Element Space

Element Space looked like such a fun game to play but ended up being a nightmare. In 2020 your game shouldn't be crashing after every hour of playtime. Element Space simply isn't optimized and need a lot more time in the testing stages.

48%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

stability, replayability

63% User Score Based on 131 reviews

Critic Score 37%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $14.99

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About

In Element Space, play as Captain Pietham and navigate a non-linear story with multiple endings to expose a genocidal conspiracy. Engage in tactical turn-based battles with unique skill combos, recruitable companions, and customizable weapons and perks. Save humanity from extinction by leading your crew into battles in the far reaches of space.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 136 reviews

story27 positive mentions

stability15 negative mentions

The game features interesting characters with unique backstories and abilities, adding depth to the gameplay.
Combat mechanics are engaging and challenging, requiring strategic planning and teamwork to succeed.
The graphics and animations are visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, making it frustrating and sometimes unplayable.
The lack of a save feature during missions forces players to replay long segments after failures, which can be tedious.
The writing and dialogue are often criticized for being poor and clichéd, detracting from the overall narrative experience.

story
154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
79%
4%
The story of the game is generally described as engaging but flawed, with many players noting its clichéd elements and lack of depth. While the narrative offers a compelling experience during the first playthrough, it suffers from bugs and a lack of replay value due to its linear mission structure and limited character development. Overall, the game provides an enjoyable sci-fi setting reminiscent of titles like Mass Effect, but it falls short in delivering a rich and immersive storytelling experience.
- “The mission where you fight against a prince left me speechless.”
- “Yes, there are a few bugs, and when there is narration, the character's lips do not move with the voice acting, but despite all this, the story is compelling and immersive.”
- “The story of this game is fairly straightforward, and the overall story experience is similar to Mass Effect 2, where the focus is on recruiting your companions and learning about them.”
- “The story is short and messy; there are no side quests or anything, it's just the old model of 'choose a planet, do a mission, reward, repeat.'”
- “Unfortunately, the game is full of issues, poor story, no real RPG elements, and very basic combat.”
- “What the game lacks is storytelling: while the story itself is good (although not that extraordinary but really in place for the setting), the way it is told is not satisfying.”
gameplay
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
69%
7%
The gameplay is a mix of turn-based tactics reminiscent of XCOM, featuring clear mechanics and tactical battles, but it suffers from a lack of depth and polish. While the game introduces interesting concepts and visuals, many players find the mechanics rudimentary and clumsy, with issues like poor AI and a frustrating lack of save options during challenging missions. Overall, it offers a simplified experience that may appeal to newcomers but leaves veterans wanting more complexity and refinement.
- “If you like indie, turn-based, and some unusual gameplay experiments, just give it a try.”
- “The game is really pretty, mechanics are well designed, and it gets you into the game pretty quickly.”
- “Developers pushed the standard 'two-actions a turn' mechanic to its best in order to make it still up-to-date and compelling, making you think and plan and not rely much on the same strategy in every battle.”
- “Game mechanics are very rudimentary and clumsy.”
- “Main gameplay loop is lacking depth and just plain boring.”
- “You make a great game and then you throw all the hard work out the window by forcing the player to go through large chunks of very difficult gameplay without the ability to save, so that in the likely outcome that you fail, you have to do it all over again.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
6%
83%
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with numerous players reporting significant bugs, glitches, and crashes, particularly at launch. While some users have noted improvements due to ongoing updates from the developers, many still experience random freezes and other issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's stability remains a major concern, impacting its playability for many users.
- “Other than that, the game appears pretty polished and bug-free to me.”
- “If there were absolutely no glitches in this game, I would definitely replay it.”
- “Too buggy to play.”
- “Extremely buggy, locks up all the time.”
- “This has so many glitches and crashes that you wonder how was it released.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
11%
17%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the high production value, vibrant aesthetics, and appealing animations, while others criticize them as dated and lacking depth. Many players appreciate the comic book-inspired style and the overall visual presentation, but some feel that the graphics serve as a distraction from gameplay issues. Overall, the visuals are seen as a highlight for some, but a drawback for others, depending on individual expectations and comparisons to genre standards.
- “High production value graphics, animations, sound effects, and music.”
- “Awesome graphics, I especially like the world built for the game.”
- “The game has a very nice aesthetic, almost a comic book pop to it, but still sci-fi and sleek.”
- “Graphics are glossy but at the expense of any real gameplay.”
- “Dated graphics.”
- “Poor graphics that look like they used 3D modeling tools from the 1990s; those graphics remind me of the FF7 era. This game looks like it predates FF7/PS1 days.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
25%
17%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its high quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, evoking nostalgia for classic sci-fi. While the soundtrack fits the game's atmosphere and elevates combat tension, some reviewers noted a lack of variety in battle tracks and expressed a desire for improvements in sound effects and voice acting. Overall, the music stands out as a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its immersive qualities.
- “High production value graphics, animations, sound effects, and music.”
- “The music is very good and is one of the aspects I like the most, bringing me back to the golden age of sci-fi of the 70s and 80s.”
- “I'm not looking up the OST and downloading it, but it fits each moment well, it doesn't intrude on the experience and enhances the tension of combat really well.”
- “Could use some improvements on voices and music.”
- “My only real concern at the moment is the sad lack of variety in battle tracks (though I really like the soundtrack so far, just want more of it).”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Replayability is somewhat limited due to fixed maps and a requirement for a specific character in your trio, though players can make different decisions and pursue various characters to enhance their experience. While the game offers around 10-15 hours of playtime and some replay value through combat enjoyment, the reliance on reused content and enforced character limits detracts from overall satisfaction. Players may find value in replaying the game, but many recommend waiting for improvements like a save feature to enhance mission playability.
- “The game is not long, 10-15 hours, but due to its design, it does offer replay value if you enjoy the game's combat.”
- “It provides a lot of value for the price, but I would hold off until they implement a save feature that makes missions more playable.”
- “Due to the use of fixed, 'hand-crafted' maps, and the requirement for your storyline character to always be part of your trio, replayability is somewhat limited.”
- “Forced replayability (the lack of content in between) means they tossed in fillers with reused content. It could've been more satisfying if they allowed access to the other characters, rather than enforcing limits on how many characters you can unlock for each run.”
- “You can make some different decisions during the campaign, so there is some replayability in terms of that and in terms of choosing what new characters to go after and add to your roster.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight a mixed emotional response, with some players feeling indifferent about their investment, while others appreciate the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, including tears and frustration, particularly through its challenging gameplay.
- “The combats had some bugs, but I loved how they made me cry and sweat; it's good to see a challenge nowadays.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the gameplay to be highly entertaining, despite the story being somewhat clichéd. Overall, the comedic elements contribute positively to the gaming experience.
- “Gameplay is hilarious and the story is cliché, yeah, but it entertains.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised as a fresh and interesting blend of old and new school elements, contributing to an engaging experience that enhances the overall gameplay. Despite being in early access, it stands out as a gem in its genre.
- “Normally I would stay away from early access games as a recommendation, but this game is a fresh and interesting gem with great atmosphere and fun gameplay in a very old and new school way.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The optimization of Element space is lacking, with users noting that it requires significantly more testing to improve performance and functionality.
- “Element space simply isn't optimized and needs a lot more time in the testing stages.”
- “The game suffers from severe performance issues, making it frustrating to play.”
- “There are too many bugs and glitches that disrupt the gameplay experience.”