Void Bastards Reignited My Video Game Mojo
By: Phillip Caron
Tags: Gaming, Videogames, Features, Culture, Indie Game

I knew the moment I booted up Void Bastards; the game was my style. The comic book narration, complete with thought bubbles and typical comic book sound effects, only added to the game's quirkiness. Every loading screen and plot point was told through artistic comic book panels and narration. This game was someone’s labor of love.

I seem to be in a state of video game fatigue currently. I haven’t acquired a PS5 yet, and my library is exhausted. At times these indie games like Void Bastards are precisely what I need to rejuvenate my spirit.

The dialog is witty, and the enemies are reminiscent of Borderlands, while the playstyle punishes you for making a mistake. Staying too long on a vessel can mean imminent death, pushing you right back to the start, but don’t worry: all of your acquired items remain in your inventory.

When you do die, your narrator is humorously indifferent. The robot's indifference to your death only adds to the feeling that you are completely alone in space.

Each time you respawn, a new character manifests various advantages and disadvantages for you to integrate into your playthrough. My first character repeatedly coughed, which consistently led me to alert nearby enemies, while my second character randomly generated battle music even when I wasn’t engaging in a fight.

The plethora of advantages and disadvantages were quite annoying (but still exciting) to manage.

As I played on, I grew to enjoy the weapons progression. The ability to level up your weapons by finding critical parts throughout the scattered vessels helped ease the sting of continually dying if I had to start over again fresh every time. I may have found the game too punishing.

I have often found when playing shooter games that most guns are useless. The meta typically settles around one or two firearms that can get you through every engagement. Void Bastards’ weapons all had utility. Each item served a purpose, and I found myself switching weapons constantly to deal with unique situations. This utility, mixed with limited ammunition, really made me consider every engagement.

The ability of Void Bastards to force me to consider how to solve a problem with limited resources is precisely what I love most about gaming. The finely tuned gameplay kept me engrossed for hours.

The game places a heavy focus on choice. Your “Star Map” or world map gives you at least three different options for the direction you can fly, and each vessel you land at produces a new set of problems. Your health does not regenerate, and your constant need for fuel and food creates a feeling that every decision is critical. Each ship is randomly generated with a few staple rooms to help you understand the layout. The randomization of these ships only adds to the replay value. It all works together to emphasize your choices and actions as the game’s central tent-pole.

Void Bastards is a break from the traditional big-box production that everyone needs to revisit. If you feel burnt out, I strongly recommend you immerse yourself in this rich world to get your mojo back.