Star Control-Origins A Charming and Humorous Space Sim That Stumbles During Gameplay

Star Control: Origins is a 3D space sim with much more casual gameplay. There is a lot of humor that can sometimes fall flat but does add personality to each character. Players will travel in Earth’s sole spaceship to gather resources and take on an intergalactic threat. Though the narrative is simple, it’s one of the game’s strong points. There are uniquely designed characters with their own speech patterns. Their ships clearly show which faction it belongs to. It feels like a universe that already existed without getting bogged down in backstory. That doesn’t mean there isn’t tons of exposition, but Origins is fully voice acted. 

Those moments where the game really shines help carry players through its tedious stretches. Combat is mostly waiting until enemy ships crash into planets enough. Or crash into the closing ring. If players aren’t used to top down, arcade style controls they can still play this. Gathering resources is a massive part of gameplay. There’s no currency and winning fights can serve this purpose. However, the most resources come from driving around otherwise empty planets. 

Players have a variety of ships to modify. New weapons and ships are discovered by forging alliances. From the adorably awkward Tywom who are used to being disliked to the Gloosh who easily frightened sloth-like aliens. Finding out about each of the new races makes up for the slog. At the same time, the Lander’s poor physics makes that a difficult journey. 

Origins has definite charm despite the missteps. The alliances players form also come into play at certain points throughout. Not just at the climatic moment. This makes it feel worth the investment though it may be something tiny; like helping towards the player’s ship. Though there’s not a lot of player choice in dialogue beyond which quip to use. Origins is a good intro to space Sims if the complexity of other games appears too daunting.