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. Samvell
    Sep 1, 2023
    5
    Good game at its core, but it basically suffers from the same major problem as Into The Breach - you're always, and I mean ALWAYS, just one mistake away from losing. I've had so many successful runs where I though I was finally able to enjoy the game, just to be completely annihilated within minutes. FTL has some insane difficulty spikes. In one sector your enemies are basically punchingGood game at its core, but it basically suffers from the same major problem as Into The Breach - you're always, and I mean ALWAYS, just one mistake away from losing. I've had so many successful runs where I though I was finally able to enjoy the game, just to be completely annihilated within minutes. FTL has some insane difficulty spikes. In one sector your enemies are basically punching bags who can barely penetrate your shields. In the next one they have so many advantages over you you'd think they're using cheatcodes. In one sector you are just showered with all sorts of upgrades, crew members, weapons, etc. In the next one you get exactly jack point sh*t just because RNG says so. In one sector you don't have any events on, like, 60% of planets. In the next one every second planet is in nebula, and every third one has solar flares that will ruin your run faster than you can say the word "run".
    I assume some people might enjoy ths particular sort of unpredictability, but to me it's just unfair. I really wanted to like this game because it has some nice visuals, good music, and interesting ship-building/upgrading mechanics, but opponents ALWAYS having the upper hand just ruined any kind of enjoyment for me personally.    … Expand
  2. PR9Gaming
    Aug 12, 2023
    9
    Hugely enjoyable space roguelike that makes you wanna rewatch Star Trek. Can you bring about the Flakening?
  3. Night565
    Aug 12, 2023
    10
    Probably my favorite rogue like to this day. I had fun getting a good chunk of the achievements and unlocking all my ships. Good time all around, like to revisit when i'm bored late at night and need something to chill with. Game is pretty hard but its like a puzzle where you slowly learn the tricks, once you do you can pretty reliable clear the game without issue.
  4. J1mbo
    Jul 9, 2023
    9
    The amount of time you last or if you even beat the game is determined by luck. However other than that complaint the game does require a good amount of skill. At the beginning of the game, you can pretty much go afk while you destroy a ship, however, as you progress it gets harder and harder to the point where you have to be glued to your screen making sure your ship is repaired and ifThe amount of time you last or if you even beat the game is determined by luck. However other than that complaint the game does require a good amount of skill. At the beginning of the game, you can pretty much go afk while you destroy a ship, however, as you progress it gets harder and harder to the point where you have to be glued to your screen making sure your ship is repaired and if you're targeting the most vital part of your enemy's ship according to your current situation. The game Spore would be a world better if it implemented some of this game's mechanics into its game.… Expand
  5. edxtan
    Jun 19, 2023
    6
    The roguelike elements in FTL: Faster Than Light's get you to always think about optimizing your long-term and short-term strategies, but the extreme randomness and lack of mechanical skill often makes the game unwinnable.
  6. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    7
    Fun roguelike but very punishing RNG and the final boss is completely out of tune with the difficulty of the rest of the game.
  7. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    6
    Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»
  8. Soullex
    Nov 15, 2022
    3
    Aslında farlı bir şeyler denemişler, ama birkaç saatin ardından mantığını çözünce, sadece düşmanın silahlarına ateş edip ilerlediğim bir oyun oldu.
  9. hileger
    Oct 15, 2022
    8
    Залипалово вроде простенько но механики затягивают хотя рогалики в целом распиаренное говно ,всякие дед сел не смогут соревноваться с этим Щедевром
  10. Thyrvi
    Oct 13, 2022
    9
    Great game.
    The random events, as in any challenging Roughlike, sometimes do not seem fair.
    However, this gives the game a really high replay value.
    Can recommend the game without reservation.
  11. Tabbou
    Jun 1, 2022
    4
    I don't understand all the 9 and 10/10, just looks like others rogue-lite and strategy games, disapointed
  12. Wrathzo
    Mar 21, 2022
    7
    FTL: Faster Than Light is a space-based top-down real-time strategy roguelike game created by indie developer Subset Games, which was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux in September 2012. In the game, the player controls the crew of a single spacecraft, holding critical information to be delivered to an allied fleet, while being pursued by a large rebel fleet. The player mustFTL: Faster Than Light is a space-based top-down real-time strategy roguelike game created by indie developer Subset Games, which was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux in September 2012. In the game, the player controls the crew of a single spacecraft, holding critical information to be delivered to an allied fleet, while being pursued by a large rebel fleet. The player must guide the spacecraft over eight sectors, each with planetary systems and events procedurally generated in a roguelike fashion, while facing rebel and other hostile forces, recruiting new crew, and outfitting and upgrading their ship. Combat takes place in pausable real time, and if the ship is destroyed or all of its crew lost, the game ends, forcing the player to restart with a new ship.… Expand
  13. gentlebenno
    Jan 27, 2022
    10
    This game is a masterpiece of joy and pain. I get so into it and get shot up so many times I have nightmares about it. And yet I keep coming back and become obsessed. It doesn't help that I don't allow myself to use the pause button thus further increasing the difficulty level. I should be institutionalized.
  14. BeatYourHeadIn
    Sep 19, 2021
    7
    FTL is a unique blend. It's action. It's strategy. It's roguelike. It's casual. However, none of those over-arching titles actually capture FTL's vibe. Perhaps "Jean-Luc Picard Flees the Borg Simulator" best gets the point across.

    The strength of this seemingly simple game is its surprising level of depth. As a playthrough progresses, you have full control over the customization of the    FTL is a unique blend. It's action. It's strategy. It's roguelike. It's casual. However, none of those over-arching titles actually capture FTL's vibe. Perhaps "Jean-Luc Picard Flees the Borg Simulator" best gets the point across.

    The strength of this seemingly simple game is its surprising level of depth. As a playthrough progresses, you have full control over the customization of the ship's various systems and upgrades. You're not likely to max out every category (or even a couple, for that matter), so you'll have to customize the ship around your play-style and your play-style around the RNGesus loot generator in order to see success.

    Diplomacy is non-existent. Talking one's way out of a dispute rarely an option, so arm the photon torpedoes and report to battle stations! FTL does cater to different play-styles: one could focus on offensive abilities or defensive abilities. Thankfully, the game is deep in terms of customization, resulting in branching upgrade paths for both offence and defense. For example, one may choose to focus on dodge instead of shielding, or boarding parties instead of heavy weaponry. The choice is yours... sort-of. Allow me to elaborate.

    First, acknowledge that it is unwise to start a new game of FTL with a certain strategy in mind, and then command your ship with upgrade tunnel vision. The game is based around entirely random encounters; adaptation is a virtue. To all those who like to plan ahead, this game flips you the bird! Sure you can have an overall goal in mind, but the game is random: you get what you get. Work with what you can scrounge up and/or to die trying!

    Commanding the crew RTS-style works great! Crew members gain proficiencies in various ship-stations and tasks over time. Different alien species bring different bonuses as crew, which adds a layer of depth to starship customization. Crew mortality serves to heighten the level of tension in battles, and even post-battle in some cases. You could win a battle, but if your life support systems were knocked out, you could lose crew members if you can't repair the O2 generator in time. It can feel like a heartbreaking loss when you lose say a Tier 2 Weapons Specialist.

    A few quirks and negative points are to be found in FTL. Crew members seem like "crew statues": they aren't affected by ferocious blasts or vacuum-sucking hull breaches. No... no one can get sucked into space in this game, not even enemy boarding parties. Disappointing, I know, for all you Among Us fans out there! Also, enemy ships with higher levels of shielding can be VERY difficult to defeat without shield piercing weapons or boarding parties. Losing is FUN, or so I'm told...

    Ultimately, despite the procedural generation of every new start, replay-ability in FTL is fairly limited. It is a casual game, and it is best to play it in casual doses. Great if you have a little time to kill: 20 minutes here, half hour there. However, I found my interest in FTL easily burns out during hour long or longer sessions.

    The game's unscripted charm is the main draw. You tell your own stories, the game just makes sure the endings are abrupt and filled with explosions. Experience your own journeys, filled with adversity, strife, sorrow, and success... mainly adversity, strife and sorrow. It is these player-driven stories that will keep you coming back for more Jean-Luc Picard-ing around.

    Make it so, Number 1!    … Expand
  15. Oshiri_Maeda
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    Space bar pressing simulator. A bit too tedious for my liking. However, I see why it's popular, just not my cup of tea. Into the Breach gave a way stronger impression.
  16. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    8
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good ftl gg
  17. Molok
    Apr 24, 2021
    1
    FTL is composed of wide variety of possible scenarios that are arranged randomly to create a unique run. Each play is distinct and creates a personal story of individual player's struggle. Here is just another one of them.

    I started with federation cruiser. Defying odds I progressed through increasingly difficult sectors before arriving to the Nebula under the control of Slugs. There I    FTL is composed of wide variety of possible scenarios that are arranged randomly to create a unique run. Each play is distinct and creates a personal story of individual player's struggle. Here is just another one of them.

    I started with federation cruiser. Defying odds I progressed through increasingly difficult sectors before arriving to the Nebula under the control of Slugs. There I resolved a few challenging combat scenarios, taking heavy damage because I didn't encounter any appropriate equipment and didn't really have an opportunity to upgrade weapons in earlier sectors. Luckily I found one more advanced weapon in stock, randomly found earlier. But I couldn't power it yet, needing a separate upgrade. With that in mind I pressed on. Eventually I arrived at a sector that housed a planet with several moons. The slug found on the surface quizzed me about the number of natural satellites orbiting the planet and taking advantage of my momentous distraction stole some of my missiles, drone parts, all of my exp and most of my remaining fuel. With exp gone and without a way to upgrade my system I didn't have realistic way to win future altercations but I pressed on.
    I encountered a dangerous ship. I disabled shields using my remaining missiles so I could actually damage systems using my pitiful lasers. All of my shots missed and I without ammo I couldn't switch to missile weapons. I dropped the shields, disabled the weapons, ordered all of doors opened to vent the ship of oxygen and concentrated the crew in one large chamber so they would suffocate. After they slowly and (I hope) painfully died I uninstalled the damn game.

    FTL is based entirely on your luck. It is a digital version of Russian roulette. Some weapons, augmentations and systems are just better than others. If you luck out and get them advancing through the game becomes trivial. If you do not it is impossible.
    I understand that it is alluring to some people as they like the risk. But I would advise anybody who likes to have any actual agency to stay away from the game.

    There are achievements that you can collect and unlock bonus ships. Unfortunately a standard run seems to be at least two hours long and if you die before getting an achievement you don't unlock anything. In that case each minute of your life spent playing is retroactively wasted away. There is absolutely no payoff if you lose. A standard tagline for rogue-lites is "Losing is fun". But this game simply isn't fun.

    On the other hand soundtrack is awesome. I would say that if you can get it without the game it's worth buying. Just don't buy FTL and don't give it any bump in it's statistics.    … Expand
  18. Ilmu011
    Feb 13, 2021
    8
    Solid roguelike.

