplay offers tactical elements and a mission editor for custom scenarios, the overall narrative experience feels empty and underdeveloped.
- “Peppered throughout are a few much more creative missions I quite enjoyed, though note these seem weighted towards the latter half of the game.”
- “The game is offering a single-player campaign with 21 missions to complete and 7 different spaceships to use, a simulator where you fight against waves of enemies, and the gauntlet, a more challenging mode with 12 missions against stronger opponents.”
- “While there were new space sim releases recently, it's been a while since we had a new mission-based Wing Commander / Freespace / Tie Fighter-like game.”
- “Frankly, you should just play the classics if you can, as there's no story here, just action and more action, with half of the HUD elements unexplained and no manual or reference in-game, just tutorial missions (available in the sim or play through as a part of the campaign).”
- “We know nothing about the factions we are fighting for or against; mission briefings are static text with workmanlike writing.”
- “The story is minimal.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The graphics in the game are a mixed bag, with some users noting that they resemble 90s-era visuals and are generally basic, while others appreciate the smooth performance, especially in VR. Although the ship panels are static and somewhat distracting, the overall graphical quality can be improved by adjusting settings. Despite the varied opinions, many agree that the graphics effectively support the engaging dogfighting gameplay.
- “This is an amazing space dogfighting sim, obviously inspired by the original Wing Commander games, but with realistic physics and good graphics.”
- “Absolute Territory aims to give you the best recreation of that dogfight feeling from those wonderful old games, but with modern graphics and performance.”
- “What you can expect is very solid dogfighting (with multiple playable ships), excellent performance, and good graphics (hint: go to settings and make sure graphics quality is set to 'beautiful'; in my case it was autoset to lowest, for some reason).”
- “The briefing is text screens only, no graphics at all.”
- “The graphics are right out of the 90's era, nothing to write home about.”
- “Graphics and sound are very basic.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is rooted in classic space combat mechanics, featuring a regenerating shield and armor, with an emphasis on fundamental mechanics that enhance the experience. Players can enjoy drifting and utilize a slide mechanic, while customizing ships and missions adds depth and replayability. Although the graphics may not impress, the focus on engaging dogfights and player-generated content through the Steam Workshop enriches the overall gameplay experience.
- “The core gameplay of absolute territory is space dogfights and everything that revolves around this.”
- “This game's priorities are squarely on the fundamental mechanics of what makes a good space combat sim, largely to the exclusion of all else.”
- “Pick your ship, your enemies, change your and their loadout, add asteroid belts and enjoy your very own missions that you can also share with other players through the Steam Workshop, enriching the gameplay.”
- “The basic gameplay is the same as it was decades ago: your fighter is protected by a regenerating shield and some armor.”
- “The core gameplay of Absolute Territory revolves around space dogfights, and it feels repetitive.”
- “The slide mechanic is overused and becomes tedious after a while.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The music in the game consists of only three tracks—menu, combat, and non-combat—which, while pleasant, are described as generic and unremarkable. The combat music is noted to be faster-paced and more engaging, but overall, the audio experience, including the music, fails to enhance the gameplay and is considered unappealing by some players.
- “The combat music is a bit better and faster-paced, adding excitement to the gameplay.”
- “The music tracks are pleasant enough, creating a nice atmosphere during gameplay.”
- “The UI, cockpit design, sound effects, directional audio, audio mixing, visual feedback, tutorial missions, and music are so unappealing that I don't want to play this game.”
- “There are only three music tracks—menu, combat, and non-combat—which are pleasant enough but also very generic.”
- “An odd musical choice for your normal in-flight trips, but the combat music is a bit better and faster-paced.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of Absolute Territory is generally praised for delivering solid performance and good graphics, especially when settings are adjusted to 'beautiful.' Users recommend checking graphics settings, as the game may default to lower quality, impacting the overall experience.
- “Absolute Territory aims to give you the best recreation of that dogfight feeling from those wonderful old games, but with modern graphics and performance.”
- “What you can expect is very solid dogfighting (with multiple playable ships), excellent performance, and good graphics (hint: go to settings and make sure graphics quality is set to 'beautiful'; in my case it was autoset to lowest, for some reason).”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate the lack of grinding in the game, noting that the straightforward, text-only briefings allow for quick access to action without unnecessary tedium.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I find the grinding mechanics to be overly repetitive and draining, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is frustrating and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The atmosphere of the game evokes a nostalgic 90's space theme, characterized by retro visuals and sound design that transport players back to the era of classic space exploration games. This ambiance enhances the overall experience, appealing to fans of vintage gaming aesthetics.
- “The atmosphere is reminiscent of classic 90's space games, filled with nostalgia and wonder.”
- “The game captures the essence of 90's space exploration, creating an immersive and captivating atmosphere.”
- “Every moment in the game feels like a journey through a beautifully crafted 90's space environment.”
- “The atmosphere feels like a throwback to 90's space games, lacking the depth and immersion expected from modern titles.”
- “While the game attempts to create a unique atmosphere, it ultimately falls flat and feels uninspired.”
- “The overall atmosphere is bland and fails to evoke any sense of wonder or excitement.”