Titan A.E. is a movie about Earth being destroyed by energy-based aliens who fear how fast we’re advancing.
In this movie, right near the end, there’s a hide-and-seek section. This is it, really. The ships here are doing tight, slight, precise movements.
I’ll say this outright. I’ve always wanted to play a space game with controls as fine as this. I’ve also never played a game with control as fine as that.
Until now.
Star Wrath is a game currently in closed beta that asks, “What if an extraction shooter, but in space?” and so far, it’s stuck the landing.
There aren’t many servers live right now. One is Russian, and the other is European, which means there are only a scant few players in each region.
Still, every single time I went out to explore a new map (of which there are three), it was tense, either because I was hiding from more experienced PVP goliaths or because I was sneaking past the sentries and rocket ships.
I found myself favouring ships that gave me precise control to manoeuvre in and out of battle, while I hunted for loot and destroyed asteroids to complete the latest mission.
When not out in the asteroid fields, the moon, or a nebula, I was in the crafting menu.
This is where I spent TOO MUCH TIME.
I can’t yet tell you how much the game will cost. What I can tell you is that the shipbuilding alone may be worth it.
First, it’s simple: click on a part, add it, shift it, twist it.
Second, it gets so complicated that you start weighing each and every part you have in your inventory.
What makes it go faster? What gives more turning ability? Do you really need that much storage?
Trust me, the answer is complicated.
I favour small ships that can get in and out fast, so storage isn’t that important to me. I also want to be able to turn on a dime, so movement is critical. Of course, I then spent several hours just building ships until I had at least four that fit these criteria.
And I enjoyed every. Single. Minute.
Back to the actual fighting: things turn crazy when you start engaging your enemies, whether they’re other players, turrets, or NPCs. They’re all there, and they’re all waiting for you to try and sneak around.
And damn, does it feel fantastic.
With the tight movement, the speeds you travel at, and the way destruction feels, every moment is exhilarating, because your engine can be shot out, and you’ll still fly.
So can your “wings” (your weapons). Each part can be destroyed, and your ship might keep going.
Or you’ll blow up and end up in an escape pod.
That said, fighting others and slowly destroying them works nicely too, which I eventually got the hang of. Let’s just say this game is PVPVE, with the E not necessarily meaning “environment”; it’s for EVERYONE.
I did eventually ask the most important question.
“How do I get more ship parts?” The answer is simple: go out, complete missions, and collect them from the corpses of destroyed ships.
Star Wrath is a promising game in closed beta that delivers everything it advertised. If you’re looking for a good time out in space, with quick action, easy gameplay loops, and precise ship-building, it’s perfect.
With love, the NAG Team <3
