FTL: Faster Than Light

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1531 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,248 out of 1531
  2. Mixed: 185 out of 1531
  3. Negative: 98 out of 1531

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  1. McSqueeb
    Dec 24, 2012
    9
    FTL is one of the most challenging and satisfying games I've had the pleasure of playing. In the game you are given a choice of starting ship (only one to start, and more unlockable). You command this ship and the crew within on a mission to the Federation's home base to deliver a message of the impending Rebel assault. Along the way you encounter enemy ships and distressed colonies alikeFTL is one of the most challenging and satisfying games I've had the pleasure of playing. In the game you are given a choice of starting ship (only one to start, and more unlockable). You command this ship and the crew within on a mission to the Federation's home base to deliver a message of the impending Rebel assault. Along the way you encounter enemy ships and distressed colonies alike having to choose how to resolve each conflict. You are given one life, when you die it's game over. But the game is all the better for it.

    There is no doubt a percentage of luck in the game that determines the random encounters and their rewards. These will decide what weapons you are able to acquire after battles and from shops along the way. However, it is not solely dependent on luck as others may lead you to believe. There are certain weapon configurations that will make the game easier and more difficult alike, but beyond that the game simply has a large learning curve that many will not master quickly. There is a tactical solution to just about every possible situation, and though luck does prove a factor it is not the sole reason why you would be defeated. Beyond simply weapons and items to buy, you are given full control over the power and upgrade configuration of your shields, weapon system, drone system, engines, O2, Med Bay, Doors (more important than you think), sensors, etc. These play a huge part in whether you will survive or not with your current loadout. FTL isn't merely a dice roll, the game is simply unforgiving. Making a wrong choice early on about what to buy or choosing to finish a fight rather than run will impact the late game. Matching your upgrades to your weapons will determine whether you survive or perish.

    The game is not perfect, and could stand to have a few more encounters however each time you die it's a learning experience about what you may have done wrong. Each new game is a different experience, and in the 25 hours played I have never had two journeys end the same way. Nor have I ever died for a reason that was not my fault.

    Currently this game is the closest you will come to piloting your own starship through the galaxy on a mission to save the Federation from destruction. It is a brilliant game, challenging game, and one that will affect your gaming life forever.    … Expand
  2. Mykwon
    Dec 23, 2012
    10
    A very simple game with very simple graphics, yet very addictive! The strategy is extremely well balanced and the progress in succeeding in the game is constant. So, the pleasure is always renewed, the replay value is big and the potentials are vast. This is a magic game that is at the opposite of any gaming hypes but is tremendously well done. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! One of the best gamesA very simple game with very simple graphics, yet very addictive! The strategy is extremely well balanced and the progress in succeeding in the game is constant. So, the pleasure is always renewed, the replay value is big and the potentials are vast. This is a magic game that is at the opposite of any gaming hypes but is tremendously well done. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! One of the best games I've ever played in my 30 year gaming experience.… Expand
  3. chujfugh
    Dec 22, 2012
    8
    In a year full of original, old-school games, this is the most original, old-school game I
  4. ianx50
    Dec 21, 2012
    8
    Another indie title well worth your money if you want to burn some time and have nothing else to do. Challenging at times, and an all-around enjoyable game.
  5. ArMoRofGOD
    Dec 20, 2012
    9
    One of my favorite indies so far. This game is such a blast and was well programmed and thought out. No bugs, a fluid experience and a fun challenge every time. You either love or hate rogue likes so know that before purchasing. Only way to improve would be to add more content but for the sale price on steam it is an incredible value. Ive put in 38 hours so far and still have yet toOne of my favorite indies so far. This game is such a blast and was well programmed and thought out. No bugs, a fluid experience and a fun challenge every time. You either love or hate rogue likes so know that before purchasing. Only way to improve would be to add more content but for the sale price on steam it is an incredible value. Ive put in 38 hours so far and still have yet to fully beat the game on normal. Trying to collect all the cruisers is a blast as well. Well done.… Expand
  6. MagnesiumDew
    Dec 18, 2012
    9
    When I heard that the Kickstarter for this game had finished and that I had to wait 5 months for it to be on Steam, I was annoyed to say the least. But when it hit Steam, it was well worth the wait. FTL is a great addition to the strategy category as a whole as it's fast game play, fights and trading allow for full games to be played within an hour (it being a rouge-like). After the firstWhen I heard that the Kickstarter for this game had finished and that I had to wait 5 months for it to be on Steam, I was annoyed to say the least. But when it hit Steam, it was well worth the wait. FTL is a great addition to the strategy category as a whole as it's fast game play, fights and trading allow for full games to be played within an hour (it being a rouge-like). After the first play through, it may feel slightly boring the next time round. But pushing through and trying different weapons, ships etc, makes the game fun and good to play for brief periods of time. This game is not for long strategic play (although I would advise pausing a lot) but for quick tactical decisions. It is also very easy for anyone to pick up. While it is very combat heavy, it handles other non-combat options such as trading very well. The excellent soundtrack also adds depth and excitement tho the overall experience.

    For its £6.99 price tag on Steam it is well worth your money for the general combat, soundtrack and variation. Although the game is very random, the amount of player control allows for an exciting and addictive experience.    … Expand
  7. UjuidarEhcram
    Dec 16, 2012
    9
    FTL is a very strategic spaceship simulator, where you must survive a harrowing trek across the galaxy with an army chasing you down. You have to decide how to configure your ship with what's available, and make tough mid-battle decisions that could mean life or death. And in this game, death is permanent.

    This is one of those indie games that gets everything right. The gameplay is lots    FTL is a very strategic spaceship simulator, where you must survive a harrowing trek across the galaxy with an army chasing you down. You have to decide how to configure your ship with what's available, and make tough mid-battle decisions that could mean life or death. And in this game, death is permanent.

    This is one of those indie games that gets everything right. The gameplay is lots of fun. It's not hard to learn the basics, but winning is incredibly hard, even on Easy. Luck plays a big part, but skill can offset bad luck. There are lots of ship configurations, and with each, a new way to play. The music is very good, and fitting. The pixel art is beautiful. Controls are fairly easy to use.

    I found myself playing this game over and over until finally getting my first win on easy on the 20th try. This game is definitely worth getting, and for strategy fans, it's a must-buy. The soundtrack is also worth the money.    … Expand
  8. jefflaydenrocks
    Dec 15, 2012
    10
    I usually need to have beautiful graphics to have an interest in a game. I passed by FTL many times as I heard about it. After hearing Giantbomb's podcast and them saying that without a doubt, FTL would be in their top 5 for game of the year, I decided to give it 15 minutes of my time. 5 hours later I am loving this game. This is one of those games that I do not understand why they don'tI usually need to have beautiful graphics to have an interest in a game. I passed by FTL many times as I heard about it. After hearing Giantbomb's podcast and them saying that without a doubt, FTL would be in their top 5 for game of the year, I decided to give it 15 minutes of my time. 5 hours later I am loving this game. This is one of those games that I do not understand why they don't have a demo. Making that leap of faith to spend money surely has kept more than a few sales from happening. I highly recommend trying this one out.… Expand
  9. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    8
    Oregon Trail in space. Movement takes place over a turn based star system map while combat is real-time with cooldowns for weapons and power management to juggle. My biggest complaint is how ridiculously hard "Normal" difficulty is. Many times you will be doing better than expected and then one errant missile knocks out a key system and your ship loses half health (or worse) in one battle.Oregon Trail in space. Movement takes place over a turn based star system map while combat is real-time with cooldowns for weapons and power management to juggle. My biggest complaint is how ridiculously hard "Normal" difficulty is. Many times you will be doing better than expected and then one errant missile knocks out a key system and your ship loses half health (or worse) in one battle. Navigation is also frustrating with the rebel fleet pursuing you, narrowing down your exploring to a zig-zag through each sector. If you manage to the last boss you should be able to beat it no problem. Overall this is a good-looking space sim with solid tactical gameplay and if you can overlook the random luck-based difficulty then it's worth picking up.… Expand
  10. LeonidasRex
    Dec 12, 2012
    10
    This is a difficult game. When I started, it took me five tries to get to the end on easy. Two hundred hours later, on normal I can finish nearly every time. The fighting looks simple, but if you stick with it you'll find amazing tactical depth.
  11. ShtKck
    Dec 11, 2012
    10
    This game is so rouge like, I can't get enough of it. I would love to see a sequel. To address the critics, whom are mainly users and not professional reviewers, if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen.
  12. BatmanLover
    Dec 10, 2012
    0
    I know it is a roguelike, but even on those terms it is completely and impossibly stupid. This is not Dark Souls or Ninja Gaiden, where the difficulty comes from the intense challenge to learn how to play the game right. Here the difficulty comes from the programmers laughing at you while they slap unfair situations in your face. Almost every situation is decided by pure luck, especiallyI know it is a roguelike, but even on those terms it is completely and impossibly stupid. This is not Dark Souls or Ninja Gaiden, where the difficulty comes from the intense challenge to learn how to play the game right. Here the difficulty comes from the programmers laughing at you while they slap unfair situations in your face. Almost every situation is decided by pure luck, especially when you have learned to multi-task. Avoid this game at all costs, it is frustrating and pointless since the good premise and slick production conceals a game that is not fun, entertaining, rewarding or actually challenging (having good luck is not a challenge) in any way.… Expand
  13. MediaGuru
    Dec 9, 2012
    9
    I can't believe I'm giving this game a 9/10, but is way more fun and addictive than it has any right to be.

    Occasionally I browse the indie games on Steam, and this one was on sale so I took a glance. Metacritic score of 84 (at the time I purchased)? Really?? I found that intriguing. I would have never purchased this game just from looking at the screenshots. It looked like a    I can't believe I'm giving this game a 9/10, but is way more fun and addictive than it has any right to be.

    Occasionally I browse the indie games on Steam, and this one was on sale so I took a glance. Metacritic score of 84 (at the time I purchased)? Really?? I found that intriguing. I would have never purchased this game just from looking at the screenshots. It looked like a point-and-click-as-fast-as-you-can RTS. This is only half-true.

    First of all, let me say I don't know if this game is brilliant or just sadistic. Maybe both. It dangles just enough of a carrot every time you play that you think "If I just woulda..." Just woulda found some fuel in time. Just woulda escaped from that last battle with a couple crew. Just woulda decided to repair my hull instead of buying that drone. Etc.

