Worth Playing: FTL: Faster Than Light
FTL: Faster Than Light is a quirky mix between a spaceship simulator and a “roguelike.” As one of the first indie games funded by Kickstarter, people are expecting a lot from this title. Teasing the reader is overrated, so let’s just do this: FTL absolutely lives up to the hype.
If you’re not sure what exactly a “roguelike” game is, here’s a quick crash-course on the genre:
- You should expect death to come swiftly and frequently.
- When you die, you lose everything you’ve collected and must start over from scratch, so don’t get too attached.
- One wrong turn might spell certain doom… and that’s good. A healthy fear of death adds to the excitement.
In FTL, you’re not just exploring, you’re on the run and hell-bent on escaping a pursuing enemy fleet. Your continuing mission? To deliver crucial intel from one side of the galaxy to the other, vaporizing anything and anyone that gets in your way.
And things will get in your way. space pirates, meteor storms, marauding robot drones; everything is out for your blood. FTL isn’t about exploring the galaxy as much as surviving it.
And off to a great start…
Imagine yourself in the Captain’s chair on-board the Starship Enterprise. You are Captain Picard. Divert power from shields! Full power to the main engine! Engage!
In the universe of FTL, there are tons of random encounters around every turn. Will your next warp-jump drop you in front of a much-needed repair shop? Will you need to help a doomed space station? Or will you just end up low on fuel, totally screwed and only inches from an exploding sun?
So yeah, it’s just like playing as Captain Picard, except that in FTL, the good Captain has some cold, hard choices to make. A fire is raging through the engine bay? Someone needs to get that under control, but it looks like a one-way trip. The only option is to seal the door behind Commander Worf, who diligently repairs the ship before roasting to death.
Even the greatest Captains will end up in some extremely tough spots. There’s usually a “cautious” route for you to take, but you’re constantly burning fuel and losing health, so the potential supplies you’ll find off the beaten path are absolutely critical for survival. You simply can’t afford to play it totally safe. The risk/reward mechanic in FTL is terrifying, sometimes offering powerful weapons or extra crew members, but just as often resulting in extreme danger and a quick death.
Fortunately, it just feels “right.” FTL never feels unfair. Every death can be traced back to a particularly poor player decision. FTL doesn’t just smash you with random fortune. It’s intricately balanced, altering the gameplay every time to really test your mettle.
If this game is ever ported to tablets, it will fit right in. The simple art style and basic click-and-drag mechanics seem practically built for a touch screen. FTL is simple to learn, but surprisingly complex when you really dig in.
The soundtrack is also terrific. It’s nice and low-key, so it’s never distracting. I actually find it very pleasant to listen to while working. You can buy the whole album here for $5.
For players seeking the harsh-but-fair difficulty of a well-designed roguelike, but tired of the usual sword-and-sorcery fantasy motif, FTL is a breath of fresh air. It’s just damn good fun.
(And yes, I am aware of how much more closely FTL’s plot resembles the theme of Battlestar Galactica, but I’m a Next Gen man. So here we are.)
About the Author
Scott Meaney Scott is a massive film nerd, yet spends half his time arguing the artistic merits of Robocop 2 and Crank. Follow him on twitter: http://twitter.com/scottmeaney
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