Battlefield veterans team up for space sim Into the Stars
Today's Kickstarter darling is Into the Stars, a space simulation from three former DICE staffers.
Battlefield, Lost Planet, Medal of Honor, Shadows of the Damned and MAG count among the credits of the four members of new studio Fugitive Games, who are now "on the run from traditional development" and looking to "build games that focus on fun and community first".
Into the Stars is the first effort from the four. Players will take on the role of captain and set out to explore a "massive solar system". Players outfit the ship, select a crew, scavenge resources and battle enemies. You manage every action - steering the ship and all controlling systems.
The Ark 13 is the very last ship capable of saving the human race from an attacking force, and players travel to a new home for the species with a pretty precious cargo - the last civilians. As it happens, the ship's crew are pretty much civvies themselves, at least at the start, and it's up to you to train them so they grow into their roles.
There are 90 zones in the game and players plot their own path, facing unique challenges and opportunities in each. There is an end destination, but the open world is freely explorable at your own whim. That said, an alien force is pursuing the ship, lending some tension to proceedings, and mistakes are serious - there's permadeath for crew members, for example.
Fugitive cited a number of interesting influences on the project including The Oregon Trail, FTL and Game Dev Story.
The Mac and PC-bound project is now on Kickstarter, with a goal of $85,000. The soundtrack comes via Jack Wall, who composed the score for Mass Effect, and as such I had to physically restrain myself from getting out my credit card as soon as I loaded up the trailer and heard the first few bars. You have been warned.
Thanks, DualShockers.