Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space
- March 18, 2013
- Digital Eel
- 3h median play time
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Get on itch.io Store"Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space" is a sci-fi, roguelike strategy game that takes you on randomly generated space adventures. Explore, battle, and survive in a procedurally generated galaxy filled with strange planets, alien species, and dangerous space creatures. Every playthrough is unique, offering a fresh and unpredictable experience with each journey. Make quick decisions as you manage your resources and navigate the unknown depths of outer space.
Mac OS
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Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Quick and casual gameplay, perfect for short sessions during breaks.
- Randomized events and encounters keep each playthrough fresh and engaging.
- Charming art style and humorous flavor text enhance the overall experience.
- Limited content and replayability; players may see everything the game has to offer in just a few hours.
- Combat mechanics can feel unbalanced and frustrating, often leading to quick defeats.
- Lack of a save feature and a time limit can lead to frustrating experiences if a game is interrupted.
- gameplay58 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and quick sessions, making it suitable for casual play, though it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth compared to similar titles. While some players appreciate the enjoyable mechanics and light-hearted exploration, others criticize the unbalanced gameplay, poor interface, and unattractive graphics. Overall, it offers a mix of fun and frustration, appealing to those seeking a light roguelike experience but potentially disappointing for players looking for more substantial content.
“This game is better than its sequel, as it allows for relatively relaxing yet exciting gameplay where you're wandering around picking up cargo, fending off hostile races while finding various ways to ally with the friendly ones.”
“However, if you're looking for a game that's got hours of replayability with rounds that don't last for hours, with easy to understand controls and gameplay, and intriguing events, randomized maps, and a good degree of exploration and challenging encounters, this is the game for you!”
“The graphics aren't what truly matters though, and the gameplay mechanics are simple but work well in the context of the game.”
“The gameplay is boring and repetitive, and the graphics are just awful.”
“The main issue is there isn't much gameplay.”
“While the general idea is nice, the gameplay is very repetitive with various items found hardly making a difference.”
- story41 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely fragmented and lacks a cohesive narrative, with players primarily engaging in randomized quests and events that contribute to a high score rather than an overarching plot. While the atmosphere and quirky lore create a unique experience, many reviewers feel that the absence of a deeper storyline or campaign limits the game's potential. Despite the charm of its random events and the excitement of exploration, the lack of a substantial narrative leaves players wanting more.
“I love how the various random items and their lore interconnect, and how exciting the storylines have the potential to be, in what appears on the surface to be an aimless journey.”
“Each time you play the game, a new and different 'instant space opera' is generated at random; from locations of stars and nebulae to plot-twisting quest events, nothing stays the same.”
“The game is charming in the way that only older PC titles can be, an emphasis has been placed on the writing making each run an interesting experience as you come across all manners of weird and wonderful random events as you complete your mission.”
“There is no overarching story or metagame (no permabonuses or unlocks for successful runs), just stories you make as you go, and some random campaign events (which can result in a bad ending).”
“There is no good story or event; the only point of doing anything is to get a big score.”
“No backstory, only very rarely is there something resembling a mission or a quest, and your final objective is to get a high score.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are dated and simplistic, yet some appreciate their charm and the unique art style. Several users express a desire for HD graphics support and improved modding tools, while others mention technical issues and a lack of graphical options. Overall, while the visuals may not be impressive, they are often described as functional and fitting within the context of the gameplay.
“The graphics are a bit dated but they have their charm.”
“It is a fun little game with lower graphics.”
“This game was released in 2005, I believe, but despite being nearly 10 years old, it has a clean interface and the graphics actually look pretty good!”
“The graphics do not display correctly on any of my Windows 10 PCs - refunded.”
“The gameplay is boring and repetitive, and the graphics are just awful.”
“The graphics seemed to get a downgrade for the most part; even the pictures of cats that were used as stand-in images for things that hadn't been completed yet were better than some of the final art we got.”
