Falling Frontier was the final game we were shown during Hooded Horse’s presentation, and it left us speechless. You won’t believe the number of features present in this game and the amount of polish present at this stage is astounding. I would recommend checking out the Steam page for it, in case we miss something.
Be sure to read our impressions on the other games that we were shown in Hooded Horse’s showcase:
Physics-Based Movement And Combat
Falling Frontier is an ambitious RTS game that focuses quite a bit on combat. However, unlike many other space-based RTS games, it features physicalised systems, where every thrust of a rocket and fire of a projectile is calculated rather than scripted.
This gives everything a lot of weight as we saw projectiles ricocheting, ships curving realistically, and even floating away as they got destroyed. It sold the fantasy of being in space.
Not to mention, you create and modify the ships yourself, which can help them fit into different roles and expertise, which gives you an angle to think about on top of the physical world. You can choose the type of weapons available on a ship, the way they look and more!
Choices Matter
Just as there is weight behind the physical world, so is the case behind your choices, as the core gameplay boils down to choices and consequences, where recon and preparation can be a matter of life and death.
- You send a probe out into the void, and it disappears. Do you send another and risk losing resources, or would you want to find out what happened?
- Your ships can’t stay idle without cost, as they use resources to operate. If a ship starts running out of resources, do you send them more and risk attracting something wicked along the way?
Every choice will have an outcome based on what you do, forcing you to think and plan your expeditions. A lot of the choices we take for granted in the average 4X RTS games, are more complex in Falling Frontier.
Breathtaking Expanse
One thing that stood out was just how amazing the music was. It was rich with themes of discovery and hope, a perfect companion as we soared through the galaxy discovering new frontiers. The music is by Scott Buckley, and it is both memorable and effective.
Overall, the soundscape of the game was quite polished, and every action had that cinematic space sound to it, where even though we know that’s not how it works in reality, everything sounds like we wish it would in the vacuum of space. It sounded brilliant.
The mention of atmosphere can’t be complete without the breathtaking visuals present in the game. The lighting and visualisation of aspects like the nebula, stars, and dense physical rings around certain planets contribute towards a very beautiful sandbox that we can stare at for hours. The way the ships leave a trail of glowing particles everytime they jump, really shows off the care given to the look and feel of the game.
The best visual moment from the presentation was when the battles started to take place, and we saw an exchange of attacks from different ships. At that point, the physical nature of the game mixed with crisp hit reactions, all in real-time was a spectacle that we won’t soon forget.
For The Storytellers And Artists
The developer understands these strengths and offers unique content that let you manipulate these aspects, allowing you to create both stories and worlds, catering to those of us who are creative.
There are two parts to this creation system: one, where you can create your scenarios and tell the stories you want through custom campaigns, and another where you can sculpt your systems with a wide range of control over planting and manipulating planets, moons, gas giants, nebulas and much more.
This all works well due to how graphically impressive the game looks, giving you a blank canvas to paint on. I can definitely see artists just creating beautiful custom worlds for the visual merit alone. Ultimately, this feels like it will cater to a wide range of creators.
The demonstration video that the developer showed for this creation system was absolutely mesmerising, especially as he placed and changed a variety of items and manipulated the powerful lighting tech in the form of an illuminated star. By changing its colour, it completely changed the mood of the system, drawing beautiful moody shadows on the planets surrounding it.
A Dev’s Work Worth Twenty
The biggest surprise for us is that this entire game, with every system we have talked about so far, is being made by just one person! We honestly couldn’t believe how packed and polished the game was. It looked like a product made by twenty people and not one.
Final Impressions
Honestly, out of everything brilliant that the developers have shown during the presentation, this one kept blowing my mind in an escalating manner. Falling Frontier comes packed with features! Physical systems, weighty combat, reactive world, and a blank canvas for creativity. Fortunately, the developer intends to release this for Steam’s early access program by the end of this year, and we can’t wait!
As We Play 