    Reviewers keep calling this game "Roguelike", but I think that is pretty incorrect. It is Roguelike in the sense that it is randomly-generated so every game is different and has a lot of replayability, and you can't save your progress. It's a short-but-brutal all-or-nothing journey.

    But the look, feel, theme, and more all remind me of one of the first addictive computer games I ever owned: Starflight 2 - Trade Routes of the Cloud Nebula. These guys were inspired by the Starflight series, for sure. So maybe the nostalgia is making me happy, too, but this game is good in its own right. Some people have complained it is merely a statgrinder, and while yes, this is technically true, you could say that about all sorts of games (anything with points or scores or money or upgrades, really. So, by that measure, most FPS, RPGs, and even friggin Mario Brothers would count as a "statgrinder")

    What it is, really, is an exercise in damage-control. It's all about emergency preparedness and weighing calculated risks for rewards, and deciding how to best invest those rewards because -- just like in real life -- there are never enough resources at your disposal. So you have to pick and choose carefully, and if you choose a one-sided approach (heavy firepower, or defense, or only one type of weapon, or skimping on fuel or ammo to buy those things), you WILL get blindsided. The game demands you consider possible emergencies and how you are going to deal with them -- the space combat part is an obvious one, but what if the enemy boards your ship? What if your wonderful weapons get damaged? What if a fire breaks out? Will you have a backup plan, or will you be doomed?

    Often, you are doomed. Some people complain about that. It's true that you can be wonderfully rewarded or brutally punished based on the whim of chaos. But then again, that's just like real life. The question i not "Will I face some impossibly-destructive scenario?" -- because, oh yes, you will. It's not a matter of if, but when (it's rarely in the first sector, but they start showing up by Sector 3. In the 24 hours I've been playing the game, I've only made it to Sector 5, a little more than halfway through)

    The genius lies in the fact that, even though these punishing scenarios exist, none of them really feel IMPOSSIBLE. The game dangles enough of a carrot every time that you are motivated to jump back in and try again. It is ridiculous effective at making you want to play again. It's like Pringles -- you can't just take one bite.

    Sure, sometimes you simply can't breach an enemy's defenses. Or they may have a brutal weaponry. But the beauty is you can prepare for that by: (a) bolstering your defense; (b) getting stronger weapons; (c) having a plan for how to hunker down, take some damage, and fire up the engines to escape quickly. The game keeps it interesting by also unlocking other ships you can use, each with very different strategies involved to use their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. I love it.

    More than one way for success, and WAY more than one way to fail. In fact, I think this game is a great training in real-life decision making, where disaster can strike at any moment, there's never enough resources, and you have to figure out how to make it work anyway.    … Expand
  14. Andrew_Paterson
    Dec 9, 2012
    4
    I want to like this game, I really, really do. But it's so frustrating that I'm not willing to take any more time to play it.

    Yes, it's a rogue like- and yes, rogue likes- are heavily dependent on randomness but FTL takes it to the extreme. I lost and lost and lost (and losing sees a restart from scratch - only the hardcore need apply); it's not even that there isn't a component of    I want to like this game, I really, really do. But it's so frustrating that I'm not willing to take any more time to play it.

    Yes, it's a rogue like- and yes, rogue likes- are heavily dependent on randomness but FTL takes it to the extreme. I lost and lost and lost (and losing sees a restart from scratch - only the hardcore need apply); it's not even that there isn't a component of skill. One does need to be skilled: managing your crew, sub-systems and power takes a lot of effort whilst also pinpointing attacks on the enemy.

    But chance and the increasing difficulty curve as you venture further across the universe outweigh the skill component solidly.

    Rather save money, get a dice, roll it till a six; then declare yourself a winner. It'll be far less aggravating all 'round.    … Expand
  15. sweet
    Dec 8, 2012
    2
    People have far too romantic a view of games depending on the source, or having been an early supporter of the game pre-release are unwilling to look at it with a truly critical eye. As a marketing exercise it's been fantastically successful, but as a game it fails miserably. It is no better than a slot machine. Yes, there is some strategy and tactics involved that improve your odds, butPeople have far too romantic a view of games depending on the source, or having been an early supporter of the game pre-release are unwilling to look at it with a truly critical eye. As a marketing exercise it's been fantastically successful, but as a game it fails miserably. It is no better than a slot machine. Yes, there is some strategy and tactics involved that improve your odds, but they're so outweighed by random circumstance as to be virtually pointless, it's like buying two lottery tickets instead of one. It needs to be fixed and that won't happen as long as people are willing to put a smiley face on any old rubbish.… Expand
  16. InspectorJ
    Dec 6, 2012
    9
    An impressive Indie game which is very surprising: With random sectors generated with each playing, combined with an array of weapons, equipment, encounters and crew which leads along a short storyline which can be completed in several different ways; this truly is a game travelling at Faster Than Light.
  17. Girsc
    Dec 3, 2012
    9
    I hopped on to disagree with the reviews who say this game takes a lot of luck to win. You can almost certainly win most (85+% of the time I'd say) as long as you play smart: specifically (1) you need to play to your ship's strengths (2) timing and the order of your actions is ** everything **. If you set your weapons on auto all the time, you're going to have a bad time. Simple toyI hopped on to disagree with the reviews who say this game takes a lot of luck to win. You can almost certainly win most (85+% of the time I'd say) as long as you play smart: specifically (1) you need to play to your ship's strengths (2) timing and the order of your actions is ** everything **. If you set your weapons on auto all the time, you're going to have a bad time. Simple toy example: your enemy ship has two shields, you have a single laser burst that takes 10 seconds to charge, and dual burst that takes 17 seconds. Rather than just letting both immediately discharge, you need to wait for both to be charged and discharge both weapons at the same time - so you can exploit the small amount of time both shields might be down (but not nec. destroyed). There's actually a lot of nuance to playing well, and the whole system is actually very well balanced.

    I would argue that getting the right drops is more of bonus, rather than a necessity. You should be able to maneuver most of the ships at least past sector 3 without a single upgrade. On that note, you should be collecting as much scrap as you can in these earlier levels.

    That's not to say this game doesn't involve any luck at all. Every now and then, a mildly risky maneuver can totally be the end of you and your crew.

    I give the game a 9 for its well-balanced play and many nuances. I'd give it a 10, but the game gets pretty repetitive after a while.    … Expand
  18. Chomp
    Nov 30, 2012
    9
    FTL is a great, original roguelike. Addictive gameplay, great design, and all around top notch experience. At a $10 price tag this game is a FANTASTIC value. The replayability is immense and according to Steam I've put 38 hours into this game in just two weeks (I believe it). This game rocks. The combat is fun and surprising deep. This is actually the first roguelike game I've played andFTL is a great, original roguelike. Addictive gameplay, great design, and all around top notch experience. At a $10 price tag this game is a FANTASTIC value. The replayability is immense and according to Steam I've put 38 hours into this game in just two weeks (I believe it). This game rocks. The combat is fun and surprising deep. This is actually the first roguelike game I've played and it's introduced the genre to me in the best way possible. If you like space ships, challenging gameplay, and hardcore but fun gameplay experience this is game you owe it to yourself to play.… Expand
  19. No1livesforever
    Nov 30, 2012
    10
    I read a lot of after-action story so I pre-ordered it. If you are a roguelike fan, this is the 10 out of 10 game for you. For others, you will find this game is about randomness and luck, yet shallow and repetitiveness. This is my first roguelike game and this game helped me firmly believe roguelike is not my cup of tea. If you are deciding whether you will enjoy roguelike, give this aI read a lot of after-action story so I pre-ordered it. If you are a roguelike fan, this is the 10 out of 10 game for you. For others, you will find this game is about randomness and luck, yet shallow and repetitiveness. This is my first roguelike game and this game helped me firmly believe roguelike is not my cup of tea. If you are deciding whether you will enjoy roguelike, give this a try; it is cheaply price anyway. I gave it 10 out of 10 because this is a good experience that I will avoid roguelike games from now on.… Expand
  20. Jam_pol
    Nov 12, 2012
    8
    Lots of fun, and very original. A game I've always wanted without knowing it. Hopefully other's will be inspired by this creation. The game is very basic and has a lack of depth, but for a two man project, exceptional. Love the style.
  21. GISP
    Nov 4, 2012
    7
    FTL is a great space rougelike timesink.
    Amazing soundtrack, and nifty 2d grafics.
    Being a rougelike game, whit alot of random elements, it is a bit short. And after several playtroughs, i wish they would have added, a few more ships, weapons, augmentations, shiplayouts and equipment. A infinate gamemode would allso bring some longevity to the title. But all on all, this is a great    FTL is a great space rougelike timesink.
    Amazing soundtrack, and nifty 2d grafics.
    Being a rougelike game, whit alot of random elements, it is a bit short. And after several playtroughs, i wish they would have added, a few more ships, weapons, augmentations, shiplayouts and equipment.
    A infinate gamemode would allso bring some longevity to the title.
    But all on all, this is a great casual game and is well worth the money.    … Expand
  22. ExpFist
    Oct 27, 2012
    3
    Game is really fun when it works, but random crashes to desktop destroy this game as it is now. There is no ability to save, so when you crash to the desktop (random), then you've lost your game and need to restart. This has happened to me now two games in a row and I'm giving up. The ability to save games, or at least auto-save after every jump so you can resume after a crash would atGame is really fun when it works, but random crashes to desktop destroy this game as it is now. There is no ability to save, so when you crash to the desktop (random), then you've lost your game and need to restart. This has happened to me now two games in a row and I'm giving up. The ability to save games, or at least auto-save after every jump so you can resume after a crash would at least make this game playable while they work out the bugs.… Expand
  23. Slackerboy
    Oct 22, 2012
    3
    This game has so much potential it could be a ton of fun, but most games are ruined by simple bad luck. In order to win you MUST get the right weapon upgrades or you are doomed, but getting them is a matter of pure luck.

    This could be resolved by re-balancing the sectors and allowing people to explore more, or making weapon drops more common. Until this is fixed I would avoid the game    This game has so much potential it could be a ton of fun, but most games are ruined by simple bad luck. In order to win you MUST get the right weapon upgrades or you are doomed, but getting them is a matter of pure luck.