    FTL is more strategic and almost feels like it's a turn-based game (even though it technically isn't). Trying out different ships and strategies is very fun and there is an appropriate amount of variety to them. It does have some balance problems, like some weapons not matching their supposed power levels, and most of the time you won't be able to try out a creative new    Solid roguelike.

    FTL is more strategic and almost feels like it's a turn-based game (even though it technically isn't). Trying out different ships and strategies is very fun and there is an appropriate amount of variety to them. It does have some balance problems, like some weapons not matching their supposed power levels, and most of the time you won't be able to try out a creative new strategy like you want to because the final battle is very static and will force you to use a similar strategy every time to be able to beat it (forget pure shieldless runs or pure asphyxiation runs). But you can still do it, just for the sake of it.

    Overall a good roguelike game.

    Playtime at review: 300 hours    … Expand
  19. patty_boi
    Dec 23, 2020
    8
    So, the game is great, but there are some issues. For one, sometimes some of the screen doesn't work and you cant click on it to start a new game or something like that, and two, the soundtrack is GREAT but it doesn't show up in my steam library so I need to play it manually. overall, a great game.
  20. Wineneeder
    Dec 20, 2020
    10
    I like it a lot. It could use a little more depth (I haven't tried to the expansion though), seems like mostly you just try to keep their weapons disabled and the AI is pretty basic.

    But I had a whole lot of fun with this.

    Though the randomness can really **** you over. I do not regret donating to this kickstarter.
  21. AdamBFS
    Nov 4, 2020
    8
    If you like a pastime type of game where you can slowly upgrade your equipment or find new crew members to help maintain your spaceship, then this game is exactly for you. After completing your first game, you can start to unlock new ships and new ways to play, this only adds to the replay value.

    Overall, I don't have anything negative to say about this game as it is just a simple 2D    If you like a pastime type of game where you can slowly upgrade your equipment or find new crew members to help maintain your spaceship, then this game is exactly for you. After completing your first game, you can start to unlock new ships and new ways to play, this only adds to the replay value.

    Overall, I don't have anything negative to say about this game as it is just a simple 2D space game.    … Expand
  22. Galope
    Oct 27, 2020
    9
    Cosmic dungeons

    It connects with the player from the first moment. Subset Games breaks the market with a title that forgets about visual parameters that easily impresses the player. All the efforts of the team have been put on offering a product with a brutal playability, a product that provides mechanics that are easy to learn and difficult to master. FTL is not a game for the lover    Cosmic dungeons

    It connects with the player from the first moment. Subset Games breaks the market with a title that forgets about visual parameters that easily impresses the player. All the efforts of the team have been put on offering a product with a brutal playability, a product that provides mechanics that are easy to learn and difficult to master.

    FTL is not a game for the lover of retro games, it is a game designed for the video game lover. Many players will emit a quick and fragile opinion accusing the game of belonging to a very small audience: those retro lovers who despise the tricks and technical ornaments of the new generations. Those players are wrong. FTL offers playability. FTL offers a depth that translates into hours of play, full of alternative paths, thousands of possible situations, continuous decisions that translate into small stellar achievements. And this is where the key to its great playability lies on: in the decisions that we make. FTL makes us participate of everything: the paths to take, the long-term strategies that will take our ship to beat the empire, the weaponry and updates that we might consider useful and the very necessary micromanagement needed in battles. FTL makes us consider the details such as the design of our fleet adapted to our style of play, the analysis of those races that fit into the configuration of our crew, the navigation chart, and a thousand other reasons that are there for us to discover as the game progresses.

    We have seen many space adventures, few of them so disciplined in their playability. FTL will make you play again and again until you realize you are late for work, forgot to eat, drink and shower.    … Expand
  23. RackNRoll
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    Faster Than Light - это одна из тех игр которую ты скачиваешь из интернета бесплатно, но потом в голове рождается мысль "О ЧЕРТ ВОЗЬМИ, НАДО ЗА НЕЕ ЗАПЛАТИТЬ!".. почему спросите вы? да потому что это стоющая работа за которую не грех отдать те копейки, которые она стоит в стиме.. в нее хочется играть раз за разом, пройдя ее на одном корабле, другом, третьем.. четвертом.. пятом.. пока глазаFaster Than Light - это одна из тех игр которую ты скачиваешь из интернета бесплатно, но потом в голове рождается мысль "О ЧЕРТ ВОЗЬМИ, НАДО ЗА НЕЕ ЗАПЛАТИТЬ!".. почему спросите вы? да потому что это стоющая работа за которую не грех отдать те копейки, которые она стоит в стиме.. в нее хочется играть раз за разом, пройдя ее на одном корабле, другом, третьем.. четвертом.. пятом.. пока глаза не лопнут.. отличное звуковое оформление, музыка ненавящевая, радует слух.. красивая мультяшная графика не перестает удивлять.. огромный выбор вооружения начиная от бластеров, ракет и телепортирующихся десантников, вплоть до управления разумом вражеского члена экипажа.. огромный выбор кораблей и их модификаций, что делает игру разнообразной.. вообщем и целом это афигенная игра которая не потребует от вас супер реакции или убер креативного мышления и принесет уйму положительных эмоций.. если вы, конечно, не самый законченный "Ч"удак :)… Expand
  24. tommydlbass
    Aug 16, 2020
    7
    A good strategy-simulator ship game where you gotta scape from different worlds and fight to other kind of human beings. Has it's problems (it's maybe too hard, some of the perks are more useless than others, there are some random events that once you know the game lost the magic) but overall it's worth a try.
  25. BobbyTarantino
    Aug 15, 2020
    8
    a man goes to the doctor. says he's depressed. he says life seems harsh and cruel. says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. the doctor says "the treatment is simple. the great clown pagliacci is in town tonight. go and see him, that should pick you up." the man bursts into tears. he says "but doctor... i am pagliacci."
  26. eigenvalue
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    Simple graphic, beautiful soundtrack, many tactics. Even if you start under the same conditions, it is fun to choose different tactics each time depending on various encounters and situations.
  27. Roisman
    Mar 31, 2020
    7
    Roguelike games always have the prospect for both delight and frustration. It's a recipe that a lot of people enjoy and, if you are one of them, make no mistake, this a good game for you.

    Personally, I do not enjoy the randomness so much. I think the game evolves too slow. I mean, you have this really **** ship to start with and absolutely no options. Some may argue in favour of this,    Roguelike games always have the prospect for both delight and frustration. It's a recipe that a lot of people enjoy and, if you are one of them, make no mistake, this a good game for you.

    Personally, I do not enjoy the randomness so much. I think the game evolves too slow. I mean, you have this really **** ship to start with and absolutely no options. Some may argue in favour of this, but besides Binding of Isaac, I never seen a game do this properly. It's 5 frustrating gameplays in a roll, then on your next play you find a cool iten at the start, but hey, on the next jump, there is an unbeatable enemy and, well, you had the ilusion of fun for 45 minutes before being heavily frustrated again. Why don't you have a option of surrendering resources/weapons in order to flee ? There are different encounters, there should be different options. I deeply dislike game in which the developers want you to play in a specific way and you HAVE to like it.

    PROS: The game makes a huge effort of diversifying the encounters, has a great atmosphere that pressure you to go foward and the gameplay is enjoyable and it makes sense.

    Overall, I think labeling things as rogue-like is a good modern excuse for lazy developing. You can control probabilities of events and rewards as you progress and STILL have the caothic atmosphere of what rogue-like games require.    … Expand
  28. Azzanation
    Mar 13, 2020
    10
    To this day, FTL is still one of my favourite Rogue Like Indy games. Its brutally difficult however addicting with an amazing sound track and a clever art style. If you have a PC this needs to be played if you are looking for a challenging experience.
  29. Budgerigan
    Mar 5, 2020
    10
    Probably, this is one of the best indie game. I like everything in this game, especially soundtrack. Balance is great, even the game is pretty hard.
  30. Wiebe
    Feb 26, 2020
    9
    The best rogue like, high replayability, just amazing fun for a simple game.
  31. pongkrit03
    Feb 18, 2020
    8
    I just have a chance to play FTL and Wow ! this game is much better than I expected. I beat the game two times now, easy and normal. It is so addictive. The idea is brillantly creative. I never played game like this in my life. I can't even imagine how someone could think of something like this. Luck is also a factor here but if you know how play, you can still manage to win.

    For an    I just have a chance to play FTL and Wow ! this game is much better than I expected. I beat the game two times now, easy and normal. It is so addictive. The idea is brillantly creative. I never played game like this in my life. I can't even imagine how someone could think of something like this. Luck is also a factor here but if you know how play, you can still manage to win.

    For an indy game like this, for this unique space idea and very cheap price. 10/10 deserved.

    Edit:: I would like to lower the score because replayability is not as high as I thought. Once you get a hang of it, winning is not difficult and should not take more than 3 hrs to win a round. Though you have many ships to play, enemies are same. It lost my interest fast.    … Expand
  32. ZetaJiffils
    Dec 27, 2019
    6
    Está bien, pero el jefe final es IMPOSIBLE de ganar incluso en modo fácil, aunque tengas toda tu nave mejorada al máximo.
    Eso ha hecho que deje de jugarlo...y lo que me molesta es que si no derrotas a esa nave final no te dan recompensas para tener más naves....
  33. CriticalHit20
    Oct 21, 2019
    9
    I played the hell out of this game, delving into all the nooks and crannies and loving every second of it. I must admit I did bypass the rogue aspect of the game as that made it more fun for me. If I played it normally than my rating might only be 7.5. Hours pass but unlike many other games it was enjoyed and not wasted.
  34. sitebender
    Apr 19, 2019
    10
    After sinking hundreds of hours in, this is still an enjoyable two hour long real time strategy mixed with random opposing spaceships and random events. It has basic art, but it's just so much fun to get invested all the way to the end each time I play.
  35. Scruffey
    Apr 15, 2019
    0
    I can't see why this game gets favourable reviews.
    I started the game on the "Normal" setting and got beaten to death in the first system all the time.
    OK. Maybe I'm a bit dumb - I said to myself. I started the game on the "Easier" setting and got beaten to death in the first system all the time. OK. I'm really dumb - I said to myself. I modded the game with Twinge's Balance & Bugfix    I can't see why this game gets favourable reviews.
    I started the game on the "Normal" setting and got beaten to death in the first system all the time.
    OK. Maybe I'm a bit dumb - I said to myself.
    I started the game on the "Easier" setting and got beaten to death in the first system all the time.
    OK. I'm really dumb - I said to myself.
    I modded the game with Twinge's Balance & Bugfix Mod v3.0.6 which is supposed to make the game a lot easier < : 0 )
    I started the game on the "Easier" setting and got beaten to death in the first system all the time.
    OK. I'm not just really dumb, I must be a bit moronic !
    Enough.
    I'm going back to PacMan - at least I might get somewhere with that...    … Expand
  36. RoamGod
    Feb 23, 2019
    8
    Один из самых самых прекрасных рогаликов.
    Можно провести несколько замечательных вечеров за этой игрой.
    Ты буквально готов продать душу за свою команду и сломать компьютер если взорвут твой корабль.
  37. Loadstone
    Oct 26, 2018
    0
    This game is amazing. It is very fun and gets me exited. But one thing... how the hell do you even launch the game.

    it wont even launch in discord or the folder even with administrator. It a good game just this is more about it doesn't work and is glitchy AF. It only works in a virtual machine and that sucks. remember the game is good but if you get it be warned it might not work.    This game is amazing. It is very fun and gets me exited. But one thing... how the hell do you even launch the game.

    it wont even launch in discord or the folder even with administrator. It a good game just this is more about it doesn't work and is glitchy AF. It only works in a virtual machine and that sucks.
    remember the game is good but if you get it be warned it might not work.

