Darkstar One Review

By Kieron Gillen Published 17 July, 2006

Like Singstar, but space-sim tradier.

Version tested: PC

Here's a thought for you: we've been waiting for the next Elite for over twenty years now. No, not literally. We got that when Frontier appeared, and that wasn't the next Elite in the way we're currently yabbering about. What it means is a game which immediately and obviously dominates the gaming landscape and consumes the social life of pretty much everyone.

Clearly, the Elite successors that have appeared have had localised effects. Reading this they'll be veterans of Frontier or Privateer or X: Beyond the Frontier who still bear the scars in their personal history, scabby months in a darkened room in an uncomfortable seat saving the universe and making enormous profits. Hell: there's the ever-growing community of Eve Online who've decided to retreat from the real-world into a universe where laser death lights the heavens (with a side-order of mining). But all of these are peripheral concerns, outside the main thrust of the culture.

So maybe times have just changed? It's a game which may have worked once, but no more - but then look at (say) Civilzation, which, generation after generation, gains a new fanbase and reclaims the centre. What's different about Elite Clones?

After about four hours with Darkstar One an idea struck me. What's different about Elite Clones? They're too different. They're trying too hard. Now, Darkstar One is far from a perfect game, but it immediately excited and engaged me in a way that no recent other Elite clone managed. Compare to when I started playing X3 and I was actually glad that my 3D card was coughing blood while running it so I could lob it back at Kristan with a "Sorry, chum" note attached. I Realllllly couldn't be bothered wrestling with it.

'Darkstar One' Screenshot 1

This level of Asteroids is impossible.

But with Darkstar One, I'm away, in a far away galaxy shooting pirates who are quite near, actually.

The point being: Elite, for all its scale, action and variety, was a simple game.

And Darkstar One is likewise.

(Or I may be biased, because the lead character's name is pronounced identically to mine, which is always good for a few giggles.)

Darktstar One is an Elite Clone [We've got that already - Ed] positioning you as a freshly trained flight recruit who's trying to find out who offed his dear old Pa. Luckily, he left him a prototype space-ship, the Darkstar One. Between trying to gain information, you're free to explore, take on missions, trade between planets, indulge in a little harmful piracy or harmless piracy and generally get into trouble. Cash gained can be used to improve your ship's equipment, getting increasingly powerful weaponry and so on.

Elite Clone!

'Darkstar One' Screenshot 2

Woosh!

But where it could obfuscate, it chooses to simplify. For example, trade. Games like X take great pride in making enormously intricate economic systems which move constantly and realistically. Darkstar One doesn't bother. Planets have a selection of things they make, which will normally be cheaper than average. If you make sure your destination doesn't make it too, you'll normally turn a profit. Bad if it were a pure economic trading game, but it's more something you can play around with to earn a little extra coin. You don't need to sit and calculate anything complicated, so - in actual practice - you're more likely to actually dabble. Low entrance fee in terms of attention for instant rewards. And no matter how slow-paced a game may be, there's nothing wrong with instant rewards.

Ship improvement keeps things focused too. Rather than swapping ships depending on your finances, Darkstar One has experimental organic technology that allows it to upgrade. When you find one of its canisters - normally inside a (labeled) asteroid - you can choose whether you want to expand your hull, engines or wings, allowing you to specialise towards weaponry or cargo-hauling or whatever. Married to this is the actual special plasma abilities, which are improved and unlocked in a skill-tree akin to Diablo or World of Warcraft.

The environment itself, while leaving room to explore and take on missions by yourself, slowly unveils the galaxy as jump-gate co-ordinates are gifted to you or a more powerful engine installed. The expanding canvas is tightly integrated into the game's narrative, which is where you can see the strings pulling the puppets. Your ship's bought upgrades are limited according to what level your ship's been improved with its experimental organic technology. This means that even if you grind out a mass of money in a small area of space, until you manage to find the strictly limited organic upgrades, you can't turn it into a top of the range ship. It stops the game becoming a walkover (either way), but does lose a little of Elite's free spirit.

