Galaxy on Fire 2 is a throwback to the PC space simulation genre of yore. Back in the early to mid 90s this was a thriving genre. It was a tent pole of PC gaming, and then something happened– the FPS took over. Wolfensteins lead to Dooms which lead to Quakes and then onto Unreals, etc., and now Call of Duty and Halo are ruling the roost.
There have been a few games that have attempted to bring the genre back, a couple of the most notable being Freespace and Freelancer, but you can count the number of titles in this genre over the last decade on one hand. Why did this once beloved cross-section of games disappear? Well, that’s a topic for another article. The point here is that Galaxy on Fire brings the genre back, on a different platform, tweaked just enough to not only make it a great game, but to also provide an exciting glimpse at the grand future potential of this take on the genre.
Lets do a quick rundown of what GoF2 for iOS actually is. The heart of the game’s action lies in combat. This is about what you would expect with 3D, 6-axis space flight. The combat is fine, good even, but that is not what makes the game special. It’s the systems that wrap around the core mechanic that make this addictive, varied and perfectly suited for the mobile platform.
When not in combat, the game places a heavy focus on equipment and ships. The player is in constant need of upgrades which can be obtained, among other ways, at shops in each of the 100 space stations. Values and prices for items will vary across the galaxy, so economics begin to play a big part in any given upgrade path strategy. On top of this, the game also incorporates stat tracking, faction interaction and RPG-like level progression elements.
There are several ways to make money. Mining local asteroids for various types of ore, taking on missions from the space stations’ lounges, crafting items from obtained blueprints, and a few others. Is this starting to sound familiar?
Let’s not beat around the bush, this is a single player space simulation World of Warcraft. It seems obvious, but it’s something that only clicked with me after putting 10 hours into the game. The mechanics are similar in all the right ways, it’s just missing the kicker, the persistent online world.
GoF developer, Fish Labs, seem to know what they are doing here. They have been developing mobile games for 6 years and it shows. The various action paths available at any given time can be tackled in increments that lend themselves well to the nature of mobile gaming. You can jump in and mine some ore, shop for a new shield, run a quick mission, and any number of other things in minutes. In and out.
The base structure is in place. It’s clear that even if the current systems were only slightly tweaked with a build-out of the in-game economy, a social layer on top of the game would be amazing. The focus on equipment acquisition and crafting would make an auction house an exciting addition. It is already possible to hire wingmen for more difficult encounters, so bringing parties into battles is another no-brainer.
MMOs on mobile are a nut that hundreds, if not thousands, of developers are trying to crack at this very moment. There is no indication that Fish Labs is one of them, but they may have a base game that is exactly what the genre needs for the platform. It’s funny to think that an almost dead genre could be the jumping-off point for MMOs in this rapidly growing space.
This is not a review of Galaxy on Fire 2. Everything going on here make for an engrossing game, one that is well worth your $6.99, but I ultimately just wanted to share my enthusiasm. This is a mobile game done right that holds a lot of potential for even bigger things.
[Official site: Fish Labs | iTunes: Galaxy on Fire 2]