    It even says in one of the README folders that "We don't promise that this software works." WHAT... THEN... WHY PUBLISH IT FOR EVERYONE TO BUY YOU... ***A*F**GS*G*A*F*GS*DG. ITS JUST SO STUPID.

    They even put a fail safe in their game so if you launch it, it wont work; when you troubleshot it, it says that ITS INCOMPATIBLE EVEN THO THE BLOODY GAMESITE SAID ITS COMPATIBLE FOR WINDOWS. This is retarded and i don't want to go through the pain of opening a virtual machine EVERY BLOODY TIME i want to play... AND IT DOESN'T EVEN SAVE.

    ITS A GOOD GAME AND VERY INNOVATIVE AND ENJOYABLE BUT IF YOUR LOOKING AT THE USABILITY ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE IT A POSITIVE RATING!!!!

    "Beware that if you get the game it MAY or MAYNOT work."    … Expand
  38. Vectis99
    Oct 18, 2018
    6
    FTL can be a very gripping experience which teaches players how to best optimize their available resources in the most synergistic way possible. Doing so successfully and efficiently proves to be a fun challenge which is very satisfying to pursue. Unfortunately, the game can quickly turn into a very mechanical process as decision making becomes either negligible or automatic for playersFTL can be a very gripping experience which teaches players how to best optimize their available resources in the most synergistic way possible. Doing so successfully and efficiently proves to be a fun challenge which is very satisfying to pursue. Unfortunately, the game can quickly turn into a very mechanical process as decision making becomes either negligible or automatic for players who are more familiar with the game's dynamic. The game has a pleasant aesthetic and a modular narrative which is well written, but not particularly deep or memorable. Overall, FTL can vacillate between being a relaxing and stressful experience, depending on the mood of the player.… Expand
  39. Snakeyellow
    Sep 17, 2018
    9
    Fantastic game! A bit on the hard side since it relies heavily on luck and randomness.

    Pro
    -Atmosphere
    -Gameplay is great
    -Replayability

    Con
    -Graphic are soso
    -Very random
  40. RagingPoet
    May 29, 2018
    8
    8.5 out of 10.
    FTL is a great tactical rogue-like strategy that can provide countless hours of difficult and fun starship duels and resource management.
  41. Fiona666
    May 10, 2018
    9
    God, I have spent so much time with this game. Critics point out that it is essentially a slot machine and that is true - luck plays a big role in FTL. The whole journey is randomly generated (from many predefined stories and events), so sometimes you will find valuable weapons and resources very early in the game and sometimes you are just overwhelmed by super-strong enemies. SometimesGod, I have spent so much time with this game. Critics point out that it is essentially a slot machine and that is true - luck plays a big role in FTL. The whole journey is randomly generated (from many predefined stories and events), so sometimes you will find valuable weapons and resources very early in the game and sometimes you are just overwhelmed by super-strong enemies. Sometimes every decision you make works out and sometimes everything goes wrong. The final battle is extremely difficult and only winnable if you had a lot of luck on the way there (if you make it at all). And while all of that sounds like bad game design the game is simply a lot of fun and I just want to love it!… Expand
  42. Humboldt1337
    Mar 26, 2018
    10
    You owe it to yourself to try this game out. It is endlessly enjoyable, and can be played in a relaxed manner. Really well done, a masterpiece of video game design.
  43. The_Moon
    Mar 18, 2018
    8
    Soundtrack: 7/10
    Graphics: 10/10
    Story: 5/10
    Gameplay: 8/10

    The sountrack was a nice background to the gameplay, but nothing unusual. The graphics were a nice pixel art style that I had no problem with. There wasn't much of a story, when there was it was pretty average. The gameplay was fun and challenging, although I thought it was a little too hard to unlock new ships.

    Overall: 8/10
  44. tastybaldeagle
    Feb 5, 2018
    0
    An absolutely must play game. I don't like adventure games but this one goes above and beyond.
  45. ShawnD
    Jan 10, 2018
    8
    It's ok, I guess. 8/10

    Note that my rating of 8/10 is due to the fact that I only paid $2.75 for this game during a Steam sale. It's fun for about 3 hours and then it's just boring and repetitive. The randomness is nice, but it sometimes feels too random. There will be tons of games where it just doesn't work out. Enemies will all have ion weapons, there won't be any additional crew    It's ok, I guess. 8/10

    Note that my rating of 8/10 is due to the fact that I only paid $2.75 for this game during a Steam sale. It's fun for about 3 hours and then it's just boring and repetitive.
    The randomness is nice, but it sometimes feels too random. There will be tons of games where it just doesn't work out. Enemies will all have ion weapons, there won't be any additional crew members, etc. It basically means there's no way to plan anything because so much of the game is random. The short duration of games also means one can't get invested in the game. It's a lot like playing solitaire.

    Now that I've typed that out, this seems like a perfect game for killing time in an airport. If you're waiting for a flight or something, FTL would be a great way to pass the time on a laptop with low specs and no mouse. If there is a phone version of the game, that would be worth looking into.    … Expand
  46. Mordeth131
    Oct 29, 2017
    9
    Easily one of my fav games! Game can be very unforgiving and frustrating but when something goes well it so much more rewarding. This is one of my go to games when I have nothin else to play, strategy can be very simple or fairly complicated. For the price and replay ability it is a definite must have!
  47. BritMboh
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    An absolute gem of a game. Almost infinitely replayable, brutally difficult and it's random element is what keeps the game fresh without screwing you over tooo hard that the game just becomes frustrating. There's no reason not to own it when it costs about the same price as a McDonald's saver menu.
  48. aditya1101
    Oct 5, 2017
    7
    Pretty fun and really well designed game. I didn't like it as much as I was hoping I would, but I don't really have many bad things to say about the game
  49. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    9
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  50. JustSomeGamer
    Jun 27, 2017
    0
    pure cancer..........................................................................................
    100% luck.............................................................................................
  51. demonalter852
    Mar 16, 2017
    9
    This game is pretty amazing for a indie title. here are the pros and cons
    pros
    - rogue like elements
    -amazing and catchy music
    - excellent and difficult combat (p.s. you die, you die for good and you start from all of the way from the beginning)
    - variety of ways to customize your ship and your attack
    - fun story and side quests to do

    cons
    - i never rate games 10 out of 10
  52. hassall
    Dec 3, 2016
    9
    I really liked this game it was one of my favourite games of 2012.The thing i don't like about the game is each play it depends on luck but apart from that it is a masterpiece.
  53. Smatt--
    Nov 12, 2016
    9
    FTL: Faster Than Light, is the most fun game I've played this month, there's just some sort of charm to it. It has great replay value, this is because the amount of stuff you can unlock, and because you always want your current run through to beat the last, and you always want to do better. There's always something new to expect each run too.

    The game is highly addictive, the RPG    FTL: Faster Than Light, is the most fun game I've played this month, there's just some sort of charm to it. It has great replay value, this is because the amount of stuff you can unlock, and because you always want your current run through to beat the last, and you always want to do better. There's always something new to expect each run too.

    The game is highly addictive, the RPG elements are executed really well, but the difficulty curve does sneak up on you from time to time, even on easy mode.

    A must have for your collection. 9/10    … Expand
  54. Hassaleh
    Oct 14, 2016
    9
    The game that introduced me to the joy of rogue-like games and still the best of the genre that I have ever played. Every time I jump back into this game I discover something new, a new combination of weapons and technology, a new cool way to defeat your foes and save the galaxy. Most of my playthroughs I die before the final boss but that's what draws you back into the game again andThe game that introduced me to the joy of rogue-like games and still the best of the genre that I have ever played. Every time I jump back into this game I discover something new, a new combination of weapons and technology, a new cool way to defeat your foes and save the galaxy. Most of my playthroughs I die before the final boss but that's what draws you back into the game again and again, until you finally beat the thing, giving you an amazing feeling of pride and satisfaction. You should really try it, it's great!… Expand
  55. Sn0r
    Oct 5, 2016
    8
    It will keep you very entertained for a short amount of time. Although they literaly do everything to maintain replayability, for me that didn't work out too well. You soon get a hang of how your "decisions" influence the game. In most cases your decisions are just "fight" or "don't fight" hidden behind a neat flavor text.
    You still get a good value for the price and I am definetely    It will keep you very entertained for a short amount of time. Although they literaly do everything to maintain replayability, for me that didn't work out too well. You soon get a hang of how your "decisions" influence the game. In most cases your decisions are just "fight" or "don't fight" hidden behind a neat flavor text.
    You still get a good value for the price and I am definetely looking forward to second part or any expensions of FTL.    … Expand
  56. chars1991
    Jul 22, 2016
    7
    Any game dubbed 'rogue-like' should be expected to be more like morbid Dark Souls series where trial and error is the norm, rather than the minecraft or pokemon series in which you're treated with velvet gloves all the way to the bosses. And FTL is no exception, with its capricious random factor and its overpowered final bosses with literally all kinds of weaponry and 'cheats' to boot. AAny game dubbed 'rogue-like' should be expected to be more like morbid Dark Souls series where trial and error is the norm, rather than the minecraft or pokemon series in which you're treated with velvet gloves all the way to the bosses. And FTL is no exception, with its capricious random factor and its overpowered final bosses with literally all kinds of weaponry and 'cheats' to boot. A hair-pulling, gut-wrenching, madness-inducing, FTL is an engaging, addictive strategy game with one heck of a soundtrack, albeit a tad tampered by its lack of depth and its frustrating gameplay even on easy mode. Causal gamers be warned: buyers' remorse is a common symptom after purchasing FTL, be sure to consult your physicians before use.

    Notable features:
    1. Length of gameplay: it's neither too long nor short for a strategy game, with one round lasting 3 hours at most. Critics largely lashed out at the constant chase by the rebels throughout the game, but without the overarching threat of being caught up by the rebels would render the gameplay stale, its pace ground to a halt. Grinding for scraps and weapons WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT is a thrilling experience essential and indispensable to the game, without which FTL would just turn into another grind-it-until-you-make-it game like all the other mainstream games.