'Darkstar One' Screenshot 3

Being an Elite game, we're grateful for a time-dilation ability right from the off.

The key element of the game, of course, is combat and here it excels. It picks up where Freelancer left off with its mouse aiming and steering, but also includes a more traditional joystick options. It also allows you to thrust to the side in a strafe-banner and apply afterburners or high-power breaks. The latter allows you to swivel on the spot (or even as you reverse). It's certainly a considerable advantage, perhaps vaguely justified by the game's fiction, that despite being in space everyone else flies like atmospheric craft while you can do this zero-G snazziness. To some it may be too much of an advantage, but when you get involved in mass firefights between the rebels and the forces of order, you'll be looking for any edge you can get.

Compared to many of its peers, Darkstar One may seem slight - but what it does, it does expertly. There's a few problem areas which prevent it climbing to real greatness. Primarily, while the visual side of things is perfectly acceptable, the audio is a complete state. It's been lumbered with the sort of wooden voice-acting that make Orlando Bloom sound like Orson Welles, sounding openly comical when discussing matters of serious import. It may as well be going "Dad's dead," "Oh dear," "Yeah," for all the drama. Secondly, for the dream Elite game, it's leaning too much to the simple side. It's fine having tight reigns on exploration, but when the actual space you're stuck inside has so little to do... well, if you include an asteroid you can fly inside, you better be sure to stick something of interest in most of them. This is one for the Luke Skywalkers rather than the James T Kirks of the space-sim world.

Which leaves us with a lighter-than-gravity Elite Clone that's positively welcoming to all and sundry. There's nothing cold in this part of outer space. Embrace it.

8 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kieron.

About Kieron Gillen

Kieron is one of the founders of the lovely Rock, Paper, Shotgun and nowadays writes comics for Marvel starring characters that even his mum has heard of.

Read more articles from Kieron by visiting the Kieron Gillen archive page.

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Comments (44) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Teeth #1 6 years ago

    Good. I will be getting this.

  • Xerx3s #2 6 years ago

    \0/

  • Stickman #3 6 years ago

    Count me in on this one then. Stupid bloody X3....

  • symmetry #4 6 years ago

    Sounds like some light relief, I just can't be bothered with all my "heavy" games right now with all this heat.

  • fergal_oc #5 6 years ago

    Reasons why Elite was so good:

    1. Very few upgrades, with each being far better then the previous, meant that you seriously wanted to upgrade;
    2. Completely free roaming - no jumpgates required to jump between star systems, only thing stopping you was the fuel in your tank;
    3. No narative what so ever - give off a few missions now and again but that's it.

    Reassons why no Elite clone has come close:

    1. Too many upgrades with little or no difference between them. Because there's so many you rush through every one maybe using an upgrade for a mission or two before discarding;
    2. Restricted movement between systems - what's so good about jumpgates that they're in every sodding game?
    3. Too much emphasis on story. We all know that a story has to end, so when it does the chances of you playing on are slim.

    I want Elite IV and I wan't it now - come on Frontier it's been in development for ever, give it to us now.

    but saying that, this does look ok, especially if it's quite lite, also the dev's are using what looks like a Welsh dragon as their logo and that's a good decision in my book :)
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/06 @ 09:45

  • Frogger #6 6 years ago

    In a real Elite clone, you could actually land on planets. That's a huge difference !

  • Metalfish #7 6 years ago

    Still a freelancer man myself. Esp after mods like evolutions added all the battleships and transports to the game for mulitplayer.

    There's a game that needs a sequel. (But won't get it).

