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Do you know what the movies Gravity, Sunshine or the series Star Trek have in common? Their spaceship always broke down at the most inopportune time. You're flying through space when a black hole suddenly appears and you find yourself in a completely unknown system. You've lost your entire crew to all this, and the rocket is dying. A very similar scenario plays out in a strategy game Out There, which has already won a number of important awards.
The protagonist, an astronaut, wakes up on a spaceship after a long cryosleep and discovers that he is millions of light years away from Earth. The main task in the game is to get back, if possible alive and well. It might seem like a fairly easy task, but you're constantly running out of fuel, oxygen, and the occasional hole in the ship. So you have no choice but to travel from planet to planet and constantly look for means of salvation.
Out There is a highly thought-out turn-based strategy that closely resembles the style of paper gamebooks. The game doesn't give you anything for free, and literally every move needs to be carefully considered, because at any moment a sign with the end of your journey and a restart button may appear on your screen.
Crafting system
As already mentioned, the cornerstone of success is taking care of the three basic elements - fuel (gasoline and hydrogen), oxygen and the imaginary shield of the spaceship. Each of your moves consumes a certain number of these elements, and logically, as soon as one of them reaches zero, your mission ends. The principle of Out There is therefore to discover new planets and try to find or mine something on them. Sometimes it can be the three basic elements, other times other valuable metals and substances or even some living organism, but you can also find your own destruction on them.
At first, the game may seem very difficult to control. Personally, it took me a while to understand everything and find a strategy. Orientation in the game is otherwise not that complicated. You have three options available in the lower left corner. The first symbol shows you the entire space map, the second symbol is used to navigate the system you are currently in, and the third marker is probably the most important. Under it you will find complete management of your ship. It is here that you are tasked with taking care of the vessel. However, storage space is very limited, so you have to carefully consider what you take with you and what you throw into space.
Every element you discover on the planets has its use. Like all rockets, yours has some interesting abilities that you can improve and discover depending on how successful you are. Over time, for example, you will master the warp drive, various types of gadgets for discovering life and raw materials, up to basic protective elements. It depends only on you whether you prefer to discover new experiences at a certain moment or to supplement the basic elements.
There is usually a story taking place on the planets as well. It can have many alternative endings, again it is only up to you how you behave in a given situation and what you do. Sometimes it happens that you get hit by a swarm of meteorites, other times someone attacks you or you discover something mysterious and new. There are also various calls for help and nonsensical codes.
I've also had many times that I've flown to a planet and ended up out of nowhere. I also flew too far and ran out of gas. By this I mean that there is no universal strategy and procedure. The planets look the same on the map, but when I fly to the same planet in a new game, it always shows me new possibilities and discoveries. Personally, the method of slow discovery and not rushing anywhere has worked best for me. When I read the discussions on foreign servers, I even discovered opinions that there are several conclusions and options to finish the game. Only a select few made it to the home planet.
Out There also contains a very interesting and engaging story, which, once you take a look, won't let you go. Unfortunately, it's even more disappointing when you think you're on the right track and suddenly end. After that, you have no choice but to start from the beginning. The only thing that will always remain is your highest score.
Fun for several hours
I also like the game's interesting graphics, which definitely won't offend. The same goes for the soundtrack and game tones. I rate a game concept that will last you for a very long time as a professionally screwed one. It happened to me repeatedly that I got so engrossed in the game that I lost track of time. The game does offer autosave, but once you die, you can't take it back.
If you are a sci-fi fan looking for a real and honest gaming experience, Out There is the game for you. You can run it on any iOS device with no problem, given that you can download it from the App Store for less than 5 euros. I wish you a pleasant flight and a happy journey.
[app url=https://itunes.apple.com/cz/app/out-there-o-edition/id799471892?mt=8]
It is true that Omega is relatively more playable for more casual players, because version 1.x was hell and it was even in the description on the App Store.
Otherwise, for those who like Out There, I recommend a similar game. FTL, unfortunately is only for iPad on iPhone it would be unplayable unlike this one. You also have to survive, but it's a combination between "realtime/turn-based" strategy with a nice atmosphere and a sense of death at every turn.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ftl-faster-than-light/id833951143?mt=8
I agree, I played the first part a lot and died a lot and it bothered me. In the end, I was able to finish the game in several ways, so I was actually quite satisfied. If Omega is more playable, I'll probably try again ;-).
The advantage is that it's just an "update" of the original version :-)
Yes, because I probably wouldn't buy it again ;-).