    This could be resolved by re-balancing the sectors and allowing people to explore more, or making weapon drops more common. Until this is fixed I would avoid the game unless you want to lose or win based on pure luck.    … Expand
  24. Loldude12
    Oct 20, 2012
    10
    If you thought Minecraft was the only successful indie-game, then you haven't seen FTL: Faster Than Light. It's a great concept, and I was interested about it when I first saw gameplay of it. Many people would say the graphics in this game are not the best, but I think that the graphics in this game are brilliant. The music in this game is also catchy in my opinion, and it doesn't stressIf you thought Minecraft was the only successful indie-game, then you haven't seen FTL: Faster Than Light. It's a great concept, and I was interested about it when I first saw gameplay of it. Many people would say the graphics in this game are not the best, but I think that the graphics in this game are brilliant. The music in this game is also catchy in my opinion, and it doesn't stress you out. Some scenarios in this game are well thought-out about, and that the unexpected is usually around the corner. You may be boarded by pirates, approaching at a sun, or suffer ion storms on nebula systems. Also, if you die, you may rethink about what you have done to accidentally lead yourself to danger, and you may need to think on picking a different ship in case things go wrong on another one, if you have unlocked one. This is a game which says perfection to me.… Expand
  25. Lysh
    Oct 20, 2012
    8
    I really liked this game, for a few days. Some people oversell the difficulty, in my opinion, it was too easy. On my very first game, I played on easy setting to learn the mechanics, and made it to the final sector, only to lose instantly when the base was destroyed due to a misunderstanding of the mechanics of the final boss. Every subsequent play-through was on normal difficulty (theI really liked this game, for a few days. Some people oversell the difficulty, in my opinion, it was too easy. On my very first game, I played on easy setting to learn the mechanics, and made it to the final sector, only to lose instantly when the base was destroyed due to a misunderstanding of the mechanics of the final boss. Every subsequent play-through was on normal difficulty (the hardest) and either I beat the final boss, or I completed the achievement I was going for and quit out rather than continuing on. In the 43 games I played of this, my ship has never been destroyed. It is a fun game, I wouldn't have played it 43 times otherwise, but it is short and, once you understand the mechanics, very simple to the point of posing almost no challenge at all to anyone. Fun for what it is, but once I'd seen everything it had to offer, I put it down and haven't had any desire to pick it up since.… Expand
  26. SwitSwat
    Oct 19, 2012
    9
    I admit that at first glance, I didn't really have much interest for the game. But, I noticed alot of people were praising its unique gameplay. I started to sort of want it after that. I got it as a gift and so I started playing. First of all, the graphics are beautiful and represent this kind of game quite nicely. After I learned how to use strategy to progress through the game, it was aI admit that at first glance, I didn't really have much interest for the game. But, I noticed alot of people were praising its unique gameplay. I started to sort of want it after that. I got it as a gift and so I started playing. First of all, the graphics are beautiful and represent this kind of game quite nicely. After I learned how to use strategy to progress through the game, it was a real swell time after that. The game includes various intriguing situations such as enemy hostiles, helping civilians, trade, exploring, and all sorts of things you would expect if we lived in a Sci-Fi world where we travel the galaxy. If you are a big fan of simulators, and space exploration, then FTL is sure to delight. In the end, I give it a 9/10.… Expand
  27. Barua124
    Oct 17, 2012
    8
    17OCT2012 - It's an alright game. I wasn't expecting much from this simple looking game but I really enjoyed it. Haven't beaten it yet but I'm still working on it. First impressions for me was that the game looks crappy and a cheap throwback to games from the 1990's. Still though, gameplay is fun and addictive. If the price remains low I would recommend this game.
  28. CaptainN64
    Oct 16, 2012
    9
    I created an account here just to review this game. A great mix of real-time tactical action against a background of turn based strategy. While I feel the game does rely a bit too much on chance, it does make the game a bit more interesting in that no matter how dire the situation, if you can make it just one more jump, you might just find what you need to survive. On the other side ofI created an account here just to review this game. A great mix of real-time tactical action against a background of turn based strategy. While I feel the game does rely a bit too much on chance, it does make the game a bit more interesting in that no matter how dire the situation, if you can make it just one more jump, you might just find what you need to survive. On the other side of that coin, you can't become complacent if you're doing well because danger could be lurking anywhere.… Expand
  29. rant
    Oct 15, 2012
    10
    Perfect game for what it is--a very short, simple, highly replayable,sci-fi roguelike. For the price, it's an amazing game, and I'll probably keep it installed for years. It's harder than most modern games, and a given run can be ruined by the occasional bad roll at the wrong time. But the whole game takes about 2 hours, and the really bad luck doesn't happen often.
  30. pwnDonkey
    Oct 15, 2012
    9
    Graphics: 9 (So high because of the cool retro factor) Controls: 10 (really fantastic) Replayability: 9 Music/Sounds: 9 Value: 10

    This game is really for smart people. There have been way WAY to many games made in the last 5 years that put you on rails and you really cant lose. On Easy, you die ALOT. Then you get the hang of it, and the boss level causes you to die ALOT. I unlocked    Graphics: 9 (So high because of the cool retro factor) Controls: 10 (really fantastic) Replayability: 9 Music/Sounds: 9 Value: 10

    This game is really for smart people. There have been way WAY to many games made in the last 5 years that put you on rails and you really cant lose. On Easy, you die ALOT. Then you get the hang of it, and the boss level causes you to die ALOT. I unlocked 4-5 ships before I went back and beat the game on easy with the first ship i unlocked. Let me tell you, THAT was satisfying. For $10 I've played for $32, and I'm going to play it some more. I'd say I got my moneys worth. Like I said, If you are smart (IQ > 100) you WILL enjoy this. If Modern Warfare 3 on xBox is your thing, you probably want to pass.    … Expand
  31. Nesterhews
    Oct 12, 2012
    5
    A good simple and fun game.
    Not too much depth, but still fun! Yay
  32. lasix
    Oct 11, 2012
    7
    Enjoyable rogue-like set in space. In particular I liked the pressure build up by the imminent risk of being overrun by the bad guys chasing you. Battles are fast paced, but can (and should) be paused anytime though. Game mechanics are very well thought true, though each play through depends heavily on luck - as in any given rogue-like I guess.
  33. Jintoss
    Oct 10, 2012
    3
    A glorified waste of time which punishes any poor sap the longer he sticks around. Poorly designed, with all the addictiveness of a flash game. Steer well clear, you'll be glad you did.
  34. kaiser10951
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    Very fun game that may or may not keep you glued for hours. It has a crazy hard difficulty that may turn off some players or may attract some like flies to honey. Be warned, you will either love it or want to smash your computer to tiny bits in rage.
  35. Zuki1970
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    After 11 hours of playing, and first victory over "Rebels", I feel that positive properties far outnumber negatives of this game.

    Negative: 1/3 of all play-troughs are too much of bad luck and are doomed to fail in final battle, 1/3 are cake easy (too much of good luck). That is for easy difficulty, not for normal. I suppose normal is yet harder gambling, with less good luck options. I    After 11 hours of playing, and first victory over "Rebels", I feel that positive properties far outnumber negatives of this game.

    Negative: 1/3 of all play-troughs are too much of bad luck and are doomed to fail in final battle, 1/3 are cake easy (too much of good luck). That is for easy difficulty, not for normal. I suppose normal is yet harder gambling, with less good luck options.
    I would prefer more player strategic decisions on "play trough map" and not only luck when generating paths and events in nodes. I would like to have freedom and try to get that ie. "cloaking device" every time, or to have "3 dual burst lasers" if I decide that it fits my tactic. Game forces you to obtain random weapons, and many times I was not ready for final battle, my weapons (and other equipment) was not good mix for that battle.

    Positives: Awesome battle tactics could be made, even with inferior ship/equipment compared to opponent. Just good plan (pause game) and some luck is needed.

    Thank you Subset, P.s.: This game should be made 25 years earlier, for Commodore 64 & Spectrum and you would be kings of strategy games by now.    … Expand
  36. Specimen128
    Oct 8, 2012
    10
    its hard but yeah... It's a roguelike and it's supposed to. There's a bit of luck involved but its really about skills. The targeting system is AMAZING, they should make a multiplayer game with it. The universe is so cool, even with the low graphics you really feel like you're a spaceship captain!!!
  37. Azrell
    Oct 8, 2012
    9
    FTL is one of those games that shows up big budget games with simple engaging game play. It just goes to show you that a game does not need the latest gfx engine or super real rendered characters to be fun.
  38. FreePrometheus
    Oct 7, 2012
    9
    Not sure why people have been saying most of this game is down to luck. I have had to use a fair bit of strategy and quick thinking. For instance; i had intruders on the ship, so i quickly formulated a plan. That plan was to seal off all the rooms with crew in them. Then, open all the exterior hatches and rooms without crew, suffocating the intruders. If that's not strategy, i don't knowNot sure why people have been saying most of this game is down to luck. I have had to use a fair bit of strategy and quick thinking. For instance; i had intruders on the ship, so i quickly formulated a plan. That plan was to seal off all the rooms with crew in them. Then, open all the exterior hatches and rooms without crew, suffocating the intruders. If that's not strategy, i don't know what is. This is a fun game. It isn't what most people expect from a game these days, but it does have a sense of nostalgia (for me) and a nice little reason to while away a few hours. The only reason i didn't give it a 10, was because it is, as i say, something to play when bored or just for a little fun. This may not be a game you spend hours and hours on. But certain people will fall in love with its charm.… Expand
  39. BrawnyFanta
    Oct 6, 2012
    9
    Great game. Rougelike space ship game. Simple objective to the game, just reach the last zone and destroy the boss. You'll need to balance your power during combat so that not only can you attack but so that you can also have some defence. You'll unlock ships during your many play through of the game, each with their own distinct quirks. You can crew your ship with several differentGreat game. Rougelike space ship game. Simple objective to the game, just reach the last zone and destroy the boss. You'll need to balance your power during combat so that not only can you attack but so that you can also have some defence. You'll unlock ships during your many play through of the game, each with their own distinct quirks. You can crew your ship with several different alien species although which ones you have available from shops and missions can be a bit random. Fairly tough game, deffo worth a punt.… Expand
  40. toastofchaos
    Oct 5, 2012
    7
    This is a great game, but it leaves me wanting more. I want more in one play-through. The scrap resource is too precious. I find it hard to balance between offense and defense. If your primary means of offense uses either missiles or drones, good luck. I find that stores are a little too sparse and the drone parts and missiles to be too expensive. So basically, unless you're either reallyThis is a great game, but it leaves me wanting more. I want more in one play-through. The scrap resource is too precious. I find it hard to balance between offense and defense. If your primary means of offense uses either missiles or drones, good luck. I find that stores are a little too sparse and the drone parts and missiles to be too expensive. So basically, unless you're either really lucky or like blowing all of your cash on drones (which easily get blown up in asteroid fields) and missiles, then it leaves you with the laser/beam/ion type cannons which are great. I did, however, find myself getting very excited during a crisis: pause! command units! aim weapons! resume game! Phew, fires are all out and the invaders on my ship are dispatched... Time to go blow all my cash on drones and repairs.… Expand
  41. aggrazel
    Oct 5, 2012
    8
    I -hate- this game.

