Put on your helmet, strap in your seat, and prepare the warp drive because today we are talking about one of the absolute BEST science fiction games I’ve played in a very long time. Today, we’re discussing Void Crew on PS5.

I’m a huge sci-fi fan, whether it’s the old school exploration of Star Trek to the apocalyptic survival mayhem that is Battlestar Galactica. There’s something almost so real and mythological at the same time, which is why I’m so drawn to the many works of sci-fi. Yes, the worlds and story lines are pure fiction, but the possibility of traveling to other worlds and exploring their unique biomes is certainly a real thing. I mean, heck, we’ll be stepping foot on Mars within the next 20 years, no doubt about it. The realms of possibilities of sci-fi are so expansive I even took on writing my own successful science fiction novel just to get a little taste of exploring the unknown.

Being a fan of science fiction can be sort of a double-edged sword, especially when we’re talking about gaming. There are tons of games that claim to be the ultimate space game only to have us all feeling like it’s missing something. Perhaps this may not be the case of a PC, but as a console gamer, I must say that the choices are very, VERY limited. When it comes to GOOD sci-fi games where you can actually travel the stars, we have No Man’s Sky, Mass Effect, Outer Wilds, and if you’re feeling spooky, Dead Space. That’s pretty much it. Of course, there could be an argument made for games like Elite Dangerous, but that game is more complicated than doing my taxes. No, I want to actually have fun playing games, you know? Then came a game that completely enthralled me from the moment I watched the trailer.

That game is Void Crew.

So, what is Void Crew, you may be asking. Imagine a blend of Sea of Thieves and FTL: Faster Than Light, but completely in first-person. You and up to five friends (if you have friends…unlike me) must work together to pilot and maintain your starship as you battle swarms of robotic alien enemies, scavenge for resources, and complete missions across a sprawling galaxy. At its core, it is a roguelite game where each run, or Pilgrimage according to the game’s lore, is different. In each star system, you warp to different missions, which you are granted rewards based on completion. These rewards can be anything from upgrading your ship with unique boosts called relics or even new weapon systems dropped by an enemy frigate. After you’ve completed a certain number of missions, you are then forced into the star system’s boss fight, which, if you’re not prepared, can leave you in a bit of trouble.

Players are given three ships to choose from, each with their own characteristics and recommended crew sizes. I know what you might be thinking: Only three? That’s not enough! Trust me, these are full-size starships that you can completely walk every square inch of and on the hull of when you have to conduct a space walk to repair the hull. These ships quite literally begin to feel like your home away from home as you’re figuring out how best to upgrade them and just where to install your modules to make it the best it can be.

If you’re mainly a solo player like me in this game, the developers did us a solid and added a ship load out for all three called the Lone Sentry. This bad boy comes with auto turrets and an auto mechanic to give you a hand when you don’t have any friends that dig games like this. A.k.a. me. The auto modules do their job perfectly, and at no point do I ever feel like I’m at a disadvantage because I don’t have a crew of real people. As cool as I think it is to man a sweet laser cannon, I’m much more concerned with steering my ship through minefields, so I’m completely cool with the auto turrets handling business.

Now, Void Crew isn’t without its faults. It still has a number of bugs that can make the experience quite frustrating. I’m sure these will get handled over the next few weeks, but there’s nothing worse than grinding through a tough mission only to have the game freeze because you got too close to something and the game just sends you to a gray screen. Like I said, I know this will be ironed out probably even before this article comes out, but it is still worth mentioning, I think. 

Bugs aside, there’s one glaring issue with the game that simply can’t be ignored. It’s an online only game. Yeah, that’s right. Even if you play solo and privately, the game requires you to maintain a stable internet connection to play, which is something that is VERY disappointing. Some of you may ask why this is a problem if everyone has great internet these days. Well, it has nothing to do with the connection. It has to do with a game’s longevity. 

What video game companies do when they deem online only games not profitable enough is they cut the cord leaving what players that do enjoy the game unable to play it. We see that happen all the time with live service games, which is just so silly to even consider developing something like that. Unless the Devs allow for an offline mode, the greatness that is Void Crew is doomed to fall into the void itself along with other equally great games. 

Void Crew is an absolute BANGER of a time, even if you don’t have a crew to play with. With the ability for solo players to still have a great time and live out their fantasy of commanding a starship in a desperate war of survival, there is simply nothing better on the market. Void Crew sets the standard for what scifi starship games should be, and I would consider it in the company of the great No Man’s Sky. It has a bright future ahead of it, and we’ll be sure to stay on top of the latest as more news comes out. 

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