Element: Space Reviews
Tactics game Element Space's port to the PlayStation 4 is something of a failure to launch, with poor presentation and stability in a crowded genre.
Element Space looked like such a fun game to play but ended up being a nightmare. In 2020 your game shouldn't be crashing every hour of playtime Element Space simply isn't optimized and need a lot more time in the testing stages.
While having clear intentions and ideas, this port fails to deliver on a grand scale
Element Space had choices that impacted the game like Mass Effect which I liked. Unfortunately, there were many bugs that caused the game time to be funny, frustrating, and annoying. A good game is there somewhere but the problems need to be fixed.
If you miss the days of old school BioWare (back when BioWare were still good) then Element Space may be operating on the exact retro wavelength for you.
If Element Space worked as intended, it would be a fairly bland but otherwise playable tactical RPG. You know, one of those games that you might pick up because its 75% off on Steam. A game that you wouldn’t quite call “good,” but it isn’t so bad that you’d go through the trouble of asking Father Gaben for a refund. Unfortunately, “doesn’t work as intended” is the definition of “normal” for Element Space.
Good tactical RPG, especialy for modest and console players, however gamepad is not very comfortable.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
There are some really cool ideas here, and potentially a really good game hidden under a mess that seems like it needed several more months of playtesting and hammering things out. There are just too many things like a lack of polish, a mess of a UI, the camera is hard to control, and bugs/glitches make the experience frustrating. It is sad because, while there are some cool things in here, it simply is not ready for release at this point. It needed way more time actually making sure the core experience is enjoyable, rather than fighting through nearly everything except for enemies.
With so many superior games inspired by XCOM out there, Element Space's buggy and tedious battles simply don't measure up.
So all in all, Element Space has some great ideas, great combat, decent storytelling which is sometimes blended into the combat sequences, but is a bit rough around the edges. Given some time and some patches though, this should be a much smoother and accessible title especially on the consoles.
Though the combat holds up, it’s just too difficult to find a way to recommend Element: Space as a whole. There’s not much of interest from a narrative standpoint, while all of the good points about the gameplay are offset by the technical problems. It’s a shame, as there’s a good base underneath it, but even with giving leeway based on the small size of the development team, the annoyances currently outweigh the good.
I’m just here to tell you that this would be a game that I could at no point in good faith recommend anyone to play unless they’re desperate for a brand new game of this genre. Even then, the game looks and controls like it’s older than most.
Element Space is sci-fi strategic and rpg game. Playing like Christopher Pietham, you will need to make an elite crew and fight against an underground terrorist network called Tempest.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
“While there is an interesting premise to Element Space the game-breaking bugs and clunky design choices make it a mission just to survive the game, let alone enjoy it.”
Despite its flaws, Element Space is fun. Although barebones on features, getting straight to the point isn’t a bad thing. Jumping from character interaction, revealing more of the story, and duking it out on awesome handcrafted maps may be monotonous but the memorized pace is very welcomed. If you like Mass Effect and X-COM vibes, Element Space is right up your alley!