Light of Altair Review

At first glance, Light of Altair seems to be a casual little resource-management game in space. Then, you play the game and watch in horror as your colonies fall to economic pieces. Yeah. That happens. Basically, Light of Altair takes a concept that normally would encourage laid-back gameplay and gives it a good ol' injection of STRESS (in a good way).

In Light of Altair, the idea is to manage planets. Colonize them, mine their resources, establish trade, keep the people happy, and oh so much more. You start out with a blank canvas, and eventually cover the face of the space rock in buildings. As your colonies grow, you can research and build new types of buildings.

All of this managing and building and whatnot have a purpose, though. Throughout the levels, orders are given from your higher-ups on what needs to be upgraded and objectives that need to be met. Oftentimes, you won't be able to progress until certain standards are met. If you get behind, you'll be in trouble: the objectives will pile up, and you'll be multitasking so much that things will become very stressful. And the orders will keep pouring in from HQ all the while.

This is also how the story is incorporated into the gameplay, which is unfortunate, since updates are in the form of short quips that are few and far in between. This makes the (surprisingly good) story seem like an afterthought, and it doesn't really come into play as much as it should.

One of the most striking aspects of Light of Altair is the graphics. They're absolutely gorgeous. From the beautiful art direction of the individual galaxies as a whole to the details and lighting on the colony buildings, this game is impressive. I was impressed by the ability to rotate the planets around in whatever direction I pleased, whenever I wanted was very helpful and a great way to show off the game's splendor. On a side note: the character profiles are very well drawn as well, but there was one instance that was a little weird. As I started to suck it up in one of the missions, I got a very scathing message from the normally very kind looking lady that gives you instructions. In this portrait, though, she looked like she was about to tear out my jugular, bared fangs and all. Not a major concern, but it was a bit unsettling.

After playing (and failing hard at) Light of Altair, I can safely say that those of you who are fans of resource-management games will be all over this one. And you'll be at it for a while, since the missions are long, and there are a LOT of missions to get through. As a whole, the game is satisfying, and it's constantly engaging. If you're in the mood for a game that will make you think and dazzle you with its presentation, Light of Altair is a good way to get your fix. Now, excuse me while the nice officer lady tears me into little bloody pieces because I can't get Venus to generate enough capital, or something.

Graphics:
There's a long list of hyperbole that I could be using here, but I'll save everyone the trouble of reading it. Here's the bottom line: Light of Altair doesn't skimp on the spit-n-shine. It's just a nice game to look at.

Sound/Music:
Techno arrangements are more or less the entire soundtrack. This is fine, they get the job done, and they're somewhat memorable. The sound is your typical beeps and… building noises.

Gameplay:
Light of Altair requires careful planning, but not micromanagement. It's (kind of) simple to learn, but it's no small feat to master, so it's great for fans of the genre and the untested masses that have never even tried this kind of game.

Concept:
It is pretty much Sim City in space. Granted, the objective-based gameplay and the unique grid system that Light of Altair uses are pretty original.

Value:
The sheer amount of hours you'll spend on this game should speak for itself: there's a lot of game here. And, it's a reasonable enough price that you won't have to demolish your piggy bank to pay for it.

Fun:
While it's a fairly relaxed game at first, Light of Altair picks up quickly. So it gets stressful quickly, too. This is great for the game's target audience, but this kind of gameplay might be a turn-off for those expecting a more casual game.

Overall:
Light of Altair is great, and well worth buying if you're one of the people who can't get enough of this kind of game. To everyone else: try the demo, and fall in love with it. It's deserving of your attention.