Leading a colony into the unknowns of the universe takes patience and tough choices, at least that’s what I got out of Starpoint Gemini Warlords. This is a brand new action RPG strategy game to have popped up on Steam and I was able to give the game a try for purposes of this impression piece.
There’s a lot to process with Starpoint Gemini Warlords and taking the time to go through the game may very well be worth it. For my first impressions, I was introduced with the option to go through a campaign game mode that offers a means of a tutorial on how the title is controlled rather than going in completely blind.
Within this campaign, players are introduced to the world in which the human empire has been destroyed by an alien force. As such, humans have no claim in the universe that is until a rebel faction was able to break off and claim a new name within a separate system.
Being in a new system and few in numbers, it will be an uphill battle to claim your worth along with your right of survival. This is where the story really opens up and allows players to take control of their destiny.
It seems that there’s really no correct path to take in Starpoint Gemini Warlords. You can decide to run your colony in a means that would be justified and appropriate with the past human empire, though you could go a different heartless route.
As such, your choice in missions and how they are dealt with can vary. Regardless, being a space simulation, a good portion of the game will be based around your ships. Choosing a ship and adjusting its resources will likely reflect your overall playstyle.
If you’re going to be more ruthless, your ship may have more influence in weapon power and agile. Likewise, there are options for those who wish for a tank-based ship with the tendency of keeping your cargo and crew safe behind powerful shields.
Controls are relatively easy to handle, though as suspected, there is a bit of a learning curve. I wouldn’t say that this was the smoothest game mechanics I’ve ever come across for both keyboard and mouse along with a standard Xbox 360 controller. But with that said, you should have the mechanics down not too long after the start of your campaign.
Visuals and audio are on point. The openness of space, the debris, along with the ships you’ll come across really ties together the thrill of traveling or the occasional chaotic battle. I can say the same for the audio side of things, however, there was one issue that was a hinder playing the game from the start.
The voice acting hits well below the mark. This is one area that could really use an overhaul already with some extra time mixing it with the in-game cinematic. There are points that I couldn’t hear what characters were saying over blasts or other sound effects.
Regardless, even with the poor voice acting, I would likely find myself diving back into Starpoint Gemini Warlords from time-to-time and recommend giving this title a look through by developers Little Green Men Games and publishers Iceberg Interactive.
Full Disclosure: A copy of the game was provided from the publisher for purposes of this review.