  • El_MUERkO #8 6 years ago

    got or getting quiet a few games of late, but games like this need supporting and i do get paid soon ...

    i never played the orginial elite but i loved Frontier on the Amiga with a passion and played it to death

    i guess we'll have to wait for the next elite to get the next elite
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/06 @ 10:34

  • Xerx3s #9 6 years ago

    but saying that, this does look ok, especially if it's quite lite, also the dev's are using what looks like a Welsh dragon as their logo and that's a good decision in my book :)

    ....

  • Subquest #10 6 years ago

    if paddypower would let me, i'd place each way money on Elite IV being either
    a) Shit
    b) Good, but not at all like the original
    c) There won't ever be an Elite IV

  • Teeth #11 6 years ago

    You couldn't land on planets in Elite either. However, I would have preferred it if there were planetary stuff in any modern Elite-style game. You kind of think... well, we've got the technology to do it. Why not put it in? Crashing into planets in the Dark Star One demo is really shoddy, they're just giant, horrible spheres. I can understand that it keeps the game simple to leave out planets, and simple is often better, but still... :(

  • PearOfAnguish #12 6 years ago

    You couldn't land on planets in Elite either. However, I would have preferred it if there were planetary stuff in any modern Elite-style game. You kind of think... well, we've got the technology to do it. Why not put it in? Crashing into planets in the Dark Star One demo is really shoddy, they're just giant, horrible spheres. I can understand that it keeps the game simple to leave out planets, and simple is often better, but still... :(

    I'd love to see it as well but every time a game like this is released everybody asks about landing on planets and still no game has successfully pulled it off. The only one I know of that allows this, apart from a Russian title called Parkan 2, is Battlecruiser 3000/Universal Combat from everybodies favourite Coke-machine destroying game designer, Derek Smart.

    Surely they could do something with procedural generation. Be great to have GTA in space. Once you're bored of running over pedestrians you steal a ship and go blasting round the galaxy.
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/06 @ 11:13

  • riz23 #13 6 years ago

    For one brief moment I thought this game may have been based on the 1974 John Carpenter Hippie Sci-Fi flick 'Dark Star'. Sadly it is not. Bah.

  • Twinfalls #14 6 years ago

    Whatever happened to space that looks like, you know, space?

  • smelly #15 6 years ago

    oooh. I almost missed this thanks to the crap name

    I'll be getting this then.

  • jack_klugman #16 6 years ago

    I say look to the future of EVE Online for any sort of real ground breaking development in that direction, PearOfAnguish. They're the only team making games of this genre with the resources to push the boundaries. As it were.

  • DrDamn #17 6 years ago

    @Subquest wants to bet ...
    > c) There won't ever be an Elite IV

    You'll probably find quite a few people taking your money for that bet. When would they ever have to pay out exactly?

  • Frogger #18 6 years ago

    It was possible to land on planets in Frontier Elite. My mistake.

    Still, in my opinion, being able to land on planets (to do whatever the game designers could imagine) should be a key feature for any space sim game, as it is quite natural to think that humans colonies would rather be on the ground than on huge orbital stations.

  • Dirtbox #19 6 years ago

    I'm gasping to play this, it's great to see an early review too. Nice one Kieron.

  • Collie #20 6 years ago

    I'll stick to Dark Star on the ZX Spectrum. That was a tricky game. And no way related to this one, except in name.

  • Lawlost #21 6 years ago

    Yep, I'll probably buy this to add to my shelf of space sim games....3 weeks after playing it I'll sigh and wish it was Freespace 3. Somebody please make Freespace 3. Yes I know they went bust.
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/06 @ 13:07

  • Clive_Dunn #22 6 years ago

    Isn't Derek Smart making Freespace 3 ? Or did that disappear up it's own arse ?

    Bugger, I've mentioned his name - he'll be here in a minute lambasting us all for hating the BC series.

  • Subquest #23 6 years ago

    I agree with the idea of being able to land - remember Damocles on the Amiga? That's the kind of space exploration game I'd like to see.

