Back to space with Spacebase Startopia

I spent a good part of my adolescence playing Startopia: that space station, those alien lines, that AI with the voice of a cynical English man... I'm not one of those who reinstalls the game every time someone comments on it in forums, but it was a very meaningful game for me. Therefore, it is not surprising that as soon as this Spacebase Startopia was announced, getting into the game became one of my priorities. Developed by Realmforge Studios, known above all for the Dungeons saga, and published by Kalypso Media, comes this spiritual remake/sequel that promises to take us back - or for the first time-to our favorite space station.

The first adjective that comes to mind when thinking of this Spacebase Startopia is "continuity." And it is that who played the previous one will be at ease from the first moment. We will have three decks or platforms to manage, and each one will serve a purpose: there is the engineering platform, which is where our clients arrive when they step on the space station for the first time and that contains all the elements that we could call "functional" for the correct management of the station or for a good stay of our guests. It is, let's say, the most pragmatic platform where customers can eat or sleep without the need for special amenities.

We also have the entertainment platform, where its own name already indicates its function. In this, our guests can find excitement or relaxation and comfort, to their liking. This is usually where they will spend the most, and a good entertainment platform guarantees a long stay for the common alien. Finally, we have the Bio Deck, or biological platform, that will delight customers looking for a bit of nature within the space vacuum.

Our duty as station managers will be to manage these three platforms by making them an addictive mix that makes each of our customers spend as many units of energy as possible at our station.

Spacebase Startopia has many dilemmas of the same style, some more subtle and others more direct. For example, from time to time the AI will offer us to improve some construction but with certain disadvantages: we improved the garbage recycler - which generates energy from the garbage collected - so that it recycles 10% faster but with a 25% chance of not generate energy, or do we improve it so that it generates more energy but with a slower recycling rate? Each improvement of this style has its disadvantages, and the player will have to choose the option that best suits their way of playing or the current context.

In the campaign we will be accompanied by the AI of the ship that will act as our partner and mentor, whom we will call VAL. We do not have the English voice of the first, but the dubbing is very good, with a voice very similar to that of GlaDOS -I have not been able to confirm that it is the same dubber- and lines of dialogue with a tone very similar to the original game , where we will constantly check their contempt for entities made of carbon.

At the interface level, the game, obviously, has adapted to modern times, mixing the design of constructions with the Theme Hospital that already had the first one with a somewhat more elegant interface, more in keeping with the somewhat more casual visual style. than the original. We do have some complaints though. An employee tab is missing where you can manage all employees at a glance. Some tutorial tips are also missing for the first few minutes, where I didn't know how to start building.

Bugs and interfaces apart, I must say that I had a great time in these hours of play. And I am, not sure, very sure that whoever comes from the previous Startopia will enjoy this remake. And whoever comes new, too.