Developer: Random Seed Games
Publisher: Random Seed Games
Platforms: PC
Tested on: PC
Lacuna Passage – Preview
Lacuna passage is an indie space simulation game being developed by Random Seed Games. With specific details about the red planet on which it is set and a wonderful atmosphere, this game is something to look forward to once it gets finished. Right now, it is still in early access which means there is still a lot to be done for the game to be top-tier but nevertheless, what’s already playable doesn’t look too shabby!
As far as storyline goes, Lacuna Passage doesn’t have one yet. At the moment, only the sandbox mode is available to users, although the story has been hinted at by the developers. You begin the sandbox mode by crashing unto mars in a one-man escape pod. This can insinuate a lot of things, one of them could be that there was some Mars mission that failed and that your character, Jessica Rainer, is a lonesome investigator of some sort. What has been released by the developers, Random Seeds Games, is that Jessica Rainer was indeed on a mission to Mars but that the mission failed and she is the sole survivor. This might already feel a little cliché for some people, sole survivor and whatnot, but this could go either way, we won’t know for sure until the story mode comes out, thus it’s certainly something to look forward to.
Lacuna Passage looks good, even in this stage of the game’s development, the game presents a lot of atmosphere and beautiful landscapes. What’s even better is that the entire map is generated from real NASA satellite data which gives Lacuna Passage that extra boost in trying to stick as close to the truth as possible. The only thing that is displeasing about the landscape are the textures of some stones, as they still look really rough. Even when walking through the different habitats scattered across the map, these man-made buildings look convincingly real and seem to have come straight from NASA themselves, but a bit more wear and tear showing on them wouldn’t hurt, Mars has a harsh climate after all.
One of the greater negatives of this game, at least at this moment, is that there is almost no sound. A great soundtrack resembling the genre of the soundtrack of the movie Interstellar would work great. Music is very crucial because Lacuna Passage is basically a one-man adventure and that can get very lonely, so some music as a form of company would definitely change things for the better. Lacuna Passage is not entirely without sound of course, you have sound effects when discovering things, when your EVA suit is running out of power and panting sounds while sprinting. All these don’t make up for the rest though, the game feels very empty without any music.
Concerning gameplay, there are a few good things Lacuna Passage already has to offer. Because you need to sustain yourself, you need to make sure that the different parts of your habitat are working well, things such as your reoxygenator, heating system, water reclaimer and general power supply. For all these things, there are separate modules outside of the habitat that bring power to these units through solar energy, but of course you need to make sure that these modules are in working condition. To make sure everything works, you can go to the terminal of each module and download a manual to your tablet on how to operate these modules, the number of fuses they need at a minimum to work efficiently for example. When you read the manual, you can run diagnostics on the terminal to see exactly what is wrong and what parts you need to replace. A very immersive feature that will certainly make a lot of people happy.
A downside to the large map is that it takes you a long time to get anywhere and you need to find supply caches in order to sustain yourself because there is no futuristic food-growing in this game, you have to head out, find wreckage from the ship and see if you find any food supplies. Most of the time it takes ages to reach something and for even farther destinations there is another problem, you can’t even reach them because your oxygen will run out. Therefore, vehicles would be a great addition to the game, but we’re sure Random Seed Games will add them at some point. Possibly in different grades, normal rovers and gigantic exploration tanks perhaps?
Lacuna Passage also features a crafting system which still feels a bit rough, maybe because the lay-out is a bit confusing and a lot to take in. On the other side, a lot of buttons is probably very realistic so It is understandable what they’re trying to do. The whole menu, accessible through your tablet, might take some time getting used to, though.
Conclusion
In the end, Lacuna Passage is still wearing a diaper, but you can feel that it is this kind of game that, when it grows out of its baby-phase and into a fully developed game, it will just be beautiful. With the addition of a story mode, Lacuna Passage will definitely leave a stamp on your heart.
No Comments