Wandering in space
- June 19, 2023
- MOONSEER VR
- 2h median play time
"Wandering in Space" is a single-player, role-playing game with around 2 hours of playtime, offering a unique FPS roguelite sci-fi experience in VR. As a soldier with amnesia, you must battle mutants, cyborgs, and rebels in space to uncover the truth behind a doomsday catastrophe. The game has left-handed mode support and plans for a multiplayer PvE version in Fall 2023.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a great atmosphere and visually captivating environments, reminiscent of classic sci-fi horror games.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and have made significant improvements since early access, showing promise for future updates.
- Gameplay is enjoyable for those who appreciate rogue-like mechanics and the thrill of upgrading weapons and stats after each run.
- The game lacks left-hand support, forcing left-handed players to use their non-dominant hand, which detracts from the experience.
- Gun mechanics and overall gameplay feel clunky and unsatisfying, with issues like misaligned aiming and weak-feeling weapons.
- The grinding nature of the game disrupts the flow, making progress feel tedious and unfulfilling, especially with repetitive resource collection.
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many users highlighting weaknesses in gun mechanics and a lack of interactivity. While some enjoy the satisfaction of upgrading weapons and the smooth turning feature, others find certain mechanics, like the bow's overpowering nature and the tedious item collection, to be outdated and unengaging. Additionally, there are calls for improvements in character animations and overall game design to enhance the experience.
“Maybe that would be a game mechanic where your weapons loadout somehow gets hacked on occasion, causing some on-the-fly improvisation when the next level starts.”
“Very much enjoying the gameplay!”
“Gameplay: 8/10 - very satisfying when making your own weapons more powerful using what you gathered through the levels.”
“The gun mechanics and overall gameplay are the weakest part.”
“Gameplay with the laser sword was confusing at first, as I thought slashing through the enemy would inflict damage.”
“The gameplay focuses too much on grinding and upgrading.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many players noting that they are visually appealing and contribute to an immersive atmosphere. However, performance issues such as stuttering and frame rate drops, even on high-end hardware, detract from the experience. While some aspects, like weapon design and environmental details, are praised, there are criticisms regarding enemy graphics and animation quality.
“Really nice graphics, and the weapon design is so cool.”
“Graphics: 9/10”
“The graphics and overall atmosphere (environments, lighting, sounds, etc.) are pretty tight (though mob running animations could use some love).”
“As a game, it looks nice and plays interesting for the first 30 minutes - but it is stuttering something awful - no matter which graphics settings you put on.”
“I experienced constant frame rate drops down into the 40s with an RTX 3080 and i9 processor no matter what I changed the graphic settings to.”
“The voice acting is bad, and the graphics of the enemies are terrible.”
- story10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as a standard sci-fi narrative involving a crisis in space and zombie combat, but it is largely considered unimportant and filled with plot holes. Players express that the story does not enhance the experience, with many focusing more on gameplay mechanics than the narrative itself. Overall, the story receives a mediocre rating of 6/10.
“Story: 6/10”
“It has a standard sci-fi storyline, in which you wake up during a crisis in space and you are required to kill zombies.”
“But the story really doesn't matter much in this game either.”
“Story is also full of plot holes like the oxygen thing.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant focus, often feeling repetitive and tedious as they work to upgrade their gear for survival in higher levels. The rogue-like dungeon crawler design necessitates continuous grinding for better weapons and armor, which some players feel detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“I've been doing some grinding on level 2, and after a few tries, I still kept getting 'you seem to have unread messages' even though nothing was highlighted as something I had to open.”
“Much more than grinding for an item which is likely not to be as fun as they imagined.”
“The gameplay focuses much on grinding and upgrading.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its impressive graphics, environments, and sound design, creating an engaging experience, particularly in space and shuttle scenes. While it shares resource-collecting mechanics with titles like Cosmodread, the atmosphere leans more towards action than horror, though some animations could be improved. Overall, players find the atmosphere to be immersive and well-executed.
“The atmosphere in space is quite good; the shuttle scene is also amazing.”
“Looks very good and plays well with great atmosphere.”
“The game reminds me a lot of Cosmodread in the way you collect resources from each run and use that in your future runs, though I feel the atmosphere is more action-focused than horror.”
“The graphics and overall atmosphere (environments, lighting, sounds, etc.) are pretty tight, though mob running animations could use some love.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting severe stuttering and performance issues regardless of graphics settings, particularly after the initial tutorial. However, some users with high-end hardware, like the RTX 3090, experience stable performance at higher resolutions. Overall, the optimization appears inconsistent and problematic for many players.
“Performance is fine using Valve Index at 250% resolution with RTX 3090 - got solid 90 fps.”
“As a game, it looks nice and plays interesting for the first 30 minutes - but it is stuttering something awful - no matter which graphics settings you put on.”
“This game is just another generic clunky low-budget indie zombie-in-space shooter with poor optimization.”
“After the tutorial mission, the performance takes a nosedive and the game becomes unplayable.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report that the game's stability has significantly improved following recent updates, with many noting that it now runs smoothly.
“Since the last updates, the game runs great!”
“The stability of the game has improved significantly after the recent patches.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or major bugs since the last update.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players recognize significant potential for replayability, suggesting the game could be engaging for extended play. However, there are concerns that certain design choices could undermine this potential, risking a decline in replay value.
“I feel that there is a big potential for replayability, and I can see how this game could easily be one that I continue playing indefinitely.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple paths and endings, this game offers a unique experience every time I play, ensuring high replay value.”
“I feel that there is a big potential, and I can see how this could easily be a game that players continue to enjoy indefinitely, but there is a fine line that could ruin it from being perfect and make it a game that lacks replay value.”
