Void Destroyer 2
- February 6, 2020
- Iteration 11
- 35h median play time
"Void Destroyer 2 is a open-world space sandbox game set in a desolate asteroid field, where you must survive by engaging in combat, managing tactics, and making strategic decisions. Start from humble beginnings and rise to power as a mercenary, pirate, bounty hunter, or entrepreneur, building your own trading or mining business. The game offers a wide range of freedom for players to choose their own path to domination, including the option to fight hard or negotiate your way to the top." NO INFORMATION AVailable about release date or developer/publisher.
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of space combat and RTS mechanics, allowing players to pilot ships and command fleets.
- The developer is highly responsive to community feedback and regularly updates the game, showing dedication to improvement.
- The art style is distinctive and colorful, providing a refreshing visual experience compared to other space games.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes, particularly during large battles, which can disrupt gameplay.
- The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for new players to navigate and understand the game mechanics.
- Some missions are poorly balanced, often forcing players into difficult situations without adequate resources or support.
- story688 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as lacking depth and coherence, with many players finding the scripted missions poorly balanced and frustrating due to obscure win conditions and difficulty spikes. While some appreciate the engaging elements of faction missions and the potential for a rich narrative, others feel that the campaign is tedious and repetitive, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, there are moments of intrigue and humor, and the sandbox mode offers a more enjoyable alternative for those who prefer less structured gameplay.
“The campaign is excellent and compelling, the factions have good backstory, the ship designs are unique and interesting, and the mechanics are sound.”
“The story is actually interesting, which is a nice surprise for a sandbox indie game.”
“The story and content progression is a bit misplaced; however, the developer is open and responsive to feedback in this regard.”
“The scripted missions have horrible balance and obscure winning conditions.”
“The main campaign is boring and confusing; it could have been done better, maybe with more storytelling and fewer classic missions.”
“The story missions are highly restrictive and designed to be difficult, which I did not enjoy.”
- graphics254 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a simple, cell-shaded art style that some players find charming and unique, reminiscent of titles like Borderlands. However, many reviews highlight issues with poor texture quality and performance, particularly during intense gameplay moments, which can detract from the overall experience. While the visuals may not meet the standards of modern AAA titles, they have a distinct appeal that some players appreciate, especially if they can overlook the graphical shortcomings.
“The art style is unique and quite appealing, reminiscent of Borderlands, which adds a distinct charm to the game.”
“I actually like the graphics a lot; they are simple but effective with a unique style that you don't see often.”
“The graphics are relatively simple, but colorful and stylish, which suits the game's overall aesthetic.”
“The textures are extremely poor quality (as well as the graphics) and it's hard to tell what you're shooting at.”
“Poor graphics and bad performance when there are multiple ships on screen.”
“Unfortunately, the graphical style - while unique - makes the game incredibly difficult to play.”
- gameplay216 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Void Destroyer 2 is a blend of space simulation, RTS, and 4X elements, offering a mix of dogfighting, fleet management, and mission-based progression that many players find engaging and addictive. While the game features a steep learning curve and some initial awkwardness with controls, it rewards persistence with satisfying mechanics and a sense of progression. However, players have noted issues with crashes and a lack of polish in certain areas, which can detract from the overall experience.
“Vd2 combines many different mechanics while not being overly complex, resulting in something easy to pick up (relative to other 4x games) and hard to put down.”
“The gameplay is both kinda daunting at the beginning yet when you start to learn it becomes extremely addicting.”
“As far as space sims go, VD2 kinda has it all; ship capturing, auto-trading, hiring wingmen, base capturing, faction wars, capital ship combat, fighter dogfights, RTS mechanics, time dilation/compression, bounty hunting, piracy, utterly hilarious mission dialog, and even insulting random NPC pilots for no reason whatsoever.”
“The longer you play it, the more you start headbutting quirks that delay progression and slow gameplay; starting this game is like starting a jigsaw puzzle that doesn't want to be completed and actively tries to stop you.”
“What a nightmare... the most convoluted, contorted, grotesque control and gameplay I've seen in any game.”
“The gameplay is way too boring; missions are boring as hell and the ship purchase options are small. Everything in this game is really unpolished; I don't recommend buying this game at this time.”
- optimization48 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, especially during large battles or with multiple ships on screen. While some users have noted improvements after following optimization guides or engaging with the developers, others have reported persistent crashes and poor performance even on high-end hardware. The graphics have also been criticized as subpar, contributing to the overall dissatisfaction with the game's optimization.
“The performance is very good; the 'tactical view' and time dilation are great to get a bearing and plan tactics for engagements.”
“We have received multiple optimizations and the squashing of bugs that I honestly never encountered.”
“After contact from the dev team, I have found better performance and I'm able to play more of the game.”
“I have an RTX 4090 and performance was awful.”
“The performance compared to the graphics was poor.”