    But I -love- this game. Just feels like any time I think I'm getting somewhere and I got an awesome ship with a great crew with powerful weapons and a great strategy, something I did not expect comes out of left field to put me in my place.

    10 play throughs so far, 10 deaths. HORRID GAME STAY AWAY (you will get addicted). Buy it so you can hate it too.
  42. Audius
    Oct 5, 2012
    5
    The game is fun if you want to kill time for maybe an hour or two, but chances are you'll probably be pounding your head after a number of losses due to a few unfair combinations all the while dealing with micromanaging repairs on the ship and killing fires and killing invaders. While the game is extremely well polished in terms of controls and music, the game gets lost in sometimesThe game is fun if you want to kill time for maybe an hour or two, but chances are you'll probably be pounding your head after a number of losses due to a few unfair combinations all the while dealing with micromanaging repairs on the ship and killing fires and killing invaders. While the game is extremely well polished in terms of controls and music, the game gets lost in sometimes terrible RNG and overcomplicated micromanagement that could've been simplified by rethinking the "crew" feature. Oh and by the way, each time you enter a zone, you have a fleet of elite rebels chasing you every step of the way, so you constantly feel like you're in a rush to move on to the next zone, which only gets progressively more difficult.

    I'm the kind of person who doesn't want to have to keep spamming pause to input commands, I want the game to flow. FTL just doesn't do that for me.    … Expand
  43. BlackCorsair
    Oct 3, 2012
    9
    It's a masterpiece of indi games. It really has no much graphics, but the gameplay is cool.

    After few minutes you really accept the atmosphere of this game. That you have a small junky space ship, and you must go through space and kill dozens of enemies on your way and participate in random encounters. The other cool side is that you can play very different - game offers you dozens    It's a masterpiece of indi games. It really has no much graphics, but the gameplay is cool.

    After few minutes you really accept the atmosphere of this game. That you have a small junky space ship, and you must go through space and kill dozens of enemies on your way and participate in random encounters.

    The other cool side is that you can play very different - game offers you dozens of ways to improve your space ship.

    And finally - there is NO saves, and it's really nice for this game!
    Btw, while playing you can open other types of space ships, so the replayability is fantastic, i already played 60 hours in it, and will not stop.    … Expand
  44. MrSniker
    Oct 2, 2012
    8
    Fun game, have logged ~20 hours into it and for $10 it's pretty solid.

    The graphics are simple and easy to understand, the UI is well laid out and lays all need to know information at your disposal, game's got some difficulty and the game's skill/luck system is pretty balanced. The problems are there's just a lack of content for random encounters. After a few replays you start to    Fun game, have logged ~20 hours into it and for $10 it's pretty solid.

    The graphics are simple and easy to understand, the UI is well laid out and lays all need to know information at your disposal, game's got some difficulty and the game's skill/luck system is pretty balanced.

    The problems are there's just a lack of content for random encounters. After a few replays you start to see patterns in encounters and know what path to pick even before you read the whole thing. Some encounters just seem predetermined for you to fail or lack any substantial rewards to risk your crew and ship over. It just gets a tad old.

    Another problem is un-lockable ships aren't the easiest to unlock and it'd be nice for the developers to include maybe an extra ship or two at the beginning to allow new people for more flexible game play initially. If you've got $10 and enjoy tactical game play with some luck involved, you won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  45. Billick
    Oct 2, 2012
    9
    FTL is often referred to as a roguelike, but it's more of a strategy/roguelike hybrid. You control a spaceship and its crew, attempting to outrun a rebel fleet and deliver vital information. On the way you'll face a series of random encounters you'll have to survive, while upgrading your ship and crew as best you can with your limited resources. At first, it all seems overwhelming, evenFTL is often referred to as a roguelike, but it's more of a strategy/roguelike hybrid. You control a spaceship and its crew, attempting to outrun a rebel fleet and deliver vital information. On the way you'll face a series of random encounters you'll have to survive, while upgrading your ship and crew as best you can with your limited resources. At first, it all seems overwhelming, even on easy difficultly. It took me 12 tries before finally getting my first win, but I felt like I learned something I could use going forward with each loss. Each game only takes an hour or two, so even with permadeath, the losses aren't that punishing. There are also a number of unlockable ships and achievements to go for. Although it's not quite as deep as some other similar games, it's still a lot of fun.… Expand
  46. mikey_w
    Sep 30, 2012
    8
    In this game you control a spaceship on the run from the rebel fleet. Your goal is to get to the 8th sector with the information you're carrying but to do that you'll need to outfit your ship for combat along the way. The game is luck driven but once you have a feeling for the game and its mechanics than you can make do with what you have.
    The mechanics are the real highlight of this    In this game you control a spaceship on the run from the rebel fleet. Your goal is to get to the 8th sector with the information you're carrying but to do that you'll need to outfit your ship for combat along the way. The game is luck driven but once you have a feeling for the game and its mechanics than you can make do with what you have.
    The mechanics are the real highlight of this game. Much of the game will be spent in combat with other spaceships of different alien races and they are all outfitted differently. There are a wide variety of weapons you can buy or find and each have their own tradeoffs. You can blow up the other ship or you can board it and wreck havoc or you can kill the crew with anti-personnel weapons; and you have to remember they will be trying to do all these things to you. Another large part of this game is upgrading your ships systems and subsystems. You can opt for heavy shields, powerful engines for manoeuvring, or a bit of both. This greatly affects how you play the game since scrap(the money of the game) is in limited supply and scrap used on upgrading your medical bay can't be used for the **** In this way ships become very specifically skilled or jacks of all trades. For the above mentioned reasons, this is why the game is tough and gets your adrenaline pumping. You'' often notice a critical shortcoming far to late or have incredibly bad luck. You can easily dispatch another ship only for your own to be engulfed in flame leaving you with one crew member and a wrecked ship that needs to be repaired.
    With all that being said, it does have its shortcomings. In between fighting the game has random events that occur when you jump to a location and these cycle too frequently;although with different ship layout and crew members you may have different options. The sprites for the crew are quite small and it's easy to open a door instead of selecting them and they end up killed by their enemy's hand or some other danger. Opening doors and hatches is also similarly difficult in the heat of battle. There is however a pause function that should be used often to avoid just these sorts of difficulties. You can also be infuriatingly unlucky no matter how much skill you have. Overall, this a very fun game with excellent mechanics. Anyone who as ever wanted to command their own starship is in goods hands with this game.    … Expand
  47. faircritic
    Sep 30, 2012
    5
    Where is the fun after losing, and losing,and losing,and losing...so on, from brief periods of time?Somebody could explain to me?
    I don't have anything against indie games or people who liked them.For example limbo and zombie vs plants are good examples of very good indie games but in this case thiis game is just annoying to say the best.
    Can't complain about the graphics or the limited    Where is the fun after losing, and losing,and losing,and losing...so on, from brief periods of time?Somebody could explain to me?
    I don't have anything against indie games or people who liked them.For example limbo and zombie vs plants are good examples of very good indie games but in this case thiis game is just annoying to say the best.
    Can't complain about the graphics or the limited resources like music but you can't win on this game and there's no fun about that.Your first and probably only ship that you will play is pure garbage.And that couldn't be too much upgraded because game money and bonuses are as scarce as the chances to survive at least to achieve a new one.Whatever the case I unlocked another better than the stock and still surviving is very improbable for long periods of time.And to unlock another ships it's very odd as to like this game more than 3 days!If at least some upgrades where left on your inventory, to have more chances of surviving no matter how long to get them but no.Only ships very unreachable at very impossible chances to accomplish.I put all my effort to "enjoy" the game but I came after 2 half days that this game is a complete waste of time.Maybe 15 years ago this could be a huge success but today can only be enjoyed with alcohol or some drug!    … Expand
  48. M13
    Sep 28, 2012
    10
    Having the most fun playing this game that I've had in a looong time. Love the permadeath. And remember people the fights are just as hard on "easy" you just get a bit more money. When I was very young about 24 years ago there was a turn based Mech Warrior RPG.......I loved that then. And I love this now. They seem very similar.
  49. stefrank
    Sep 26, 2012
    9
    FTL, while not being quite as complex as one would hope, manages to steal hours of your time, and is overall a lot of fun. The different ships and layouts make for great variation in play style, although they can be difficult to obtain. The randomly generated systems are similar, but vary enough to maintain interest. Of course there are the adverse random encounters that, on certainFTL, while not being quite as complex as one would hope, manages to steal hours of your time, and is overall a lot of fun. The different ships and layouts make for great variation in play style, although they can be difficult to obtain. The randomly generated systems are similar, but vary enough to maintain interest. Of course there are the adverse random encounters that, on certain play-throughs it seems, there is no chance of recovering from. But then, that's part of the charm; you never know if you're going to coast through, or you're really going to have to work for it. No one should be surprised if it seems stale after about 20 some hours of game-play though. Random encounters do become predictable, courses of action all too similar, and the boss is more or less a crap-shoot (which really sucks). This game averages out to about 50 cents per hour of game play, so all in all, I would recommend it… Expand
  50. Caffeineforge
    Sep 26, 2012
    8
    FTL is, at it
  51. dwhee
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    Better than any game I've played this year at a fraction of the price. It offers so many things that the industry seems to be completely devoid of these days. First off, there's an actual learning curve. You have to learn by doing in FTL, and it usually results in a few miserable failures before you have any chance of success. There is no hand-holding, no quicksaving- you're simplyBetter than any game I've played this year at a fraction of the price. It offers so many things that the industry seems to be completely devoid of these days. First off, there's an actual learning curve. You have to learn by doing in FTL, and it usually results in a few miserable failures before you have any chance of success. There is no hand-holding, no quicksaving- you're simply expected to go down with the ship and then give it another go. But when you do, you're prepared for more contingencies. What was your flaw? Did you get boarded and defeated because you lacked a strong crew? Did you over-invest in weapons while neglecting defensive subsystems like shields, engines, and cloaking? And if so, which subsystems should you have invested in? The gameplay is about preparing for contingencies, and there are only so many. Once you learn all of them you can adequately spec your ship to be able to counter all of them. However, the game makes it VERY difficult to cover all of your bases, mostly due to a simple lack of resources and time. Not a single player, no matter how experienced, enters the final boss fight with every contingency covered. And as a result, the final battle is always rewarding no matter how prepared you are.

