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void bastards: typos

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Wouter Groeneveld 2022-11-10 17:38:53 +01:00
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content/games/switch/void-bastards.md
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@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ game_release_year: 2019
game_developer: 'Blue Manchu'
---
_Void Bastards_ is as weird as the title suggests---but in a delightufl way. In it, you board space ships, shoot stuff, watch "foomp", "whizz" and "mumble" comic effects, loot even more stuff, and get the hell out of there. Chances are also high of dying from radiation, oxygen shortages, or just a hail of missiles. Not to worry in that case: there's always another anonymous captive convict (against their will?) waiting inline to rinse and repeat. That's _Void Bastards_ in a nutshell!
_Void Bastards_ is as weird as the title suggests---but in a delightuf way. In it, you board spaceships, shoot stuff, watch "foomp", "whizz" and "mumble" comic effects, loot even more stuff, and get the hell out of there. Chances are also high of dying from radiation, oxygen shortages, or just a hail of missiles. Not to worry in that case: there's always another anonymous captive convict (against their will?) waiting inline to rinse and repeat. That's _Void Bastards_ in a nutshell!
![](enemies.jpg "A couple of senior scribes about to get their head popped with my just upgraded stapling machine.")
@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Of course, it's hard to compare a high profile game like BioShock to an indie ga
![](workbench.jpg "Welding scrap together into a new trinket.")
The screenshots serve as perfect advertisers for the game: _Void Bastards_ oozers with comical charm. It is reminiscent of XII's cel-shaded graphics that also successfully brought the comic to life. WHUMP!s, THUD!s and FLAKK!s fly all over the screen when things explode, HOVERrrrr indicate a nearby enemy behind a closed door, and the big BOOOM speaks for itself. When not hunting for parts in space, the intermission screens like the workshop and the cut-scenes after dying literally consist of animated comic book frames that beautifully unfold. There is no denying: when it comes to graphical charm, _Void Bastards_ can proudly stand up for itself next to other comical big hits like the aforementioned Freedom Force.
The screenshots serve as perfect advertisers for the game: _Void Bastards_ oozes comical charm. It is reminiscent of XII's cel-shaded graphics that also successfully brought the comic to life. WHUMP!s, THUD!s and FLAKK!s fly all over the screen when things explode, HOVERrrrr indicate a nearby enemy behind a closed door, and the big BOOOM speaks for itself. When not hunting for parts in space, the intermission screens like the workshop and the cut-scenes after dying literally consist of animated comic book frames that beautifully unfold. There is no denying: when it comes to graphical charm, _Void Bastards_ can proudly stand up for itself next to other comical big hits like the aforementioned Freedom Force.
It's not only the graphical prowess but also the _comical_ nature of the game that makes you smile---and I mean that literally. The game is very funny. The AI that serves as your guide can't stop making ironical comments on your 125th death. General announcements blasting through speakers in certain spaceships poke fun at your attempts to restore the power, and the gunk you collect to disassemble and hopefully turn into something useful is delightfully weird.
@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ For some runs, I found myself carrying plenty of screws for my riveter but barel
![](pirate.jpg "WHUMP! - this space pirate ain't dead yet.")
I find that the randomness of roguelikes and roguelites eventually kills the fun in games such as these. After a while, ships start to look alike: the layout of these is also generated. You have your helm (where you can download item and enemy locations), a security section, power and waste recycler, the cafeteria, etc, but they all look alike. And even if the thing you're looking for is something different---a mouse ball, a mattress, cooling liquid---the modus operandi doesn't change: enter, pess `A` on every green lit cabinet, drawer, or locker you come across to loot it, shoot stuff that's in your way, and make it back in time before your oxygen supply ends.
I find that the randomness of roguelikes and roguelites eventually kills the fun in games such as these. After a while, ships start to look alike: the layout of these is also generated. You have your helm (where you can download item and enemy locations), a security section, power and waste recycler, the cafeteria, etc, but they all look alike. And even if the thing you're looking for is something different---a mouse ball, a mattress, cooling liquid---the modus operandi doesn't change: enter, pess `A` on every green lit cabinet, drawer, or locker you come across to loot it, shoot stuff that's in your way, and make it back in time before your oxygen supply runs out.
You could mix up strategies if you wanted to. _Void Bastards_ tries to put emphasis on stealth: if you don't run and kill security cameras on time, you'll encounter less enemies. But at the same time, the clock is ticking, and I happen to like pressing the fire button or releasing that destructive kitty robot, so in the end, my approach converges to entering and exiting with a bang. After a few hours, you've seen everything the random generator has to offer. Granted, the workshop has plenty of unlockables to offer: each gun and trinket can also be upgraded a few times, and these unlocks are permanent.
You could mix up strategies if you wanted to. _Void Bastards_ tries to put emphasis on stealth: if you don't run and kill security cameras on time, you'll encounter less enemies, you can lock doors, and even hack certain bots. But at the same time, the clock is ticking, and I happen to like pressing the fire button or releasing that destructive kitty robot, so in the end, my approach converges to entering and exiting with a bang. After a few hours, you've seen everything the random generator has to offer. Granted, the workbench has plenty of unlockables to offer: each gun and trinket can also be upgraded a few times, and these unlocks are permanent.
Still, there was little incentive for me to keep on playing, as the feedback loop is the same. Yes, in [Diablo II](/games/pc/diablo-2), you also do the same again and again, but there, there's the multiplayer aspect, the unique item hunt aspect, the difficulty aspect, the skill tree and classes aspect, ... _Void Bastards_ feels much less expansive---even though space is indeed _big_. But even navigating space gets boring after a while: instead of in level 1 or 2, you're staring at a graph of level 3, which is exactly the same, only modifiers (the occasional fire in ships, no lights, ...) make things more challenging.