- replayability21 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The reviews on replayability are mixed, with some players praising certain games for their infinite replayability and procedural generation that keeps the experience fresh, while others criticize titles for lacking substantial content and replay value after initial playthroughs. Games that incorporate random elements and engaging mechanics tend to receive higher marks for replayability, whereas those with limited content struggle to maintain player interest over time. Overall, the level of replayability varies significantly across different titles, with some offering hours of enjoyment and others falling short.
“Infinitely replayable and tons of fun.”
“Procedural generation keeps the game fresh and adds a great deal of replayability.”
“Very enjoyable with great replay value.”
“This is okay but it's lacking in replayability.”
“Don't expect a lot of replayability after beating it once.”
“It's decently made and there's a lot of attention to detail, just there isn't much content or replayability.”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its quirky and offbeat humor, featuring humorous encounters and a lighthearted tone throughout its space-themed adventures. Players enjoy the blend of casual gameplay with a diverse array of funny elements, making it an entertaining experience that is both engaging and amusing. Its cartoon art style and whimsical scenarios contribute to a fun atmosphere, ideal for short gaming sessions.
“It's a fun little game with a surprisingly deep package of lore and content, with quirky but lovely art and sound, and a very diverse set of often humorous elements.”
“You will save and doom the galaxy, you will fail hilariously and retire rich, you will encounter new and weird life.”
“The exploration is fun, due to the game's sense of humor and cartoon art style, and it's a joy getting high tier items.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as intentionally quirky and sometimes jarring, contributing to its unique atmosphere, though it can feel limited during gameplay with only a few short clips. While some players appreciate the memorable snippets of country music and the overall sound design, others find the music average, rating it around 5/10. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the game's lore and experience, but may not be consistently engaging throughout.
“It has an excellent atmosphere; from the quirky bits of backstory to the memorable snippets of country music you sometimes pick up while drifting through the void, it does a great job of creating a unique 'feel'.”
“This game has great music, really enjoyable lore, great battle system, not too difficult and not too fast moving like FTL, just relax and enjoy.”
“The sounds and music are intentionally weird and a bit jarring at times, yet they do feel appropriate for the overall feel of the game.”
“Music: 5/10”
“Sound, music, and graphics are just okay with no major flaws.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its addictive quality and unique charm, blending quirky backstories with memorable country music to create an engaging and immersive experience. However, it is noted that the atmosphere may cater more to casual players.
“The atmosphere is addictive.”
“The atmosphere of the game is great.”
“It has an excellent atmosphere; from the quirky bits of backstory to the memorable snippets of country music you sometimes pick up while drifting through the void, it does a great job of creating a unique 'feel'.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be unnecessarily tedious, particularly criticizing the lengthy tutorial that complicates the outfitting of ships. This leads to frustration as players discover that higher-rated items can negatively impact their battle strategies.
“The tutorial is unnecessarily tedious.”
“It is unnecessarily tedious and long.”
“That information is now gone, making outfitting your ship rather tedious when you realize that, though something had a better rating in coins, it ended up hurting your strategy pretty significantly when you tried it in battle.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game struggles with optimization on Windows 10, particularly at high resolutions, leading to performance issues and a lack of smooth gameplay.
“The game didn't feel optimized for high resolutions.”
“Performance issues make it hard to enjoy the game at higher settings.”
“The lack of optimization leads to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized due to buggy controls, with players experiencing significant issues such as mouse glitches and frame rate drops when playing in full screen. Switching to windowed mode is suggested as a workaround, but overall performance remains a concern.
“Controls are buggy.”
“I cannot play in full screen; the mouse glitches out and the FPS drops to single digits. Playing in windowed mode fixes this, but the resolution does not matter.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be highly rewarding, particularly during skill-based challenges that evoke a sense of empowerment and achievement. The game successfully creates engaging situations that enhance the overall emotional experience.
“The parts of the game that require skill are equally emotionally rewarding.”
“It created some interesting situations and sometimes made me feel like the lord of the freakin' universe.”