    On top of all that, there are unique random events that can happen in the game that can really change your experience for the better- or the worse. I will always remember an event where my female human pilot was killed trying to save an alien crewmember from a civilian ship- there's no cutscene, no fanfair, just a dialog saying that your pilot is dead and the crewmember survived. That alien crewmember became my new pilot and led us to victory. Sometimes it's more harsh and less dramatic. Find an alien artifact in space? Be careful approaching it. It might cause one of your crew to rapidly age in reverse until they disappear.

    There are lots of achievements, which I'm not usually fond of, but in this case I think they complement the game well. Everyone's going to make multiple attempts at the game, so why not make certain starting options unlockables? I really don't mind achievements when they're not half-ass. Either the entire game should be based around them or they shouldn't be there. The designers of FTL seem to feel the same way.

    Most importantly, the game offers challenge. The "Easy" gamemode is almost inevitably what everyone will start out with, and everyone will likely die several times on it. The difficulty is what made me nostalgic more than any of the excellent retro music and graphics- what happened to side-scrolling action games without a save option, where the last level was legitimately SCARY just because you were afraid of losing your progress? I haven't felt that way about the final battle in a video game in a long time. In almost every game today, you die at the hands of the final boss- and then you're instantly resurrected in the fight again. For example, I remember in Batman- Arkham Asylum where the best strategy was to die in the second phase of the boss fight, because it would instantly resurrect you during that specific phase with full health. Ridiculous. NONE of that bs in FTL.

    FTL is a game about feeling a sense of learning and accomplishment. Victory is only earned through experience and endurance. In your first "winning" game, there will almost assuredly be times when, in any other game, you would have reloaded. A crew member dies to your own negligence; you run out of fuel and have to wait for help; you realize too late that you would've specced differently if you had known better. In any other game you restart. In this game, you keep going. You make it work. After all, it's just a game. Remember when games were like that?    … Expand
  52. sundog005
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    awesome little game, i'm bewildered by the negative reviews...how anyone can criticize this game so heavily is ridiculous I've read their complaints and as a hardcore FTLer of some 89 hours i can tell you most of them are totally unfounded and written by impartial trolls...if you like Sci-Fi and RPG's and don't belong to the "ADD i like my games all graphics and no content and one buttonawesome little game, i'm bewildered by the negative reviews...how anyone can criticize this game so heavily is ridiculous I've read their complaints and as a hardcore FTLer of some 89 hours i can tell you most of them are totally unfounded and written by impartial trolls...if you like Sci-Fi and RPG's and don't belong to the "ADD i like my games all graphics and no content and one button wins" generation, buy it.... its cheap and genius, these guys need to be supported.… Expand
  53. Adamanian
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    Wow. I haven't gotten so immediately and utterly addicted to a game this fast since... Civ II?! It's a little hard at first but once you learn from your mistakes things start going more smoothly. The Faster Than Light webpage has some good Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced tip sections that I highly recommend.
  54. timmaeus
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    I hate to admit this... FTL is one of the best games I have ever played. It reminds me of the glory days of old when video games oozed with authenticity, creative vision, and the love their developers put into them. And like the olden days, FTL isn't afraid to give you a challenge. This game will challenge you so much that soon after picking it up all your self-esteem will be sucked outI hate to admit this... FTL is one of the best games I have ever played. It reminds me of the glory days of old when video games oozed with authenticity, creative vision, and the love their developers put into them. And like the olden days, FTL isn't afraid to give you a challenge. This game will challenge you so much that soon after picking it up all your self-esteem will be sucked out into space just like the oxygen in your burning wreck of a spaceship. You'll be wailing and gnashing your teeth as your ship breaks into pieces, all your beloved crew named after TNG characters perish, and you raise your mouse to the sky and scream "noooo!!!".

    But just as soon as you quit, you'll suddenly smile and shake your head and say "Ohhh FTL...". A few seconds later you'll be hopping around the galaxy again, bopping to the amazing ethereal chiptune-esque soundtrack, basking in the retro pixel-arty graphics, fretting over every decision, knowing every new jump could result in a shiny new weapon, man-sized spiders, a slave trader on the run, or just .... plain old certain death.

    This game makes me feel like I'm 13 years old again. It gives me that buzz in my gut that I haven't had for such a long time, and that I never thought I'd get back again. It's everything that I thought games would be when I "grew up" - except that it looks like a Super Nintendo title. Don't get me wrong about the graphics though. I wouldn't change them for the world, or the galaxy for that matter. They're just perfectly suited to this beautiful, strange little game.

    For $10 you'll get to experience the entire spectrum of human emotion, from confusion, love, anger, rage... and back again. I can't recommend it enough.    … Expand
  55. AlphaRebel
    Sep 25, 2012
    6
    It's a very interesting concept but after about 30 hours Its pretty obvious that the game really is in need for a wider range of events as the "random encounters" soon become predicable and even the choices you make seem to return the same outcomes (e.g. a ship offers to sell you a "mystery weapon" saying yes means you get ripped off nearly EVERY time (as in they don't give you anythingIt's a very interesting concept but after about 30 hours Its pretty obvious that the game really is in need for a wider range of events as the "random encounters" soon become predicable and even the choices you make seem to return the same outcomes (e.g. a ship offers to sell you a "mystery weapon" saying yes means you get ripped off nearly EVERY time (as in they don't give you anything let alone just a bad gun) while it would be more interesting if they gave you just one of the weapons at random. or trying to free a trapped ship will nearly always result in damage to your ship which basically encourages you to say no to everything.

    It's a shame as it's a nice concept and it's written by a indie company of just 2 guys. I hope more content and patches comes soon.    … Expand
  56. Sonic_Doctor
    Sep 25, 2012
    10
    YES! I beat the game on easy!
    That is something that you won't hear that often, hardly ever for that matter, when it comes to most video games. This game is difficult and takes time to master the intricacies of what will work in certain situations. While the game randomly generates each play-through, you will from time to time get events that are similar, but with how unforgiving the game    YES! I beat the game on easy!
    That is something that you won't hear that often, hardly ever for that matter, when it comes to most video games. This game is difficult and takes time to master the intricacies of what will work in certain situations. While the game randomly generates each play-through, you will from time to time get events that are similar, but with how unforgiving the game can be at times, that is a good thing. You learn from mistakes and adapt, though you usually have to adapt more than once with each play-through.

    It is a wonderful top down spaceship command game, and with what games have come out in the past decade, FTL feels pleasantly fresh to me, but with a retro feel. The sound track is awesome; it's typical sci-fi fair but it definitely sounds original and also retro with the computerized sounding notes. The graphics have the same retro feel, like I'm playing a game that could have come out 15 years ago by the look. That is also a good thing, since it gives me something different to look at compared to the top of the line graphics oriented games. Not everything in gaming is about having the best graphics, and frankly, graphics rank low on the list about what is important in making a great game.

    Game play is a big factor in great games and FTL has just that. While the encounters can get repetitive at times, each encounter can change from that to different within seconds. On well placed hit by an enemy can have you sending your crew running to repair a hull breach or a heavily damaged life support system. It can get hectic at times, but the game does allow you to pause mid-combat to analyze the situation act out your best plan accordingly.

    Besides the music I mention before, the sound effects are great as well. The sound of missiles exploding as they hit their mark, varying "pew pew" style laser sounds from laser batteries, and the crackling of an ion cannon shot that has disabled a system on the enemy ship(though more likely yours). There is also is the ability to cloak your ship if it came with a cloak or if you bought one along your journey. If you want to teleport people, you can do that too if your ship has one or you get one. Teleport some of your crew to reek havoc on the enemy vessel.

    As I said the game is very unforgiving and permanent death is something that makes the game twice as nail biting since there is no save function that allows you to start at the last good place if you die. But since the game doesn't take that long to get to the end(play-throughs usually last no more that 2 hours), the permanent death is not a problem. Though it can tug at your heart strings, if you have named your faithful ship and crew, which the game lets you do. Oh, poor Engineer Gork, your effort in putting out the fire in the engine room was greatly appreciated, but sadly you perished from the lack of oxygen before you could get to safety in the nearby corridor.

    The game is quite amazing in every way. Though if you don't like a challenge, then I guess it isn't for you. As for me, I love it and all its quirks, so that is why I give it a 10.    … Expand
  57. Baenlynn
    Sep 24, 2012
    8
    When I heard that FTL had achieved it's kickstarter goals and been released I was actually thinking of another kickstarter project with a similar focus that I had donated to months earlier. I hadn't heard of FTL before this point, but I'm glad I bought it. The game is basically Nethack in space, although while I find nethack frustrating to the point of wanting to throw my computer out theWhen I heard that FTL had achieved it's kickstarter goals and been released I was actually thinking of another kickstarter project with a similar focus that I had donated to months earlier. I hadn't heard of FTL before this point, but I'm glad I bought it. The game is basically Nethack in space, although while I find nethack frustrating to the point of wanting to throw my computer out the window, FTL, while still being hard as nails doesn't frustrate in the same way. Yes it's going to take you a while to have a game where you make it to the final sector. Yes it's going to take you even longer to beat the game, but each and every journey you find yourself telling the stories of your crew, living through their little pixelated lives and it really tears at your heart to lose your captain to a pack of killer spiders, or that engi slave you freed to a pirate boarding party. Deep under all the repetitive scenarios and mechanics there is this tiny little random heart beating life into the game in a way that even big-name titles seem to fall short of, and if you're a perfectionist, or a completionist there are some difficult unlockables to catch but even though I've basically seen all the game has to offer I keep going back, because it's easy to get into and hard as hell to master.… Expand
  58. CrummyInsomniac
    Sep 24, 2012
    9
    Faster Than Light is a sci-fi roguelike that follows in the vein of Star Trek. The objective of the game is to lead your single ship across eight sectors and defeat the boss before the enemy fleet catches up to you. The core part of the gameplay is the ship battles, which is quite variable when it comes to the encounters and strategies to win. Do you want to knock down the shields and ripFaster Than Light is a sci-fi roguelike that follows in the vein of Star Trek. The objective of the game is to lead your single ship across eight sectors and defeat the boss before the enemy fleet catches up to you. The core part of the gameplay is the ship battles, which is quite variable when it comes to the encounters and strategies to win. Do you want to knock down the shields and rip them apart with every laser and missile you've got? Maybe you will take it steady by constantly disabling their weapons, giving them a slow but efficient death. You could disable their oxygen supply and set the medical room on fire so they can slowly burn or suffocate to death, leaving you to salvage a ship still in condition. The variable is vast and the fights are an enjoyable factor of the game that keep you on your toes to make sure your crew comes out unscratched. Outside of the combat the gameplay becomes a little lacking. You try manage scraps to buy new items or upgrade your own ship and try to complete quests or special events for a nice reward. It may come out a bit meager compared to the combat gameplay but it helps provide a little stress relief for the big haul you have to make.