    2. Difficulty: That said, the same argument cannot be made for the random factor that is another glorified feature of the game. There is no lack of reviews here that lambasted the luck factor at play in the game. Sometimes it works in your favor (random drops of weapons or drones at certain nodes); but mostly it works against your game plan in a myriad of ways (the harrowing Giant alien spiders, the mantis boarding events, etc.) It reminds me of Mike Tyson's famous words: Everyone has a plan until they got hit in the face. Ocassionally, regardless of how well-planned you seem to be, an ill-fated jump to a troubling node, a gamble gone totally awry in some events, or simply an enemy so well-equipped that can crippled your systems and wreak havoc on your ship before you can jump away, can send all those so-called game plans into oblivion. While it's desirably challenging at times, the learning curve of this game can be so steep that it can be off-putting to a lot of gamers. Worse of all, FTL needs some serious balancing in terms of the ship systems, notably Cloaking. It is arguably the most critical system in deciding the outcome of the game. Your chances of surviving the last boss are greatly enhanced once you have cloaking installed. And that stifles the strategic element of the game if only because it turns the game into saving enough scraps for certain game-breaking systems or weapons, which is too under the heavy influence(or interference) of the random factor. Simply put, the slot-machine feature and the masochistic difficulty of the game are what alienate most of the gamers.

    FTL also suffers from its repetitive game play. The game started to get monotonous after beating the boss several times. The lack of interaction with other ships, be they friendly or hostile, other than the one you are fighting against during the battle stage is appalling. It appears that the game developers can't think of anything to add into the game play other than just TWO ships battling out at every node. How about three-way battles in which three ships are hostile against each other, and you have to decide, during not before the battle stage, which one to shoot down. Sounds familiar? Because there's indeed such an event in the game (the conflict between mantis and zoltans, slugs and pirates), and developers can seem to flesh out their events enough to diversify the game play - a glaring and disappointing omission from FTL.

    3. Soundtrack by Ben Prunty: one of the bright spots of the entire game. Mostly suspenseful, at times adrenaline-pumping, Ben's soundtracks do not just complement the game, they elevate the gameplay. The battle scores are the spiced-up of the navigation ones. Be sure to check out the new Lanius music.

    Overall, an thoroughly engaging game with a sliver of strategic elements and a tinge of Star-trek-like adventurous suspense, albeit marred by the repetitive, monotone game play and its notorious, almost condescending difficulty. An injection of a more diverse game play(three way battles, missions, personnel escort or protection during enemy boarding, all of them during the battle stage I must stress, you name it) is sorely needed for anyone to be investing anything up to four days into this game.    … Expand
  57. meltdownmonk
    Jul 15, 2016
    9
    Well designed game that gets better with each play through. You will die many many times before winning, but each experience helps you understand better strategies for survival. Mastering different weapon combinations, learning the best timing for spending your money (known as Scrap), customizing and unlocking content make this game fun, not to mention you are micromanaging a shipWell designed game that gets better with each play through. You will die many many times before winning, but each experience helps you understand better strategies for survival. Mastering different weapon combinations, learning the best timing for spending your money (known as Scrap), customizing and unlocking content make this game fun, not to mention you are micromanaging a ship travelling through space!!! I kept thinking I was on the USS Enterprise - I would imaging yelling : divert all power from shields to the weapons, or the engines... target their oxygen systems... etc., etc. Very addictive. Although it is random, once you play enough you start to see some patterns, or know certain things to expect. Failing is just as interesting as succeeding.… Expand
  58. tbst
    Apr 29, 2016
    10
    The game is amazing. So much fun.. quite difficult, steep learning curve.
    Sometimes it just screws you because of, but that's the way she goes sometimes. Great replay value.
  59. yosa1
    Mar 29, 2016
    3
    I played the original and liked it well enough for all its flaws. I figured I'd try this enhanced edition though, my line of thought being there would be some real improvements; there were, but not enough to make me like it.

    Aside from the labels it has been given, it is a progressive turn based side scroll styled game, there is some choice in the form of left or right path though they    I played the original and liked it well enough for all its flaws. I figured I'd try this enhanced edition though, my line of thought being there would be some real improvements; there were, but not enough to make me like it.

    Aside from the labels it has been given, it is a progressive turn based side scroll styled game, there is some choice in the form of left or right path though they could be randomly good or bad, very limited and any encounter is going to be an rng nightmare.

    This is one overrated game, its a snakes and ladders with some stats.    … Expand
  60. Skyleaf
    Feb 27, 2016
    10
    One of favorite games of all times! Am absolute masterpiece in which personal skill can overcome (almost) any challenge! Atmospheric, great combat, interesting progression, enough randomness to keep things interesting for many many hours (I played for far over 100 hours). Don't give up just because you died a few times, the more you learn the more fun you will have! If you even areOne of favorite games of all times! Am absolute masterpiece in which personal skill can overcome (almost) any challenge! Atmospheric, great combat, interesting progression, enough randomness to keep things interesting for many many hours (I played for far over 100 hours). Don't give up just because you died a few times, the more you learn the more fun you will have! If you even are remotely interested in a challenging but fun game, pick this up. Critic reviews for this game are btw. not representative of the final product, many sites used outdated reviewing system which had to attribute the games "retro" graphics to a lower score thus impacting (unrightfully so) the score negatively (e.g. Gamestars review). Also all the negative user reviews complaining about luck (RNG): honestly if your good at the game, you will most likely win 90% of your runs, no matter the starting conditions. Bad decision making (like also in many other games, like league of legends etc.) will cost you the game even though you "feel" you did the "right" thing, but it actually was just because you made a wrong decision without thinking much.… Expand
  61. Darius_84
    Feb 24, 2016
    0
    This game sucks. Basically it's all about luck, no strategy nor skill is involved. Even on sale spare you this pain and use your money for something else... Anything else would be better, thrust me.
    Avoid this crap at all cost
  62. Unospazmatic
    Jan 21, 2016
    0
    Game is based purely on luck. I have spent too long just reading guides to make a ship viable for system 5 let alone come close to even beating the game. Save yourself some time and trouble and avoid this one.

    Basically you have to treat this like any other crap tier roguelike and if you don't get a perfect run in the first system(take too much damage, don't find the right weapons, make    Game is based purely on luck. I have spent too long just reading guides to make a ship viable for system 5 let alone come close to even beating the game. Save yourself some time and trouble and avoid this one.

    Basically you have to treat this like any other crap tier roguelike and if you don't get a perfect run in the first system(take too much damage, don't find the right weapons, make 1 wrong decision) you need to restart. Basically you have to streamline every possible combination and then have super good luck or restart until that happens.

    If there were some way to actually customize your load out before starting the game or not making certain pieces of equipment a requirement to proceed then the game might be enjoyable, as it stands now its the "space cookie cutter ship with the identical build to everyone else is the only way to proceed" game and is not fun at all.    … Expand
  63. TinyDetails
    Jan 2, 2016
    10
    Also, in addition to my previous rating (which was high because this is a good and playable game) I'd like to note that I've played this game for several months in my free time, and that it's fun and playable throughout the entire time. This makes sense, since I consider myself to be pretty good at the game, and I hardly ever die, and almost never at the beginning of the game. Give thisAlso, in addition to my previous rating (which was high because this is a good and playable game) I'd like to note that I've played this game for several months in my free time, and that it's fun and playable throughout the entire time. This makes sense, since I consider myself to be pretty good at the game, and I hardly ever die, and almost never at the beginning of the game. Give this game some time and think about it, and it'll be fun and definitely doable.… Expand
  64. Kopter
    Oct 23, 2015
    8
    Llevar el control total de tu propia nave espacial, sin saber que te deparará el próximo destino ¿bandidos? ¿ayuda? ¿nuevas armas?¿Un enemigo capaz de volarte y tener que salir por patas? Todo esto, aunque sea en 2D y con unos gráficos "malos" Hace que te enganche. Un grandísimo juego que poco bombo se le ha dado.
  65. sealedinterface
    Sep 11, 2015
    4
    I don't have a lot of experience with difficult games, since I'm mostly a casual gamer. I was looking forward to the "space simulator" part of this game; managing a spaceship seemed quite appealing. Instead, the game puts far more emphasis on the "roguelike" part of this game. In order to do well in this game, you have to know exactly what to do in every situation, have the skill to do so,I don't have a lot of experience with difficult games, since I'm mostly a casual gamer. I was looking forward to the "space simulator" part of this game; managing a spaceship seemed quite appealing. Instead, the game puts far more emphasis on the "roguelike" part of this game. In order to do well in this game, you have to know exactly what to do in every situation, have the skill to do so, and of course befriend the forever hostile RNG. If anything goes wrong, you're doomed to die, and you lose all the progress in your entire game.

    The tutorial gave a basic tour of the interface and showed me how combat works, and left me confident enough to start an "easy" game. Little did I know that "easy", "normal", and "hard" translated to "hard", "harder", and "hardest". Just a couple of jumps in, the rebel fleet has already taken control of the start location, my pilot gets trampled to death by tiny blue horses, and I get blown up by the first enemy I run into because I can't penetrate its shields.

    I'm very much regretting buying this game, and I would recommend NOT to get it unless you're prepared for an extremely difficult and frustrating game.    … Expand
  66. Chickendoodles
    Aug 27, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is wonderful! A lot of people say that there is a lot of randomness to the game, but truly there isn't. There comes a point where you get skilled enough to take down the final boss on any ship, you just need to make sure to use the ships potential to the max. On Normal that is a different story where you do need a bit more luck on your side but honestly, if this was reality, it would still be the same concept. It is your one ship against the entire rebel fleet until you reach the final sector. I'd say the odds would be way against you for most of the journey. Randomness plays little factor in winning. However if you want to get a lot of the secret end game ships such as the crystal ship or weapons, then yes there is a lot of randomness behind that. But besides that the game has a lot of choices for you to make based on how you want to play and react. Throughout the game as well, if you have a diverse crew and well upgraded ship, it allows you to have more options when making your choices. Do you risk your crew to save an infested colony? Well if you have a robotic crew member he'd be immune and be able to help. What about saving the crew on a burning ship about to explode? If you have advanced teleport system you can just TP them to your ship without risking anyone's life. !--Watch out a space mine is trying to attach to your ship! Can you avoid it in time?! Well if your engines are upgraded enough, you have a better chance of avoiding it. It has so many ups and downs as well as so many choices and options to choose from the more you play. Will you lose? Most definitely, but the adventure you have out-weighs the frustrations of losing and is worth every cent and minute put into it.

