Void Bastards
DeveloperBlue Manchu
PublisherHumble Bundle
DesignerJonathan Chey
ProgrammerFarbs
WriterCara Ellison
ComposerRyan Roth
PlatformsWindows
Xbox One
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
EngineUnity
GenreFirst-person shooter, roguelite
ReleasedWindows, Xbox OneWW: May 28, 2019Switch, PS4WW: May 7, 2020
ModesSingle-player

Void Bastards is a science-fiction first-person shooter and roguelike video game developed by Blue Manchu 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.[1] The game revolves around surviving in the dangerous Sargasso Nebula by boarding and salvaging materials from spaceships.[2] 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.

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.[3]

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,[2] losing all ammunition, fuel, and food, but keeping weapon and gadget upgrades as well as objective progress.[3] The game has been described as an immersive sim.[4][5][6]

Development

Developed by Australian studio Blue Manchu, the game was inspired by System Shock 2 and BioShock.[7]

Legacy

A spiritual sequel, Wild Bastards, was released in September 2024 for PlayStation 5, Steam, and Xbox Series X and S. It received generally positive reviews from critics.[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 noting it was "repetitive" with a "weak story".[2] Alessandro Barbossa of GameSpot rated the game 8/10, also praising the art style and "ridiculously designed" but "satisfying" weapons.[3] Samuel Roberts of PC Gamer rated it 71/100, calling the game "slightly messy" but praising its "gorgeous" art style and "excellent" weapons.[7]

Accolades

The game was nominated for "Xbox Game of the Year" at the 2019 Golden Joystick Awards,[12] and for "Excellence in Visual Art" at the Independent Games Festival Awards.[13]

References

  1. ^ O'Connor, James (April 16, 2020). "Void Bastards Has A Release Date On Switch And PS4". GameSpot. Archived 20 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  2. ^ Vasile, Cosmin (2019-06-23). "Void Bastards Review (PC)". Softpedia. Archived 9 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  3. ^ Barbosa, Alessandro (2019-05-31). "Void Bastards Review - Genres Collide". GameSpot. Archived 23 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  4. ^ Scaife, Steven (29 May 2019). "Void Bastards Review: A Droll Marriage of the Roguelike and Immersive Sim". Slant Magazine. Archived 15 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  5. ^ Hanson, Ben (27 March 2019). "How Embracing Absurdity Liberated Void Bastards". Game Informer. Archived 27 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  6. ^ Riendeau, Danielle (31 May 2019). "'Void Bastards' Is a Gorgeous Sandbox of Death and Chaos". Vice. Archived 15 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  7. ^ Roberts, Samuel (2019-05-28). "Void Bastards review". PC Gamer. Archived 4 October 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  8. ^ "Wild Bastards review: "A forgettable experience with conflicting design choices that compromise an otherwise intriguing premise"". Games Radar. Archived 23 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Void Bastards for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived 4 October 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  10. ^ "Void Bastards for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Archived 4 October 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  11. ^ "Void Bastards for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived 4 October 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  12. ^ "Golden Joystick Awards 2019". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 2019-09-28. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  13. ^ "Mutazione, Eliza, Untitled Goose Game Are Some of the Key Nominees for the 22nd Annual Independent Games Festival". GlobeNewswire. 2020-01-07. Archived 8 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-02-29.