“I was about to request a refund because I was getting really bad performance and I have a graphics card above what is recommended.”
- music46 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it atmospheric and well-composed, while others describe it as repetitive and lacking in presence. Many noted that the soundtrack is limited, with only about fifty minutes of music, leading some to turn it off entirely in favor of their own playlists. Overall, while there are moments of strong musical achievement, the general consensus is that the music could benefit from more variety and creativity.
“The music that is present is amazing; it is atmospheric and very well conducted.”
“It's an incredible achievement for such a small studio consisting of approximately one guy, plus a musician and maybe a modder.”
“+ the music is excellent.”
“Then you'll be greeted by annoyingly loud music and scramble to figure out why the sound sliders are not doing anything.”
“Music is basically non-existent; I didn't really notice it playing at all, I don't remember what it sounds like. After a few hours, I did something I almost never do in games and turned the game music off and loaded up a media player in the background.”
“The sounds and music are mediocre at the moment.”
- grinding36 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be significant but manageable, with faster progress compared to previous titles in the series. While some missions and endgame content can become tedious and repetitive, many players appreciate the ability to build a fleet and earn credits more efficiently through combat rather than traditional trading. Overall, the grind is seen as a necessary part of the experience, but it can lead to moments of frustration, especially in larger battles and fleet management.
“The game is fun but it is grindy.”
“You buy the ships, then you have to fly off the station and speed up time to wait for them to build, fly back on station, assign them to your fleet, meticulously upgrade them, fly back out to space, send them to the overworld map, tediously click on each one in the map and manually move them into a fleet.”
“The game was fun and enjoyable-- up until the 'capture an outlander destroyer' mission, which was constant grinding and hunting for a frigate, and then soloing the destroyer, its frigate wingman, and the 2 frigates it calls as reinforcements.”
- stability26 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 85 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting frequent crashes and bugs, particularly after a few hours of gameplay. While some users note improvements over previous titles and mention that auto-saving mitigates frustration, others find the experience incomplete and riddled with glitches. Overall, the game is described as somewhat buggy but still enjoyable, with a few players experiencing minimal issues.
“Barely any stutter, and no glitches.”
“Fairly bug-free and only 1 crash in 30 hours of gameplay (auto saves frequently).”
“Simple to get into, pretty deep when you really get into it, a good space combat/empire war game (it's pretty unique).”
“The game is not impressive; it freezes and crashes after about 2-3 hours of play.”
“Unfortunately though, the game is still very buggy and it crashes a lot, though it auto saves very often, so it's fine but very annoying.”
“The biggest issue I have with the game is it feels incomplete and buggy.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of hilariously bad moments and genuinely funny dialogue, particularly during missions, which often elicit laughter. Players appreciate the cartoonish art style and distinct characters, though some find the game's difficulty detracts from the overall comedic experience. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the engaging gameplay, making it a memorable aspect of the experience.
“I also love the cartoonish art style and the dialogue made me laugh out loud on several occasions.”
“The missions were really entertaining and funny!”
“As far as space sims go, vd2 kinda has it all; ship capturing, auto-trading, hiring wingmen, base capturing, faction wars, capital ship combat, fighter dogfights, rts mechanics, time dilation/compression, bounty hunting, piracy, utterly hilarious mission dialog, and even insulting random NPC pilots for no reason whatsoever (my personal favorite).”
- replayability8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
"Void Destroyer 2" offers significant replayability, especially for a game developed by a single creator, featuring easy controls, a compelling story, and a variety of ships. Players can enjoy endless gameplay options, including the ability to customize ship limits for larger battles. However, some users feel that the current replayability could be improved.
“For a game made by a single developer, Void Destroyer 2 has a great deal of replay value.”
“Easy controls and clear and useful UIs for every way you want to play, good story, endless replayability, plenty of ships, and a fair learning curve in the campaign. You can even remove limits for ship counts if you have a powerful computer and go all out on your enemy (the standard count is more than enough).”
“This game has amazing 4K graphics, large-scale battles, freedom, replayability, and an intelligent, helpful, patient, and focused creator who spends all day and almost all night working to bring gamers like you a truly unique experience.”
“The replayability is not great at the moment.”
“The replayability is not great at the moment.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the exceptional music and sound design that create an immersive experience. The unique art style further enhances the overall ambiance, making it engaging from the very start.
“The music that is present is amazing; it is atmospheric and very well conducted.”
“During my first few hours playing, I was engaged by the unique art style and atmosphere.”
“The score and sound design set a great atmosphere.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game appears to be underwhelming, with users expressing surprise at its lack of visibility and suggesting that the developer could improve advertising efforts to enhance awareness and engagement.
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the inability to customize control keys, particularly for thrust functions, which detracts from their overall emotional experience while playing. This limitation contributes to feelings of discomfort and dissatisfaction during gameplay.