    Also, if you get bored with the vanilla version of the game, YOU CAN MOD IT! Add new ships, Species of crew, weapons, sectors, situations, You name it! There is so much you can do with this game it's just wonderful    … Expand
  67. the_Slugman
    Aug 24, 2015
    10
    FTL manages to immerse you in a new story every single time that you fly out in a shiny new ship. As you might have surmised from the other reviews, you will die in a fiery space explosion, your crew will suffocate to death, they'll be eaten by giant mutant space spiders, they'll be beaten to death by giant rock aliens or mantises, you'll fly too close to a sun and burn up, a virus willFTL manages to immerse you in a new story every single time that you fly out in a shiny new ship. As you might have surmised from the other reviews, you will die in a fiery space explosion, your crew will suffocate to death, they'll be eaten by giant mutant space spiders, they'll be beaten to death by giant rock aliens or mantises, you'll fly too close to a sun and burn up, a virus will devastate your crew, etc. etc. etc. more time than you can count. FTL is brutally hard, and that's where it's beauty lies.

    Your crew members and ship upgrade individually and you'll be heartbroken each time a beloved slugman, human, or android is sucked into the cold abyss. In terms of setting, few games manage to create as intricate, random, and volatile a universe as FTL does. The tactical sacrifices you'll be forced to make while playing this game will make you cringe and curse your opponents, giving you all the more reason to persevere and destroy the rebel forces once and for all.

    The actual fighting of this game is so complex it deserves it's own wikipedia page. The strengths, weaknesses, and intricacies of each weapon, ship upgrade, character trait, and system must be studied carefully (as well as those of your opponents). The need to balance your ship's power between your weapons, shield, and other subsystems is quite possibly the most genius game mechanic of all time. You never know what you'll run into with your next FTL jump so you'll be taking a gamble with every bit of scrap you spend to upgrade your shields instead of fixing your hull or hiring a new crew member or purchasing a new beam drone. The game is intelligent, difficult, and completely engrossing. On top of all of this, the boss is a serious feat and, once finally vanquished, will make you want to write all of your friends and family to tell them of your greatest life achievement.

    Get this game on PC or iPad (PC is obviously better but it's probably the best iPad game out there) and you're making an investment in your future – I'm convinced my IQ went up by 20 points after figuring this gem out.    … Expand
  68. Rednetter
    Aug 18, 2015
    9
    A small game, but well worth the $10 price tag. It's simply fun to play! The game might be quite simple in terms of graphics and game design, but it is so well balanced and solidly programmed that it is enjoyable to play. It also seems to get the balance right between being simple enough to play casually, like an arcade game, while also requiring just enough strategic thought andA small game, but well worth the $10 price tag. It's simply fun to play! The game might be quite simple in terms of graphics and game design, but it is so well balanced and solidly programmed that it is enjoyable to play. It also seems to get the balance right between being simple enough to play casually, like an arcade game, while also requiring just enough strategic thought and concentration to keep you engaged. This makes it perfect when you want a low-key relaxing game.

    My only gripe is the lack of control one has in getting some of the special missions - it can require many plathroughs of the same ship just to get the chance to complete some of the special quests that unlock new ships, which means you are stuck with tedious or give up.    … Expand
  69. IvoryFlux
    Jul 4, 2015
    9
    An amazing and challenging game! Put over 85 hours into FTL, and still play it from time to time. Micro-manage your ship into detail with the use of strategy to beat back the rebels!
  70. SanctuaryCat
    Jun 14, 2015
    9
    FTL is a wonderfully put together rogue-like where you captain a ship and cross sectors of space to defeat all in your path. Full of variety, character and intrigue, each game is a new story. Often insanely difficult and at times damn right brutal. My only criticism is the unlockables; the unlock criteria are too strict! I've only seen 3 ships so far in 24 hours play. Apart from that thisFTL is a wonderfully put together rogue-like where you captain a ship and cross sectors of space to defeat all in your path. Full of variety, character and intrigue, each game is a new story. Often insanely difficult and at times damn right brutal. My only criticism is the unlockables; the unlock criteria are too strict! I've only seen 3 ships so far in 24 hours play. Apart from that this game is flawless.… Expand
  71. The_Norwood
    May 18, 2015
    1
    A game that cheats like hell as its main feature. Unless you purify yourself every morning and enjoy cold showers, inserting nails into your scrotum, self-flagellation and such, then steer clear, it will just wind you up.
  72. dderpington126
    Apr 24, 2015
    10
    I've had this game for about 1.5 years. First off, the art style is really awesome. I love that you start out and you get to upgrade your ship. Overall this game is AMAZING. If you don't know if you want it, it's some of the best money I've ever spent.
  73. yoloswagins
    Apr 21, 2015
    5
    At first this game feels like the game every sci-fi fan has been waiting for; command your own ship, crew, power usage and more just like on your favorite movies/TV shows. The combat system is also fun and the game feels like a fresh new idea, at first.

    It's not surprising how this game has so many high scores(roughly 8, 9 and 10s) as this game is inviting and will quickly draw you in.    At first this game feels like the game every sci-fi fan has been waiting for; command your own ship, crew, power usage and more just like on your favorite movies/TV shows. The combat system is also fun and the game feels like a fresh new idea, at first.

    It's not surprising how this game has so many high scores(roughly 8, 9 and 10s) as this game is inviting and will quickly draw you in. However when the novelty begins to ware off, it's flaws become more and more noticeable.

    FTL is very repetitive and you will find yourself grinding your way through the game. The game almost forces you to grind because if you don't get good enough gear before advancing to the next sector you will probably be greatly outmatched. It doesn't help either that, once you beat the game a couple of times, you will begin to notice the random events happening repeatedly and get a bit bored of them. The different ship layouts do help add variety however it's disappointing that there isn't even the option to design your own ship in the vanilla game. Each ship has an advantage and a disadvantage at the beginning of the game which means your playstyle is already greatly determined from the start of the game which is out of your control.

    If you are the type of person that likes grinding, then FTL still has issues such as the dependence on the randomness of the game. For example, the way you play the game is greatly effected by what gear you can find in stores and random events will punish you for no apparent reason e.g. an event goes something like this: "you find a mysterious capsule with a life form inside it. Open the capsule? ... Yes ... one of you crew members got killed by the life form" WTF what sort of incapable crew am I leading? Who the f*** would get themselves killed like this? If I was opening the capsule I would get the f*** out of there as soon as possible or at least get a machine or something to open it for me. Anyway the game is filled with these frustrating events but these 2 problems aren't the biggest problems. Possibly the biggest problem with the randomness is a mechanic called "dodge". This is blatantly bad game design. It is very hard to execute any strategy when there is a chance that the strategy won't work, not because the AI anticipated your strategy and adapted like it should be, but because the game thought "sorry if I let you do that, things would be too easy" so instead makes you repeatedly try the same timing over and over again until it finally works and by which time the enemy has somehow got really lucky and screwed you over. This is one of the things that prompts many people to adopt strategies that don't involve dodge such as teleporters, cloaking or ... teleporters which seems to be one of the only viable (but admittedly fun) real strategies. The reason the game developers probably put dodge into the game is to make things more interesting, basically to hide underdeveloped strategies.

    The AI in FTL is also very simplistic. It doesn't feel like you are fighting intelligent enemies which makes victories a bit hollow. You didn't win because you had more skill than the AI, you won because you had better gear/timing/luck (the AI is horrible at timing btw). Skill is a component in winning however it is too small of a factor in the game-play (think about videos you have watched about FTL, do you see any unique play-styles that can be used to beat a heavily stronger opponent? not really, everyone seems to play in an almost identical way imo). Because of the simple AI, enemy ships are buffed to greatly out-stat your own ship (e.g. the flagship). Unfortunately some of the only ways to beat the flagship are exploits that don't even make sense (e.g. killing everyone but one person because any captain of a star ship would obviously do that).

    To conclude, FTL is worth the buy because of how cheap it is but don't expect anything spectacular out of this game.    … Expand
  74. CoSm1c_gAm3r
    Apr 6, 2015
    4
    At first try that game was annoying to me because player spend hour or more and then he is killed and every progress is lost. This is high score based game and not discovery/explore and for me that is very bad thing to make for game that may take long time to play. High score based games in majority are very short games so when high score system is put into game that can take more than 2At first try that game was annoying to me because player spend hour or more and then he is killed and every progress is lost. This is high score based game and not discovery/explore and for me that is very bad thing to make for game that may take long time to play. High score based games in majority are very short games so when high score system is put into game that can take more than 2 hours of gameplay then it is very frustrating and I personally hate this solution in this game that could be fun game if punishment would not be perma death. Yes I cheated and I copied save file to make myself safe :) Otherwise I would get mad and throw my computer out of my window :D That way at least I could hold my temper at bay :]

    So that degraded score the most. Rest is fun to play piece of game

    If someone is annoyed by this here is tip. After quiting game go into profile folder in my documents and my games. Find "continue" file and copy it somewhere. Like into created folder. Then if you want to save just quit+save. Go into that folder, copy "continue" somewhere so if you die go to that folder and copy it to original place. Repeat that every time you want to save. That way it can be less annoying for you if you cannot stand IRON MODE in games. I mean I personally very much like idea of iron man but here it is forced on every player! Because main point of this game is only to get better high score every time and nothing more. My first score was 0 for this game because it made me mad but after some time with it it can be fun for some time and it can be time killer if you have some time to kill and want to do it with fun :)    … Expand
  75. marc5477
    Apr 4, 2015
    2
    Insanely overrated. Its basically a casino game where you get lucky and get the items you need or you simply dont and there isnt a thing you can do about it. For example, i had a run where I did not find a single weapon (aside from starter weapons) anywhere and died in the 4th system... not fun. In another quickie run, the very 1st fight had me go up against a shielded missile shootingInsanely overrated. Its basically a casino game where you get lucky and get the items you need or you simply dont and there isnt a thing you can do about it. For example, i had a run where I did not find a single weapon (aside from starter weapons) anywhere and died in the 4th system... not fun. In another quickie run, the very 1st fight had me go up against a shielded missile shooting ship and as you might have guessed, I missed my 1st 4 salvos and he hit me every time, disabled my weapons, started fires and I simply couldnt do anything and lost on the 1st encounter (lol). In another run, i got to the end boss, but the only weapons I had were very slow (vulcan, starter stuff, and beams), somehow I reached the 3rd stage only to get get slammed on every surge with laser attacks that... as you might have guessed, took out my guns every time. Again, nothing I can do, it lasted 5 minutes but I could never peal his shield and he just whittled me down with his cheap surge (albeit I took out all the landing parties).

    Its just a rng based game... ive won several time (its easy if you get the items you need) but its just pure luck. There is little to no skill needed aside from timing firing salvos (something a 1st grader can figure out).

    The game is overhyped. It reminds me a lot of gem quest many years ago (around 10 years ago). It was all luck too and was the talk of the town but now no one even remembers that game. The same will happen here. It needs more depth and more strategy.    … Expand
  76. kloplos
    Mar 24, 2015
    9
    It's an extremely replayable indie space adventure game with roguelike elements. It can be difficult at times. The challeges you face and the decisions you make will ultimately decide whether you'll make it to the end or not. However, it's this very difficulty that makes completing the game very satisfying.
  77. SigilFey
    Mar 15, 2015
    10
    It's awesome wrapped in fried awesome with awesome sauce and a side of buttered awesome.