  • Anna #24 6 years ago

    I used to love Frontier Elite. I think I might have to get involved in a bit of Darkstar One

  • lasermink #25 6 years ago

    The main problem for me with this game as well as Freelancer is that it gets sizes and distances so completely wrong. If you look at the graphics and start thinking about the relationships between ships/stations/planets them you'll soon realize that those supposed planets are actually more like the size of large towns and the solar systems are actually smaller than countries on Earth. That just ruined Freelancer completely for me once I realized it (as soon as I had finished the story line, actually).

  • hjarg666 #26 6 years ago

    Derek Smart! Derek Smart! Derek Smart!

    Wonder if it still works... has been years.

    Oh, and loved the demo, will be getting the release.

  • Dynamize #27 6 years ago

    There was transition between space and atmosphere in Breed, but that was rubbish.

    I'm undecided on this one now, where previously I was quite enthusiastic. Naff exposition married to a narrative-heavy game gives me pause. I'll probably still grab it though.

  • Dirtbox #28 6 years ago

    Don't invoke the name of flame for chirst sakes.

    I've seen that pleb threaten many a website with legal action for less.

  • fergal_oc #29 6 years ago

    hey dirtbox, there's a demo available on the darkstar one website in case you're interested

  • dryden555 #30 6 years ago

    Shooters in space are fun but it tends to dissolve into the same strategy over and over again -- i.e. try to get on the 6 of your enemy.

    Land missions or at least 'flying over land' missions, would be great.

  • HappyMonkey #31 6 years ago

    Have a look round there's a great demo of this out. Be careful as there is an English version and a German one. The demo is not afraid for you to play a bit. I played for a couple of hours before it told me the story part of the demo was over, it them let me keep playing. Nice!

    Add to that you want another reason to buy.

    [link url=http://www.play.com/Games/PC/STCS7/3-/9309 46/Darkstar_One/Product.html
    ]http://ww w.play.com/Games/PC/STCS7/3-/93...[/link]

    £18. Excellent.

  • Martin #32 6 years ago

    Captain Blood!

    http://ww w.lemonamiga.com/games/details....

  • lemonfist #33 6 years ago

    Just tried the demo. It seems like a shallow, totally average action game that tries to be a bit like Elite, but focuses way too much on some crappy story-line. Just like Freelancer, then, except this is worse.

  • EggyDeth #34 6 years ago

    Memo to game devs:

    dear game devs, space is not purple, it's black.

    ciao, E.D.

  • prettyboytim #35 6 years ago

    I think you meant 'brakes'....

  • prettyboytim #36 6 years ago

    Yeah, I'd love to be able to play a game with some black space in it again...

  • S.J.Rogers #37 6 years ago

    On the way from Play.com as i type this.

    I am looking forward to my first space shooter.
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/06 @ 11:11

  • space_ace #38 6 years ago

    just tried the demo, terribly slow. unplayable terribly slow! how could you review it at all?

  • byron_hinson #39 6 years ago

    probably because it wasn't slow for most people, that and the fact the demo isn't the same version as the one in the shops now.

  • immateriaux #40 6 years ago

    I'll like to add that I also am of the opinion that space, if a colour, is black.

  • Fallen_Angel #41 6 years ago

    But isn't black an absence of colour?

  • carlosdelondres #42 6 years ago

    Yep, and space is the absence of stuff...hence its blackness...

  • darkstar_fan #43 6 years ago

    I like the game so much!

    Can anybody post some Darkstar One wallpapers here?

    edit: Ok, I found some nice wallpapers here [link url=http://bes tgamewallpapers.com/darkstar-one
    ]http://bes tgamewallpapers.com/darkstar-one
    [/link]

    anyone got some more?
    Edited by 1 at 03/09/06 @ 08:47

  • peppergomez #44 4 years ago

    total joke that this gets a higher score than x3. this game got monotonous after about 2 hours. the combat is the same, the sectors are the same, the missions are the same, the ship designs are redundant, etc. other than a really nicely designed cockpit, this is just crap.