Void Bastards

Void Bastards is a science-fiction first-person shooter and roguelike video game developed by Australian studio Blue Manchu[1] and published by Humble Bundle. It was released on May 28, 2019, for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One. Ports of the game for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 were released on May 7, 2020.[2] The game revolves around surviving in the dangerous Sargasso Nebula by boarding and salvaging materials from spaceships.[3] It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its comic-book art style, dark humor, and gameplay, but criticized its lackluster story and replay value.

Void Bastards
Developer(s)Blue Manchu
Publisher(s)Humble Bundle
Designer(s)Jonathan Chey
Programmer(s)Farbs
Writer(s)Cara Ellison
Composer(s)Ryan Roth
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Windows
Xbox One
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
ReleaseWindows, Xbox One
  • WW: May 28, 2019
Switch, PS4
  • WW: May 7, 2020
Genre(s)First-person shooter, roguelite
Mode(s)Single-player

Plot

The main character is one of many rehydrated prisoners aboard a stranded personnel vessel, whose AI must rely on its dangerous cargo to obtain fuel for a final jump to its destination.[4]

Gameplay

The game revolves around a procedurally generated structure, in which the player enters other ships, fights enemies and salvages materials to repair their own ship. If the player dies, they are replaced by another "rehydrated" prisoner.[3] When a prisoner dies, the player loses all ammunition, fuel and food, but keeps weapon and gadget upgrades as well as objective progress.[4] The game has been described as an immersive sim.[5][6][7]

Development

The game was inspired by System Shock 2 and BioShock.[8]

Reception

Void Bastards received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic.[9][10][11] Cosmin Vasile of Softpedia rated the game 8.5/10, calling it an "absolute delight" due to its comic-book aesthetics and "solid", "addictive" gameplay, but also called it "repetitive" with a "weak story".[3] Alessandro Barbossa of GameSpot rated the game 8/10, also praising the art style and "ridiculously designed" but "satisfying" weapons.[4] Samuel Roberts of PC Gamer rated it 71/100, calling the game "slightly messy" but praising its "gorgeous" art style and "excellent" weapons.[8]

Accolades

The game was nominated for "Xbox Game of the Year" at the 2019 Golden Joystick Awards,[19] and for "Excellence in Visual Art" at the Independent Games Festival Awards.[20]

References
  1. "Press Kit". Void Bastards. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  2. O'Connor, James (16 April 2020). "Void Bastards Has A Release Date On Switch And PS4". GameSpot. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. Vasile, Cosmin (23 June 2019). "Void Bastards Review (PC)". Softpedia. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  4. Barbosa, Alessandro (31 May 2019). "Void Bastards Review - Genres Collide". GameSpot. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  5. Scaife, Steven (29 May 2019). "Void Bastards Review: A Droll Marriage of the Roguelike and Immersive Sim". Slant Magazine. Slant Magazine LLC. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  6. Hanson, Ben (27 March 2019). "How Embracing Absurdity Liberated Void Bastards". Game Informer. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  7. Riendeau, Danielle (31 May 2019). "'Void Bastards' Is a Gorgeous Sandbox of Death and Chaos". Vice. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  8. Roberts, Samuel (28 May 2019). "Void Bastards review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  9. "Void Bastards for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  10. "Void Bastards for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  11. "Void Bastards for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  12. Hancock, Patrick (19 September 2021). "Review: Void Bastards". Destructoid. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  13. Miller, Matt (19 September 2021). "Void Bastards - Scavenging The Fun". Game Informer. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  14. Santa Maria, Alex (28 May 2019). "Void Bastards Review | Never tell me the odds". GameRevolution. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  15. O'Reilly, PJ (19 September 2021). "Void Bastards Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  16. Green, Steven (19 September 2021). "Void Bastards (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  17. Roberts, Samuel (19 September 2021). "Void Bastards review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  18. Chandler, Sam (19 September 2021). "Void Bastards review: Permission to come aboard". Shacknews. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  19. "Golden Joystick Awards 2019". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  20. "Mutazione, Eliza, Untitled Goose Game Are Some of the Key Nominees for the 22nd Annual Independent Games Festival". GlobeNewswire (Press release). 7 January 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
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