    Truly, this is a game that has never been done before. It blends strategic/tactical starship combat, time management, RTS, role-playing, and an interactive novel together in a roguelike experience. The game is bleepin' hard! And that's the point. Expect to lose about 20 times for every 1 time    It's awesome wrapped in fried awesome with awesome sauce and a side of buttered awesome.

    Truly, this is a game that has never been done before. It blends strategic/tactical starship combat, time management, RTS, role-playing, and an interactive novel together in a roguelike experience.

    The game is bleepin' hard! And that's the point. Expect to lose about 20 times for every 1 time you (almost...!) win.

    >;D

    ROGUELIKE, baby!!!

    In all seriousness, the game's mechanics blend together masterfully to offer the player complete control over what is very often a hopeless scenario. The whole point of a roguelike is to offer the player about the same chance of winning the game as being hit by lightning. (Granted, FTL's "Easy" mode is really that, and most games set to Easy can at least be played into the final stages...once you know what you're doing.)

    What I cannot praise enough is the level of gameplay you get even if you do lose. Many roguelikes can put you in a bad spot within 10 minutes of beginning a new character. And a "bad spot" in a roguelike usually means instant death by laceration, impalement, incineration, bludgeoning, infection, curse, malfunction, hallucination, insanity, implosion...or a pleasant mixture of them all. FTL allows for a level of player skill that actually affects your ability to succeed. It's not all, or even mostly, up to the RNG. Players will actually begin to get the idea of what they need to survive and can pursue it. In worst-case scenarios, I know I'm dead long before my ship actually blows.

    Controls, interface, and graphics are simple, clear, and I would not alter them in any way. Text scenarios are quick, interesting, and the number of variables that may appear based on your ship's systems, crew, weapons, etc. keep them from becoming old-hat on subsequent playthroughs. Ship designs are widely varied with many strengths and weaknesses, and the only game I can think of that matches the options you are given, moment-to-moment, during combat is Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates.

    Does the game have it's flaws? Yes.

    Is it occasionally very cheap in its reward/punishment randomization? Yes.

    Is the last mission an exercise in frustration with virtually no chance of success? Yes.

    That...is it's magic. Expect to lose. I'll put it this way: I didn't jump up out of my chair, raise two fists above my head, and proceed to do the butt dance when I beat Skyrim. (Oddly enough, my girlfriend didn't stare at me concernedly for two days after I beat Skyrim, either.)

    Play. This. Game.    … Expand
  78. 350gamesSince94
    Feb 27, 2015
    9
    FTL is an enjoyable Tactical simulation that shows young indie game designers of the future that there is still a huge amount of forgotten game mechanics that people are starving for these days. This game has amazing loyal developers who are willing to add more content even after release to maintain its gleaming fine polished indie game art style. Considering this game went beyondFTL is an enjoyable Tactical simulation that shows young indie game designers of the future that there is still a huge amount of forgotten game mechanics that people are starving for these days. This game has amazing loyal developers who are willing to add more content even after release to maintain its gleaming fine polished indie game art style. Considering this game went beyond recycling an older idea and enhancing it with an on board crew mechanic made it worth the money and time I had spent on it.

    Its only real weak points are that the seemly random generated are pretty much similar in the sense that I know the best case scenario and the worst case scenario. The blue options are in my opinion an appropriate measure to give players a better chance by having the right ship modules and weapons at the right time, but not enough to completely eliminate the fact that some items are a must have in order to stand a chance in the 8th Sector. The mod teams and mod support are the go-to sort of people to fix the most of the problems, but why couldn't the Dev's give a little more variety then get to world 8 and kill the rebel fleet boss.
    Everything else seemed almost flawless with the game design with the oxygen system I had only found in very few games and the crew boarding just makes the game feel exciting when on the offense and devastating on the defense. Then the game offers even more than the typical "blow up the the space ship" by providing legit opportunities and benefits to some surrendering ships who want to live. Most of the time I find myself blowing them up for scrap so I can upgrade but often intrigued by the offers they make.
    This is an absolutely positively must own this on your phone if you have one, and is well worth the price it charges. I could even compare these mechanics to my favorite games I ever played list and that on itself made me having second thoughts on whether I should give this an 8 or a 9 despite it having a slight issue with crude random map generation that could be expanded on vastly. Then again the developers even spoiled us further with FREE new content instead of a ridiculously stupid DLC that I want to see gone forever. It would of been a ten if the game was perfect and I have yet to see that perfect game yet, so this is possibly the highest I ever scored a game anyways.    … Expand
  79. iamnaten7
    Feb 4, 2015
    10
    FTL: Faster Than Light is greet and well-made tactical masterpiece. It's difficulty is extreme; I've started on normal and played for a while yet still can't beat it. I would definitely recommend to people willing to spend time in a strong, tough gaming experience. However, don't expect to play casually.
  80. chernenko_e
    Jan 22, 2015
    10
    The game is perfect. Great art and mechanics and tactics and sound and... well... everything. Good job. I look forward to the sequel. People who gave FTL "twos" and "threes" will definitely die in painful and monstrous way.
  81. overkoell
    Jan 12, 2015
    10
    Great sound, great look, great Game!

    FTL is challenging, yet fair (mostly). One play trough takes around 1 - 2 hours. Yet you will want to play it over and over again because of the different ships, crew and systems. Every Ship has its individual strengths and weaknesses and offers a different experience because it forces you to adept. The visuals are just great and definitely work    Great sound, great look, great Game!

    FTL is challenging, yet fair (mostly). One play trough takes around 1 - 2 hours. Yet you will want to play it over and over again because of the different ships, crew and systems. Every Ship has its individual strengths and weaknesses and offers a different experience because it forces you to adept.

    The visuals are just great and definitely work great in the game.
    The sound alone is worth the price of the game and is the best sound i ever heard in an indie game.

    One of the best Indie Games out there and maybe THE best rogue-like.
    You will not regret buying this gem - promised.    … Expand
  82. deweee
    Jan 1, 2015
    3
    Are you ready for a "literally" unbeatable enemy which spawns randomly in your journey when you think you are going really well which destroys you in 3 seconds even though you are with full crew? No, you aren't.

    This games presentation, playability is so good but I have to give it a low score because of its retarded difficulty system. If you are a lifeless moron who can take the    Are you ready for a "literally" unbeatable enemy which spawns randomly in your journey when you think you are going really well which destroys you in 3 seconds even though you are with full crew? No, you aren't.

    This games presentation, playability is so good but I have to give it a low score because of its retarded difficulty system. If you are a lifeless moron who can take the developers mocking which drives you to restart over and over again for no reason, go play it in endless cycles to finish the game. If you want to see your investments in game turn out to a good game play, don't play this game. The difficulty system is really retarded. Whenever when you are beaten (10-15 mins in easy mode, tops) your game will be RESTARTED! I mean, restarted. All the progress of yours are gone, probably multiple times in your gameplay.    … Expand
  83. B3AR
    Dec 30, 2014
    8
    FTL: Faster Than Light is a truly incredible game. When I bought it, in the almighty Steam Winter Sale, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know much of anything about the game and was really taking a shot in the dark buying it. I am glad to say that it really paid off.

    FTL is a game in which you control a small spaceship delivering highly important goods across the galaxy. The    FTL: Faster Than Light is a truly incredible game. When I bought it, in the almighty Steam Winter Sale, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know much of anything about the game and was really taking a shot in the dark buying it. I am glad to say that it really paid off.

    FTL is a game in which you control a small spaceship delivering highly important goods across the galaxy. The Kestrel is the name of your ship- however it is re-nameable- and it has three workers by default, an engine worker, a pilot and a weapons specialist, again all of whom are re-nameable- as you progress through the game, they become more skilled at whatever it is that you have them working away at and learn to repair their specialist object/area faster if, inevitably, damaged.

    As you slowly traverse through each sector of the galaxy, you are constantly bombarded by hostile alien ships, lost travellers and many other beings/unmanned ships. You also occasionally come across distress call or shop. The distress calls often give you the choice to help a ship out or not, and the shop allows you to buy new crew members, weapons, ammunition, repair your ships hull or even sell unwanted items.

    Overall, it is a massively addictive game, and after having studied it for just a short while, I can see why it has a lower Metascore than I previously expected. You see, FTL is not a game that you can easily pick up and instantly beat on normal difficulty after just a few attempts, I am yet to get further than the third sector on easy mode and even then I think I just got lucky. Some people strongly dislike games like this, others love them. If you're a fan of challenging games, Science-Fiction or are not sure about it, then I'd recommend that you pick it up. (£7 on steam, can be picked up on sale for roughly £1.50-£2.50). However, I'm only going to give FTL an 8(I would give it an 8.4 but I don't have that option) because even though it is a fantastic game, there is room for improvement. I would love it if it had Steam Workshop support so that the community can share their ships, and I would also like it if there was an easier and more difficult difficulty setting. The easy mode can be tedious for new players to get used to and I can only imagine that the hard mode gets boring for more experienced players.

    Thanks for reading.    … Expand
  84. dragon496000
    Dec 10, 2014
    9
    This game is amazing, if you want to travel around in space, trying to rid the universe of rebels. You will fight human size mantises, rock creatures, and more. The areas you will travel are randomized, meaning unlocking some ships will be difficult. Luck is involved, but you will be fine getting enough scrap (currency) to upgrade your ship. Steam says I have been playing for 16 hours, andThis game is amazing, if you want to travel around in space, trying to rid the universe of rebels. You will fight human size mantises, rock creatures, and more. The areas you will travel are randomized, meaning unlocking some ships will be difficult. Luck is involved, but you will be fine getting enough scrap (currency) to upgrade your ship. Steam says I have been playing for 16 hours, and it's still fun.… Expand
  85. juanval
    Dec 6, 2014
    10
    Faster than light is the example of a perfect Rogue-Like game. It´s simple but very addictive. Combat is great and intense, it has a high quality music. Management of your ship (weapons, shields, crew) is perfect. Events are well written and interesting. It's well balanced and bug free. A perfect game for people who like short games.
    I've been playing this game and its last update for 2    Faster than light is the example of a perfect Rogue-Like game. It´s simple but very addictive. Combat is great and intense, it has a high quality music. Management of your ship (weapons, shields, crew) is perfect. Events are well written and interesting. It's well balanced and bug free. A perfect game for people who like short games.
    I've been playing this game and its last update for 2 years and I continue having a lot of fun with it. Another gem from kickstarter.    … Expand
  86. lunavixen
    Nov 23, 2014
    10
    A well polished space rogue-like that has excellent replay value and the new content in the Advanced Edition update makes this game well worth your money.

    The difficulty scales up as you go through the game, ending with a challenging and fulfilling boss fight. You have to prepare your ship and crew or you're not going to make it. Its top down presentation and pixelly graphics don't    A well polished space rogue-like that has excellent replay value and the new content in the Advanced Edition update makes this game well worth your money.

    The difficulty scales up as you go through the game, ending with a challenging and fulfilling boss fight. You have to prepare your ship and crew or you're not going to make it.