    When it comes to the game's design, the pleasant colors and pixels mesh into a simple but endearing style. The music plays off with pleasant and groovy electro tunes that only moderately pick up in tensity when a battle occurs. The game's interface is organized and well-sized, not relying on menu navigation while going through your options.

    Being a roguelike, it's to be expected that the game is going to be difficult. And it is. Even trying the Easy difficulty doesn't show me any differences except that I will get more scraps from accomplishing things. The game is more luck than skill. Running into a solar flare that wipes out your crew or having your weapons constantly disabled in a firefight can quickly stop your adventure despite it having just started five minutes ago. This game can become very generous in one session and quite brutal in another. Losing is not just a possibility, it's to be expected. But with a successful run being around 45-60 minutes, it doesn't feel as upsetting when you can quickly get back on your feet for another round. In the chance that you do defeat the end boss and complete the game, there isn't much to go by replay value except unlocking new ships and doing game achievements. Faster Than Light is an enjoyable game that's very easy to learn but very tough to master. The gameplay's simplicity and short length gives it the lethally addictive formula that gives you the desperation to try another attempt at reaching the end. The reward of finally winning completely renews your spirit It's a fun game but a very harsh one. Game price: $10. Worth: Every penny.    … Expand
  59. Vistance
    Sep 22, 2012
    3
    The people writing the high reviews have played the game for maximum of 2-3 hours. FTL seems fun when you first start out, but as you repeat the game over and over and over and over and over and over again you realize the entire game is rubbish because your chances of winning a particular run are controlled very minimally by you. All you do is steer the ship and click on parts of enemyThe people writing the high reviews have played the game for maximum of 2-3 hours. FTL seems fun when you first start out, but as you repeat the game over and over and over and over and over and over again you realize the entire game is rubbish because your chances of winning a particular run are controlled very minimally by you. All you do is steer the ship and click on parts of enemy ships. I had a run where I had nothing but the starter guns all the way up to the 7th sector, I explored many beacons and found nothing. The game is rogue like but fails to provide even a reasonably fair amount of random chance. Other times the game will reward you with something amazing that you can't use at the most inopportune time - one run I was given what was claimed by the game to be an amazing laser - but I had no means at all to operate this gun on my ship as I found it in the 1st sector. On another run I did great, but could not find a weapon like that laser to save my life - and was shafted by random chance. This SOUNDS like it could be fun sometimes, but after you play the game over and over you get real sick of "oh look, no weapons, oh look no new crew members" and you end up eventually running out of fuel and scrap and dying helplessly or you somehow get far then are ill-equipped for the higher powered enemy ships and die extremely quickly. The game has terrible pacing and while the mechanics operate fine, some things like the AI leave a LOT to be desired. I don't know why people feel like they must love indie games no matter how good or bad they are - if you give them false praise you're only hurting them. The game could be improved with patching, but somehow I sincerely doubt the odds the game will ever see an update - the developers got our money and have so far shown no real interest in doing much else with the game based on statements they've publicly made. For a half-working title like this I would not pay the price it's going for, $10 is too steep for a broken indie game and as gamers we should demand better quality from indie studios if we ever want them to replace corporate studios that just create more franchise games.… Expand
  60. hxf
    Sep 22, 2012
    10
    great "star trek" style rogue like game. a lot of fun and random events plus the different ships you can unlock add a lot of re-playability to this fantastic game. can not wait for more from the developers.
  61. Phillippe
    Sep 20, 2012
    9
    It could be a 10 but, although I understand, restarting from the hangar each time your ship explode can be sometimes frustrating. On the other hand, each time I restarted, I never used the same strategies twice; the scrap (money), equipment, crew is randomly generated each time. So you have to make with what you have. In overall, I love the game, graphic are simple and gameplay is great.It could be a 10 but, although I understand, restarting from the hangar each time your ship explode can be sometimes frustrating. On the other hand, each time I restarted, I never used the same strategies twice; the scrap (money), equipment, crew is randomly generated each time. So you have to make with what you have. In overall, I love the game, graphic are simple and gameplay is great. For the price, it's a deal.… Expand
  62. Robbit101
    Sep 20, 2012
    9
    This game is definitly why indie games should be supported with Kickstarter. This game shines brightly in the indie genre, a truly unique game. You take control of 1 of 8 ships and you have to micro mange every system of the ship including shields, engines, weapons even sensors and oxygen. Replayability is a whole new level. You also have to escape from the rebels which are hot on yourThis game is definitly why indie games should be supported with Kickstarter. This game shines brightly in the indie genre, a truly unique game. You take control of 1 of 8 ships and you have to micro mange every system of the ship including shields, engines, weapons even sensors and oxygen. Replayability is a whole new level. You also have to escape from the rebels which are hot on your tail all the time so when you approach a new galaxy you have to decide on a route and stick to it. Every galaxy you cross is different each with there own unique situations. Whether its a distress call that you go and investigate or just get across the galaxy as quick as possible every time it's different. This game has great suspense with every move you make, for example when approaching a distress call it could be an innocent mining colony being attacked by pirates or it could be pirates setting a trap. Each decision has a consequence that could be the difference between life and death. Each ship has 2 layouts which vary so that you can decide what you prefer, so altogether there is 16 different ship combinations. There is also an upgrade system in which you buy parts using the currency of scrap. You find scrap by destroying enemy ships or helping out the innocent. You have to manage every minor detail include power distribution, whether you want more power to the engines for evasive movement or more power to the guns for better offense. Lots of different things can happen for example if they hit the engines with a missile then the engine room will explode and the ship will catch fire. You can tackle this in multiple ways, for example you can send one of your crew into the room with a fire extinguisher to put it out however there is a risk to this because your crew members will get hurt and can, in the worse case, die whilst putting it out leaving you a crew member down. Or you can open up exterior doors to drain the oxygen to put the fires out however if the ships door system is also damaged during the fight then this is not possible. So there are multiple ways to deal with every situation its what you decide is best at the time. Altogether this is a fantastic little game that every one should have a go at and really see what indie developers are capable of.… Expand
  63. TehOwn
    Sep 20, 2012
    10
    Excitement. Strategy. Fear. Hope. Panic. Joy.
    This game has them all and for a gamer who rarely feels moved by a game, it is a shining beacon of hope.
    Simply put, I love FTL. It is a work of art, in both design and execution.
  64. RebelBinary
    Sep 20, 2012
    9
    For 9 bucks this game is steal!! Honestly I love this game, I haven' played anything this good and interesting in a years and I've been playing games as far back as 20 years ago, this one stands up with such classics like Civ and Master of Orion. It's awesome how you get control your own little space ship and micromanage the systems and crew, putting out fires by unlocking the airlocks,For 9 bucks this game is steal!! Honestly I love this game, I haven' played anything this good and interesting in a years and I've been playing games as far back as 20 years ago, this one stands up with such classics like Civ and Master of Orion. It's awesome how you get control your own little space ship and micromanage the systems and crew, putting out fires by unlocking the airlocks, sending boarding parties, and trying to knock out the other ships shields, all the while employing different strategies. Should I use drones, or invest in weapons? Shields or faster engine speed to dodge enemy attacks? A cloak shield or teleporter? Which system on the opponent ship should I bring down first? So many decisions and no game is quite the same. The graphics are simple but you soon forget about as you get lost in your own little world, you quickly get attached to your ship and your crew. Some people will knock the repetitive nature or replayability of this game (you can finish a game in 2 hours or less), but you have a lot of different strategies to employ and you can get new ship designs to better optimize those strategies, plus the encounters and weapon drops are random so you never have the same experience each game. As with any game you will get bored eventually, it's just a fact, but for the past week since I've been playing this I'm still eager to play more as I just got new ship designs and for the fact that I only paid 9 bucks for it, the investment has been returned 2 fold. The only reason it's not a 10 is because there isn't a longer campaign mode or just a bit more diversity in events to reduce the repetitiveness, but I doubt the developer will rest on his laurels and I'm sure more gameplay and features are planned. Playing this game has been a revelation and I will not hesitate to recommend this to anyone who likes sci-fi strategy games.… Expand
  65. Jord68
    Sep 20, 2012
    10
    This is one of the best indie games I've ever played. It deserves every cent, I honestly can't wait to see what other games this company will make in the future.
  66. Dravius
    Sep 20, 2012
    4
    The single biggest factor in this game is luck. As every encounter is completely random it removes any real sort of skill or challenge from the game, or a sense of achievement to more accurate. When you do 'finish' it you realise it wasn't because you did anything in particular, but because you happened upon the right encounters. The gameplay is fun, but the sheer amount of luck in theThe single biggest factor in this game is luck. As every encounter is completely random it removes any real sort of skill or challenge from the game, or a sense of achievement to more accurate. When you do 'finish' it you realise it wasn't because you did anything in particular, but because you happened upon the right encounters. The gameplay is fun, but the sheer amount of luck in the game completely detracts from it… Expand
  67. VinVin1974
    Sep 20, 2012
    9
    Great game. Lots of fun. Can be repetitive, but only if you play without any breaks. Really challenging, but that's what keeps you coming back. My advice? If you feel that repetition wave coming on, go play something else for awhile. Guarantee you'll be biting at the bit wanting to play one more game though, which is why breaks help especially after a long play session.
  68. Protonova
    Sep 19, 2012
    9
    Freaking fantastic game. For it's 1st release it has a lot of interesting mechanics and combat that force you to strategist with efficiency or suffer lol. It has high re-playability already but I would like a lot of new features to add flavor to the game. Oh almost forgot the soundtrack is even better than the game lol. All that the game is missing is variety which I'm hoping will beFreaking fantastic game. For it's 1st release it has a lot of interesting mechanics and combat that force you to strategist with efficiency or suffer lol. It has high re-playability already but I would like a lot of new features to add flavor to the game. Oh almost forgot the soundtrack is even better than the game lol. All that the game is missing is variety which I'm hoping will be addressed in the future. Still well worth a 9 even though it is missing content, but what it does, it does well and that is the basic definition of a rogue-like(but with space elements as you pilot your starship). I look forward to moding this game when that's possible, I would like to add more ship designs, weapons, environmental hazards, and quests.… Expand
  69. ZZZappy
    Sep 19, 2012
    10
    I write this review 45 hours later... Wait, what? 45 hours?!?