    Its top down presentation and pixelly graphics don't detract from the game, they're actually rather suitable, as most of the story in each playthrough is told via text boxes, and your decisions carry weight for you and your ship, do you try and help a colony but lose a crew member in the process? Can you synthesise a cure? Or do you leave them to their fate?

    Single playthroughs of the game are short (approxmiately an hour depending on your play style, RNG luck and skill level) but the game can sucker you in to try again and again just to beat that boss/enemy.    … Expand
  87. bigsilverhotdog
    Nov 21, 2014
    9
    I originally wrote a very negative review of this game here upon release, and I still feel today that the review was both accurate and well deserved. At release this game was a tease -- offering promise but not delivering on any of it. Maddeningly simple combat mechanics, limited RNG for everything especially encounters, narrow options for progression and unlocking, and little freedom ofI originally wrote a very negative review of this game here upon release, and I still feel today that the review was both accurate and well deserved. At release this game was a tease -- offering promise but not delivering on any of it. Maddeningly simple combat mechanics, limited RNG for everything especially encounters, narrow options for progression and unlocking, and little freedom of strategic gameplay if you wanted any measure of success in the late game made it a huge headache for a lot of old pc gamers like myself. We wanted to love it -- we simply could not.

    Time has addressed most of my complaints, and I definitely love FTL today. Or perhaps to be more precise: Patches, the Advanced Edition version of the game, the Captain's Edition mod, Captain's Edition's addons, and several other key mods have addressed most of my complaints, and this combination is now what I love today -- not the game "FTL - Advanced Edition", but the gestalt that the community has created through modification. Finally, FINALLY, the game is what it should have been at release.

    First of all, FTL+AE+CE+mods is just randomly, spontaneously fun now, even when you fail, and without removing the rogue-like level of difficulty. The game is still very difficult, even incredibly so, but largely through strategy and choices rather than arbitrary "haha you died" RNG events that took no account of what had been done in that particular game up to that point. You can still get crippled or killed in RNG events, but they're MUCH less arbitrary and annoying than they were in the original release, and as you get stronger you will actually feel the power increase and be able to handle situations that previously you thought were impossible (and in the original game, 999 times out of 1000, WERE impossible).

    FTL+AE+CE is also more refined everywhere you look, with mistakes fixed, crashes addressed, and details improved, even moreso when you start piling on the mods. There are many more mods that I haven't even mentioned in this review (such as Better Planets and Backgrounds) that improve FTL tremendously, and you can (largely) mix and match the ones you want to get the experience that you want.

    Another important point: with mods the game now has a much more expansive universe, with a lot more to see, do, and discover. Now each new new game genuinely feels much more random, spontaneous, and alive. It took me over 3 complete playthroughs (that ended in winning the game -- a death is not a playthrough, and I had many of those) to actually see all of the RNG events. This is well over 200 hours of playtime alone, and I still haven't seen all the possible outcomes/choices, just the actual events themselves. The choices and strategic options you have now, from crew composition all the way down to roleplaying the metagame in RNG events, are so much more expanded that comparisons with the original game are hardly even valid anymore.

    In summary, the original release of FTL was promising, and with a lot of great ideas (and trance loops), it just wasn't a good game. FTL Advanced Edition + Captain's Edition + CE addons + your choice of further modding is INDEED the great game that FTL should have been. It's a pity that the mod community had to make FTL into a properly fun computer game, but I'm just glad that the community did it. If I could, I'd pay them instead of the developer, because they took something lacking structure, polish, features, depth, and overall quality, and made it simply fantastic. Thanks guys! You are one of the many reasons that PC will always be the #1 gaming platform.

    One last thing: Buy this game on GOG and support the DRM-free Revolution. I did.    … Expand
  88. Jpelda_CrazyCat
    Nov 3, 2014
    9
    Possibly the best space indie game in a long time, probably history. The game will challenge you, your nerves and logical thinking. After a few hours, the game can get a bit repetitive, but the it shows you something more and the fun is back. I saw, I played, I did not win yet, but I'll work on it. If you like space, strategies and rogue-lite challenging games, you shouldn't miss this one.
  89. jphung
    Nov 3, 2014
    7
    Soundtrack: The soundtrack in this game is quite fitting. It uses techno music to put forth a feeling of being in a spaceship. The music itself isn’t distracting and allows the player to immerse himself into the game. However, after a while the music does get quite repetitive. 7/10

    Gameplay: The gameplay for FTL is quite enjoyable as it allows the audience to feel like each decision    Soundtrack: The soundtrack in this game is quite fitting. It uses techno music to put forth a feeling of being in a spaceship. The music itself isn’t distracting and allows the player to immerse himself into the game. However, after a while the music does get quite repetitive. 7/10

    Gameplay: The gameplay for FTL is quite enjoyable as it allows the audience to feel like each decision matters. Each decision in the game comes with pros and cons and makes the player think about each decision they are about to make. Do I send in my crewmembers to help out another crew ship and risk them dying or do I go the safe route and get no reward though? Each decision matters in this game and eventually starts to stack up on the final stage of the game. However, the RNG (Random Number Generator) in this game can screw the player over without notice. Sometimes the game will produce scenarios where it is a lose lose situation over and over again until the player loses. Although this is rare within the game it is still very frustrating to deal with. Overall the gameplay is 8/10.
    Storyline: The storyline in the game is not very long, but is sufficient enough to portray what the game is trying to sell you. In the end though the games storyline feels irrelevant after a couple play through and is quite repetitive. 6/10

    Graphics: Graphics in this game are highly pixelated, but this does not take away from the game nor does it add depth. This time graphic section is N/A.    … Expand
  90. jcasetnl
    Oct 26, 2014
    7
    At first I really hated this game. It seems really straightforward (as far as tactics/strategy), and yet random and unfair. The tutorial is extremely basic and doesn't really prepare you for how to play.

    The biggest omission is that while the game happens in real-time, you can pause everything and coordinate multiple actions, and then un-pause to set them in motion. In fact, it's    At first I really hated this game. It seems really straightforward (as far as tactics/strategy), and yet random and unfair. The tutorial is extremely basic and doesn't really prepare you for how to play.

    The biggest omission is that while the game happens in real-time, you can pause everything and coordinate multiple actions, and then un-pause to set them in motion. In fact, it's absolutely critical that you do. It's sort of a combination of real-time and turn-based.

    You can play the game real-time but eventually it will throw a situation with four or five things going on and you'll get rolled. You're meant to pause everything, figure out the best counter-moves and then set everything in motion. Once you "get it", the game isn't nearly so frustrating.    … Expand
  91. whave
    Oct 4, 2014
    10
    First of all, addressing the complaining (most likely) younger generation gamers: no, I haven't only played the game for 2-3 hours. I put 120+ in, and still counting. This game is what I've been waiting for, and I didn't even know it. Reminds me of the golden age (which means the '90s for me) in terms of difficulty, atmosphere and replay value. Of course if you grew up on Halo, CoD and theFirst of all, addressing the complaining (most likely) younger generation gamers: no, I haven't only played the game for 2-3 hours. I put 120+ in, and still counting. This game is what I've been waiting for, and I didn't even know it. Reminds me of the golden age (which means the '90s for me) in terms of difficulty, atmosphere and replay value. Of course if you grew up on Halo, CoD and the likes, you won't value it. If you're a save-load-abusing kid, you won't value it. Yes, this game is not for everyone. But crying for the difficulty? Go and play your twelve-a-dozen railshooters which give you an achievment for shooting your weapon the first time.

    p.s. forgot to mention the AMAZING soundtrack. Ever noticed games these days don't really have a memorable soundtrack? It's either some overused orchestral wannabe-epic background track, or just some ambient whooo-lookatme-im-event-activated foolishness.    … Expand
  92. Archimedesx
    Sep 12, 2014
    9
    FTL is the type of game that I felt a Star Trek type game should be, but never was. You have many alien races, engines, shields, weapons, teleporters, med bay, warp core systems and a crew working to maintain those systems or board enemy ships to try and complete your mission. Needless to say, it's very fun and the interface is designed very well. It's also very challenging as there areFTL is the type of game that I felt a Star Trek type game should be, but never was. You have many alien races, engines, shields, weapons, teleporters, med bay, warp core systems and a crew working to maintain those systems or board enemy ships to try and complete your mission. Needless to say, it's very fun and the interface is designed very well. It's also very challenging as there are many obstacles in your way of completing the mission. The weapon designs, species of aliens, and different systems you can install in your ship, and the many kinds of encounters make each play through unique, interesting, and challenging in it's own way.
    For the aesthetics of the game, the graphics are more like 8 or 16bit era quality, but they are very well done sprites with a sound track of AAA quality. The atmosphere, sound and music make it sound like you're really commanding a ship through the star systems.
    The only reason I have to give it a 9 out of 10 is because the game experience is limited to one overall mission, and I see lots of room for expanding upon this universe that simply doesn't get explored by the developers. A multiplayer option would be nice too. I don't give the game a lesser score because it is an indie game so less should be expected, and for what it tries to do, it does very very well. I'd play this over any of the stock Star Trek games any day and that says a lot about this games quality.    … Expand
  93. The_Game_Doctor
    Sep 4, 2014
    8
    Welcome to FTL. As a disclaimer, this game is not for everyone. This is a rogue-like game to the max. It takes a great mix of random and strategy, and throws it into the blender and hits puree.

    When you sit down to this game, it is difficult to know what to expect. I had heard great things about it for so long, but had been hesitant to try it for various reason. It looks simple. From    Welcome to FTL. As a disclaimer, this game is not for everyone. This is a rogue-like game to the max. It takes a great mix of random and strategy, and throws it into the blender and hits puree.

    When you sit down to this game, it is difficult to know what to expect. I had heard great things about it for so long, but had been hesitant to try it for various reason. It looks simple. From the top down, there isn't much to the game. Take a crew, fly around, don't get killed. Simple, right?

    The game is addicting for those who like it, but those who push through it past the first several hours are gluts for punishment. The game is difficult, nearly brutally so, and it comes almost completely from the random encounters/missions. The game could be readily described as "The Sci-Fi Experience" but in the same breath, it is unrelenting. Minute to learn, lifetime to master game. (Not that long but you get the point)

    The game, while random, does get repetitious after the initial "THIS IS THE BEST GAME EVER" shock. The game is an indie, yes, and for some reason that is a bad thing in today's mindset.

    Many people will get at least 10 hours out of this game. Those who actually enjoy it will get much more. The advanced edition definitely helped with expanding the universe.

    Those who take the time to enjoy the game for what it is, will find an experience worth enjoying. Those looking for a challenge, look no further. Those expecting 3D animation, engaging storyline and rich characters, look elsewhere.    … Expand
  94. drlowdon
    Aug 30, 2014
    7
    FTL: Faster than light tasks the player with running a space ship as you travel through uncharted space. Along the way randomised events, usually battles against other ships, occur which can often be quite a challenge to survive. Like most rouge-likes death is quite literally the end and should your ship be destroyed or crew killed you have no other option but to start over (and trust meFTL: Faster than light tasks the player with running a space ship as you travel through uncharted space. Along the way randomised events, usually battles against other ships, occur which can often be quite a challenge to survive. Like most rouge-likes death is quite literally the end and should your ship be destroyed or crew killed you have no other option but to start over (and trust me that will happen a lot!)

    What at first glance may seem to be quite a simple game soon reveals a fair amount of depth with all aspects of the ship from the crew, to the weapons to the shields needing to be managed and, when possible, upgraded. To be honest the random nature of events, combined with the perma-death, can be a little frustrating when you see hours of hard work quite literally going up in smoke but FTLs addictive gameplay will ensure most keep coming back for just one more try.    … Expand
  95. Alpacalypse
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    I'd like this to be formally renamed to FTL: **** than XCOM.
    Now that it's out of the way, let me explain why. The game is about 95% luck based. I think the only real skill is knowing when to restart because your luck ran out. I spent about 5 hours playing consecutively, and I only made it to the 8th sector once. Most of the time, it was because I would find a ship with 3 layer shields in    I'd like this to be formally renamed to FTL: **** than XCOM.
    Now that it's out of the way, let me explain why. The game is about 95% luck based. I think the only real skill is knowing when to restart because your luck ran out. I spent about 5 hours playing consecutively, and I only made it to the 8th sector once. Most of the time, it was because I would find a ship with 3 layer shields in the 1st sector, or all 3 of my crew would die in a single event, etc. Games like these need to understand that relying solely on luck make a game bad. You can have something like XCOM which incorporates luck into skill-based gameplay, but when your entire game is a living random number generator, you know you have a **** game. See: FTL. I wanted to like the game. Arguably, the most fun part is boarding. But, until you unlock ships that start with the capability of boarding enemy ships (Which can only be unlocked if you get LUCKY enough to find the sector the RANDOMLY placed event is in. Emphasis on the luck part. There is NO WAY that involves the slightest amount of skill or understanding of the game.), you have to be LUCKY enough to stumble across enough scrap, and then lucky enough to find a shopkeeper who will sell the teleporter bay, letting you board. Oh yeah, and you'll need to be lucky enough to find a suitable crew for boarding.
    If you couldn't tell my by obvious subtlety, let me give you a metaphor on how you win or lose. A computer rolls a 24 sided dice. If it lands on 20, you win. Anything else, you lose. If you try to roll the dice yourself for better odds, the computer burns your house down. If you're a person with a lot of luck, and you just won the lottery, go buy a car. Don't waste your time on this game. Even at 10 dollars, it was a pathetic waste of money.
    This is the constructive part of the review. The game has a nice way of telling you what happens, albeit a lazy one. You get a text box. But, the text box is charming, and less generic than the game is. So, 1/10. Other than that, dog **** Your entire experience is based around a random number generator. It's like if a game took the worst part of a strategy game, combined it with the worst part of an mmo (grinding), and then combined it with the worst part of Dungeons and Dragons (Random, uncontrollable outcomes), an then had it brained on the wall, you'd get FTL.
    Don't pick this game up. Ever. It's abysmal. And this is coming from someone who LOVED the luck-based part of XCOM. My only hope is that I'll be able to obtain a ship that lets me board from the beginning of the game (Because boarding yields more scrap, meaning more upgrades, meaning an easier time. It also triples the chance of recovering a ship augmentation, a potential crewmate, a weapon or a quest trigger), and until the unlocks are based less around throwing a dice at a speeding train, I'm not going to bother. Even the combat, the ONLY part that requires skill comes off as half-assed and generic. The starting ship has a gaping weakness to missiles, as enemy weapons charge 50% faster than yours, meaning they ALWAYS get off a first shot. If a missile hits your shields, it takes you 50% longer to repair it than the enemy ships, meaning that you might as well restart, because you're boned.
    TL:DR; A game that is only luck, with generic combat, and NO progressive rewards. So, nothing ever gets easier. There is no progression. There is no real plot. It's 3 words. "Run from rebels". There is no GAME. Just a number generator. And that is why FTL: Rapist's Delight is one of the worst "games" of the decade. It's definitely the worst strategy game.    … Expand
  96. Cinetyk
    Aug 15, 2014
    9
    TL;DR: the "de facto" best Star Trek style spaceship commander simulator, in a "rogue-light", addictive and challenging gameplay, with undeniable charm, an impressive atmosphere, and absolutely stunning soundtrack. Multiple ships, ship systems, weapons, crew races, expanded upon with the FREE Advanced Edition, provide a variety of play styles and endless replayability.

    In FTL you    TL;DR: the "de facto" best Star Trek style spaceship commander simulator, in a "rogue-light", addictive and challenging gameplay, with undeniable charm, an impressive atmosphere, and absolutely stunning soundtrack. Multiple ships, ship systems, weapons, crew races, expanded upon with the FREE Advanced Edition, provide a variety of play styles and endless replayability.

    In FTL you control a medium-sized spaceship and its crew carrying vital data to the Federation fleet. You are being pursued by the Rebel fleet and must stay ahead of it by doing FTL jumps between beacons of each sector and from sector to sector until you finally reach your main fleet. Problem is, it's an hostile universe out there, and you'll never know what you'll encounter on the next beacon...

    In the beginning you can pick between multiple ship types (that you unlock as you play), each with different crew compliments and systems that will make for different play styles. The meat of the game plays as a strategy real-time (pausable) "rogue-light", where you control your ship and crew from a top-down view, managing which crew member mans which system (engines, shields, weapons, helm, etc) for a better performance, when and how to fire weapons and also the allocation of power to each system. Crew members of different races have different bonus: one repair systems quicker, one provide extra power to the room they're in, one are excellent fighters, one are immune to fire, etc. You won't have power for everything, and also depending what systems/weapons you have and your crew type, you have to adapt and optimize your strategy and approach to your encounters.

    And you'll encounter a lot: other ships, some hostile, some friendly; there's even mini-quests and mini optional "story arcs" that you can go on. Not only that but also dangerous asteroid fields, nebulas that interfere with your shields and sensors, suns that burst out flares and set your ship on fire. The real-time battles, despite being pausable, are usually pretty tense. You'll mostly be trying to damage or disable enemy shields and damaging their systems, such as shields and weapons, until you destroy their ship. Or you can beam up a boarding party, kill everyone and take control of the ship, or you can bypass their shields by hurling missiles or beaming up bombs (limited supply of these), etc. Or you can just run for it if things are too hot. And the best thing is, the enemies can do the exact same things! Battles will damage your systems, breach your hull, ignite fires, and that's where you'll need your best managing skills to keep things under control on the heat of battle. Sometimes things just happen too fast, you were not prepared, and you're blown into oblivion and have to start from the beginning. It's an unforgiving universe... After each battle you win, you can get random upgrades but you'll mostly accumulate scrap, which can be used to upgrade your ship's system and go to stores to buy consumables (like jump fuel and missiles) or weapons and systems; or even recruit more crew members. You'll need scrap badly, but how far is it reasonable to risk potentially lethal encounters on its pursuit?

    Between that and much more, like controlling blast doors and managing oxygen supply in case of a fire or breach, or also venting rooms in your ship to put out fires or choke intruders to death, FTL manages to be the most complete and realistic spaceship simulator, Star Trek style, that I've ever know, despite its 2D, top-down, pixel art style. You can only "save&quit", if you lose, you have to start from the beginning. Some "runs" will go better than others, it always depends on your ability to adapt and optimize your play style, but it also depends a bit on being fortunate enough on finding a really good upgrade or weapon after a battle or on a store. That can be a bit frustrating, but you'll learn a lot from your mistakes. And after finishing the game, you'll realize that you couldn't have done it if you hadn't learned so much. So it rewards you for your failures and efforts.

    The soundtrack is just absolutely brilliant, one of the best in my memory, being part charming old-school style 8-bit tunes, part dreamy sci-fi space sounds, it provides a unique atmosphere that immerses completely. The overall style oozes charms and tender care, despite being a very challenging and unforgiving game.

    With the addition of Advanced Edition, completely free, bringing more races, more ships, more weapons and systems, and also more encounters, the game has an impressive amount of content that can get you on it for dozens of hours. If you like space sci-fi strategy games, particularly commanding ships Star Trek style, this is for you. If you get frustrated easily with a challenge, maybe approach it carefully, but you'll be missing out.    … Expand
  97. Negativvv
    Aug 5, 2014
    9
    141 hours in on the PC, not including all the hours spent on the iOS version....

    Firstly the worst part about the game is the ship unlocks although with Advanced Edition they've partly fixed that so you don't need to do idiotic quests. Its a very compact game, each game is short enough to finish in 1 or 2 sittings. There's no waste, no needless grinding to get items. Whilst it can    141 hours in on the PC, not including all the hours spent on the iOS version....

    Firstly the worst part about the game is the ship unlocks although with Advanced Edition they've partly fixed that so you don't need to do idiotic quests.

    Its a very compact game, each game is short enough to finish in 1 or 2 sittings. There's no waste, no needless grinding to get items.

    Whilst it can be said that there are only certain ways to win (boarding crews and or overwhelming firepower) plus the first few sectors are make or break. The whole experience really is a awesome rpg/strategy blend that I can't recommend enough.

    Plus the soundtrack is impressive for retro midi!    … Expand
  98. Dusty_Hayes
    Jul 21, 2014
    9
    FTL is a Rogue-like Sci-Fi adventure places you in the Captains chair of a Star Ship managing both crew and ship systems while trying to survive the odds. FTL has substance & style with its 2D aesthetic style, various aliens races & ships and tactical depth makes FTL fun and addictive and a worthy purchase especially on the Steam sales, with the added bonus of benefiting from some decent mods.
  99. Vas
    Jun 29, 2014
    6
    Well, it was a good game a few play throughs. I don't like how extremely difficult the end game boss is. Nearly impossible to defeat. It has so much randomness to it, yet it's almost always the same. You fly a ship multiple locations, buy things, get to the end game boss to have your arse kicked, cooked, handed to you, and forced down your throat, then you're blown up. A recent updateWell, it was a good game a few play throughs. I don't like how extremely difficult the end game boss is. Nearly impossible to defeat. It has so much randomness to it, yet it's almost always the same. You fly a ship multiple locations, buy things, get to the end game boss to have your arse kicked, cooked, handed to you, and forced down your throat, then you're blown up. A recent update added some new things which made the game more interesting for a while, but really, it's still pretty much the same old same old. It might be worth it though, if you like rogue like games with randomness to them. At least it wasn't terrible. I say I think it was worth getting, just isn't as fun as I had hoped it would be.… Expand
  100. eponymous
    Jun 29, 2014
    9
    I've circled back to this game a few times having played it clean through at least twice. It represents great value and is quite rewarding. Frustratingly so at times. Hard to get this much entertainment for under 5 bucks.
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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

All reviews »
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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