    This game sucked me in extremely fast. I didn't buy it until a friend started playing it, and after watching him, I had to try it myself. The game has a very high replay value, but that might be due to the game's quite short playthrough. To start, the game is brutal and unforgiving. Making mistakes will quickly lead to a    I write this review 45 hours later... Wait, what? 45 hours?!?

    This game sucked me in extremely fast. I didn't buy it until a friend started playing it, and after watching him, I had to try it myself. The game has a very high replay value, but that might be due to the game's quite short playthrough.

    To start, the game is brutal and unforgiving. Making mistakes will quickly lead to a game over, and sometimes the RNG plays dirty by giving you time and time again the negative side of every random event. The enemies scale quickly, so you'll need to find a way to keep the pace. The first 10, maybe even 20 times you're going to lose. On easy.

    However, once you've got an understanding of how the game works, it's not as random and luck based as people make it out to be. Being tactical about your movements and not taking needless risks will take you consistently to the end of the game. Using resource management for your ship can save you tons of cash that you can use to upgrade other things or purchase more weapons at stores. Playing smart will almost always win, except for the very worst generated maps.

    No matter what type of gamer you are, I highly recommend this game. For $10, it's well worth the money.    … Expand
  70. Boris
    Sep 18, 2012
    2
    This is an indie game, made by two fellas like you and me, and because of that, I'll try to be as constructive as possible in this review. My rating is 2, and it's OBVIOUS that this game would deserve more. So, why do I give it only two? Well, there are a couple of reasons. A bit more actually. As someone else pointed out, this game is interesting and provides a strong "sci-fi experience".This is an indie game, made by two fellas like you and me, and because of that, I'll try to be as constructive as possible in this review. My rating is 2, and it's OBVIOUS that this game would deserve more. So, why do I give it only two? Well, there are a couple of reasons. A bit more actually. As someone else pointed out, this game is interesting and provides a strong "sci-fi experience". This is for the bright side. I've backed this game on Kickstarter, and I've had the chance to play it before its release. According to steam, more than 18 hours. To be honest, I must have spent the first 15 hours almost in a row, right after downloading it. The rest corresponds to a few tries I gave it from this moment until now; to see if the flaws were corrected yet. In fact, once a wave of enthusiasm has passed, the game becomes really boring : its main problem is re-playability. The experience which feels great at start becomes repetitive really rapidly. Each play-through is really not different. And the game is quite difficult, you find yourself dying all the time (this is relative to the genre, I think), which doesn't help at all about that. Indeed, the difficulty lacks a normal mode : the easy mode is damn easy, and the so called "normal" mode is kinda hard. The second complaint I have is : things are WAY too random. The fact that you flee before an entire fleet means that you don't have the leisure to explore your surroundings. As a consequence, you either are lucky enough to find some weapons, a new crew member or some good stuff; or you have bad luck and your only outcome is usually to start a new game. I could throw dice instead, I would have pretty much the same feeling. And because of the "balance" of the game, you often don't have the choice but to upgrade your shields ASAP, and pray to find good weapons soon enough. So the "freedom" upon upgrade choices isn't really there, at least if you want to survive. Your skills are very rarely involved, it's only gambling. To such extent, that after a hundred of games or so, the only new things you have are a bunch of unlocked ships which don't modify game experience that much. Same goes for the music : it's really entertaining at first, pleasing and so. And after some time, you find yourself muting it, and listening to Internet radio or so. So, even if this game is made from good ideas and obviously a lot of work, it lacks a lot of polish to reach the intended replayability. I was hoping something really different and way more satisfying. I really hope I will have to rewrite this review because the developers corrected these mistakes. Until then, that's not worth buying, really.… Expand
  71. Salient
    Sep 18, 2012
    8
    Great game, its repetitive, but addictive. There are plenty of unlocks, and you'll find yourself trying to achieve these sub-goals instead of the main mission. -2 points because the game is missing some flare/personality that would have made it a complete experience. There's really no excuse for not having some character portraits, event art, etc. Also the backgrounds could have beenGreat game, its repetitive, but addictive. There are plenty of unlocks, and you'll find yourself trying to achieve these sub-goals instead of the main mission. -2 points because the game is missing some flare/personality that would have made it a complete experience. There's really no excuse for not having some character portraits, event art, etc. Also the backgrounds could have been better and had some animation to them. It feels a bit 'flat' art-wise, and with all the talent on the net that's just disappointing. Its very obvious they needed 1 more art guy, and you'd think with all that kickstarter money they would have been able to hire someone. If i had pledged money via kickstarter i'd be pissed off, there's really no excuse and its obvious they pocketed the money instead of spending it on dev. Since i paid 9 bucks for the game, i feel like i got my money's worth.… Expand
  72. kaldric30
    Sep 18, 2012
    8
    This game is very hard, even on Easy, but persistence to learn the game and sometimes a bit of luck can unlock that ship that can change the entire battle for you. Strangely addicting, built for replayability. Great game!
  73. meraka
    Sep 18, 2012
    5
    If you're a familiar with the board game Galaxy Trucker, this game is basically a single player version PC port. If you liked the board game you'll probably like this as well even though it can be equally frustrating. The graphics are a matter of taste, personally I like them. The music is nice as well but gets a bit repetitive after a while. The UI and controls are well done. GameIf you're a familiar with the board game Galaxy Trucker, this game is basically a single player version PC port. If you liked the board game you'll probably like this as well even though it can be equally frustrating. The graphics are a matter of taste, personally I like them. The music is nice as well but gets a bit repetitive after a while. The UI and controls are well done. Game mechanics are simple and easy to learn but allow for varied strategies and challenging fights. Unfortunately it's too random and you're too dependent on simply being lucky and getting enough resources or good events. There will be encounters where you simply have no chance of survival. Also it has very limited content so after only a few times playing you will have seen everything. Could have used a possibility for constructing your own ships or maybe coop-multiplayer (It'd be perfect for this).… Expand
  74. Mieteq
    Sep 18, 2012
    9
    Perfect combination of space warfare and roguelike. Easy to learn, hard to master, unforgiving and rage inducing. Awesome game mechanics, encounters and a lot of routes to take on.
  75. sacbutter
    Sep 18, 2012
    10
    I started playing and was blown away by the depth this game has. It is not an easy game which is fantastic, the galaxy is random and there are times when even if you do everything right your crew just doesn't survive. But don't worry, a game only takes about two hours and if you die you just grab a new ship and start again! It is not an explore/conquer the galaxy game. One ship, one crew,I started playing and was blown away by the depth this game has. It is not an easy game which is fantastic, the galaxy is random and there are times when even if you do everything right your crew just doesn't survive. But don't worry, a game only takes about two hours and if you die you just grab a new ship and start again! It is not an explore/conquer the galaxy game. One ship, one crew, and you the player pulling their strings to keep them pushing on, fighting through every obstacle to escape the deadly rebel fleet that is chasing you. I will be keeping a very close eye on you from here on out Subset Games, you nailed this one and I can't wait to play what you release next. Hopefully more content for my newest addiction FTL: Faster Than Light!… Expand
  76. AndrewBonieskie
    Sep 17, 2012
    10
    I absolutely adore this game. It gives anybody the chance to nerd out so much and is a perfect example of a community creating a game and making it near perfect. The ONLY thing I can fight bad about this game is that It doesnt give you enough to manage. Just four or five rooms while any extra crew just stands arounds. An amazing rogue-like strategy science fiction game. Even if you don'tI absolutely adore this game. It gives anybody the chance to nerd out so much and is a perfect example of a community creating a game and making it near perfect. The ONLY thing I can fight bad about this game is that It doesnt give you enough to manage. Just four or five rooms while any extra crew just stands arounds. An amazing rogue-like strategy science fiction game. Even if you don't like these kind of games, at least try it because it redifines the genre. Perfect 10 out of 10.… Expand
  77. Mix52
    Sep 17, 2012
    10
    This game is an absolute blast and it is a perfect 10 for what it is meant to be. I played it 30 hours over the first weekend that it was available on Steam.

    It is quite challenging - even on easy - so be prepared. People who complain about the fact that you can't save/reload progress may be missing the point of this game and why permadeath is important to the fun and replayability.    This game is an absolute blast and it is a perfect 10 for what it is meant to be. I played it 30 hours over the first weekend that it was available on Steam.

    It is quite challenging - even on easy - so be prepared. People who complain about the fact that you can't save/reload progress may be missing the point of this game and why permadeath is important to the fun and replayability. This is not the type of game where you play through it once and put it away - the whole appeal of this game is to try again. Also, for the people who complain about how the game is just grinding to improve stats, I think you may not understand the appeal of RPG games, especially in the classic style.

    Flame wars aside, it is a massively good deal for $10 (I got it on sale for $9) and you will get your money's worth. I haven't been this addicted to a game in a long time, so be ready! Oh, and the music is AWESOME!!    … Expand
  78. refdxf
    Sep 17, 2012
    10
    Amazing game, deep gameplay, plenty of replay value. Game breaks a good bit of new ground in strategy games, well worth the time and attention. avoid the subreddit and wikis however, more fun to discover things yourself.
  79. slaughterpop
    Sep 17, 2012
    9
    I'm a huge fan of roguelikes, so naturally I enjoy this game. So far I've only put about 3 hours into the game and I've been loving every minute. This is definitely a tough game, as any roguelike should be, but it doesn't seem unfair, every failure has been my own fault and it feels good to learn from mistakes and do that little bit better next time. Not that it's a huge difference, butI'm a huge fan of roguelikes, so naturally I enjoy this game. So far I've only put about 3 hours into the game and I've been loving every minute. This is definitely a tough game, as any roguelike should be, but it doesn't seem unfair, every failure has been my own fault and it feels good to learn from mistakes and do that little bit better next time. Not that it's a huge difference, but I'm enjoying the space setting, it's nice to take a break from the high fantasy settings that you typically find. The controls are simple, but the combat is deceptively deep, as is the customization of your ship. Loot abounds as you progress, so there's always something to look forward to, my ship and/or crew rarely stays the same. There's the ability to unlock different starting crews, ships, and ship layouts, though I have yet to unlock any of these yet, I'm interested to see how it affects game play when you start with a different type of ship. I also must mention the soundtrack, it's awesome, I almost wish I had purchased the version that comes with the soundtrack. If you're a fan of roguelikes this is a must buy. If you're not a fan, this may be the game to get you there, as it does have both a normal and easy mode, perfect for a new player to roguelikes. Buy, then die!… Expand
  80. Zephyr72o
    Sep 17, 2012
    9
    If your looking for a challenging game that requires skill, strategy, and maybe a bit of luck, then this game is perfect. Don't judge it based on the graphics (as I've seen some people doing), but instead judge it on the fact that it's an actual challenge, for instance, when you die you start over from the beginning. Sure, it may get annoying starting over the game from the beginning,If your looking for a challenging game that requires skill, strategy, and maybe a bit of luck, then this game is perfect. Don't judge it based on the graphics (as I've seen some people doing), but instead judge it on the fact that it's an actual challenge, for instance, when you die you start over from the beginning. Sure, it may get annoying starting over the game from the beginning, but the maps are randomly generated leaving you to all new explorations each play through and with ships to unlock, you can explore the galaxy differently each time. You also have control of pretty much everything on the ship, from doors to crew members, to the weapons and power usage of each of your ships systems. Overall, it is a great strategy/star ship simulator that is worth the $10 price tag as the experience is almost always different each play through.… Expand
  81. ObsidianEagle
    Sep 17, 2012
    9
    i've been hyped for FTL ever since I contributed to their Kickstarter. Now that it's here, I'm not dissapointed at all :)

    Graphics - Old school, but very clean. there aren't any options though, including resolution, which makes it look quite bad on stretched fullscreen. More customisation would be nice. Sound - AMAZING sound design. great effects and a very nice soundtrack, never    i've been hyped for FTL ever since I contributed to their Kickstarter. Now that it's here, I'm not dissapointed at all :)

    Graphics - Old school, but very clean. there aren't any options though, including resolution, which makes it look quite bad on stretched fullscreen. More customisation would be nice.

    Sound - AMAZING sound design. great effects and a very nice soundtrack, never feels repetitive.

    Gameplay - WIN. Even though there really isn't much of a variety of gameplay, It is always fun, very repeatable and VERY hard. it will take you a long time to win the game just once, then so much more to unlock all the content available

    Overall - I HIGHLY reccomend it.    … Expand
  82. Comradepinko
    Sep 17, 2012
    9
    If you like maddeningly difficult old school games then this one is for you. The graphics are primitive, but I feel like that just adds to the old school feel of the game. The game play is simple enough to pick up quickly, yet complicated enough to keep you thinking and coming back for more.

    The basic mechanics of shields, weapon systems, drones, and boarding parties make me feel like    If you like maddeningly difficult old school games then this one is for you. The graphics are primitive, but I feel like that just adds to the old school feel of the game. The game play is simple enough to pick up quickly, yet complicated enough to keep you thinking and coming back for more.

    The basic mechanics of shields, weapon systems, drones, and boarding parties make me feel like I'm the captain of a Star Trek vessel in a way that previous Star Trek and other Sci-Fi games have failed to do so well.

    For an inexpensive indie game with such a small team the design is nearly perfect. Aside from having not quite enough different random encounters (expect to play through the same encounters over and over again) I don't think I have any complaints for this title. I hope a AAA studio decides to make something like FTL, or picks up these guys and makes FTL2.    … Expand
  83. Vigilant
    Sep 17, 2012
    9
    Nice, decent game play. Rogue like means, every decision or encounter may be the last. No way back. That is what you get with FTL. FTL is a little space strategy game of space combat. Leading your ship and your crew through different space sectors. Manage ship and crew, optimize crew abilities like piloting, engineering, shield operations, fighting. Develop your ship with new weapons,Nice, decent game play. Rogue like means, every decision or encounter may be the last. No way back. That is what you get with FTL. FTL is a little space strategy game of space combat. Leading your ship and your crew through different space sectors. Manage ship and crew, optimize crew abilities like piloting, engineering, shield operations, fighting. Develop your ship with new weapons, drones, missile launcher, support gear and so on. Have friendly and hostile encounters, battle your way back to your home fleet to fight the enemy mother ship and protect your home base.

    If you like these sort of (indie) games 10 EUR/DOLLAR won´t be wasted.

    While graphics are appropriate, game play and handling is great.

    I wonder what be will see next. There is a very high potential.    … Expand
  84. Jetfire
    Sep 17, 2012
    8
    I bought the game on a whim and was very surprised by the level on design that went into a $10 game. It is very challenging and gives you a lot to explore and accomplish. You have multiple choices in equipping your ship and crew that greatly affect your abilities. I have 6 or 7 hours into it so far and still have only got to the final boss once. Not bad for the price of a movieI bought the game on a whim and was very surprised by the level on design that went into a $10 game. It is very challenging and gives you a lot to explore and accomplish. You have multiple choices in equipping your ship and crew that greatly affect your abilities. I have 6 or 7 hours into it so far and still have only got to the final boss once. Not bad for the price of a movie ticket. Wish the easy mode was a little more generous with the scrap and weapons drops.… Expand
  85. Tridus
    Sep 17, 2012
    9
    Brutally difficult. If you dislike game over screens, this is not the game for you. You will die, a lot. Sometimes it won't seem fair. Other times everything comes together just right and it's the greatest feeling in the world. The mechanics work really well here and if you like a challenge you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.
  86. Canisrah
    Sep 16, 2012
    8
    I bought FTL on a whim when I saw that it involved space ship command with a tactical bent. My expectations were low - but when I got into it I was surprised to find myself really engaged and enjoying the experience. The visuals aren't that flash but the gameplay fires the imagination such that the visuals remain functional and incidental to the core experience. Different scenarios areI bought FTL on a whim when I saw that it involved space ship command with a tactical bent. My expectations were low - but when I got into it I was surprised to find myself really engaged and enjoying the experience. The visuals aren't that flash but the gameplay fires the imagination such that the visuals remain functional and incidental to the core experience. Different scenarios are presented to you as you warp into each new sector and you are required to make choices that influence where the game goes; a lot of these choices result in combat but it's refreshing to see that some do not. A lot of sci-fi games focus too much on combat but the whole star trek experience is just as much about managing crew and making decisions as it is firing the phasers. FTL is perhaps leaning toward too much combat, but it does make significant efforts to give you other things to do as well - and to good effect. The soundtrack is delightful and the sense that you are in command is palpable. On my last game it was me and Jean Luc (you can name crew members) and we made it alone to stage 4 (of 5) and had some amazing scraps and adventures along the way. We started we 3 crew members (you can recruit more along the way) but Beverly died after we were boarded and the oxygen levels in sick bay dropped to the point where she suffocated. We were really cut up about that but pressed on. It's a great little game - could perhaps have benefited from just a little more depth but as is it's heaps of fun and for the price... you can't lose. Highly recommended.… Expand
  87. RiceMuncher
    Sep 16, 2012
    9
    Your a StarShip Captain with direct control over everything.
    Which itself makes it an awesome indie RPG with addictive rogue-like elements. HUGE replayability - 1. There are 9 different ships, each with two different layouts for you to unlock), 2. Randomised events and results. Each choice you make, even though if it was the same choice in your last run , could end up differently for    Your a StarShip Captain with direct control over everything.
    Which itself makes it an awesome indie RPG with addictive rogue-like elements. HUGE replayability - 1. There are 9 different ships, each with two different layouts for you to unlock), 2. Randomised events and results. Each choice you make, even though if it was the same choice in your last run , could end up differently for better or worst
    3. A wide selection of weapons for different ships/playthroughs

    And you can name your own ship and crew. What more can i say?
    This is all for $9AUD for well over 20+hours of gameplay - and probably more!    … Expand
  88. HerrJoebob
    Sep 16, 2012
    4
    This is a great roguelike, but not a fun game by any stretch. You win or lose by the flip of a coin you have no control over - you might run into a (literally) unbeatable enemy, you may or may not find the upgrades you need, etc. It is incredibly unfair and this is exactly what they were trying for - it's a great gambling sim and addictive as heck because of that. The music's nice and theThis is a great roguelike, but not a fun game by any stretch. You win or lose by the flip of a coin you have no control over - you might run into a (literally) unbeatable enemy, you may or may not find the upgrades you need, etc. It is incredibly unfair and this is exactly what they were trying for - it's a great gambling sim and addictive as heck because of that. The music's nice and the graphics are decent. Once you get past the (again, intentional) unfairness, the biggest problem is that almost all combat is a tedious "click same keys over and over" thing. However, if you get boarded - and you will, a LOT if the coin flips go against you - it turns into intensive micromanagement with a UI that is not very responsive - not fun.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best PC Game of 2012
21
#21 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
13
#13 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. Gamers' Temple
    May 27, 2013
    87
    Fulfill a sci-fi fantasy by becoming the Captain of your own starship! Don't expect great graphics, but do except to lose many hours to FTL and expect to lose your ship ... a lot.
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  2. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    85
    Kickstarter has accomplished its mission in this one, giving the opportunity to an original, non-mainstream title to go public and meet its well-deserved success. Especially for sci-fi fans, it’s a no-brainer; buy this game at once and live the life of a courageous pilot that only has one mission: survival. [November 2012]
  3. GameStar
    Nov 24, 2012
    77
    Quotation forthcoming.
    Read full review
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