Starpoint Gemini 3: Overview Video Games

Croatian Studio Little Green Men Games For 10 years already looking for his happiness and place in a cold airless space, that is, in space. It is so much time she makes a series Starpoint Gemini, Launching three license plates in 10 years. It would seem that if every time it takes so much time (after the second, six years has passed!), then the result should be excellent. However, every time these games are not enough for something, although, of course, it is impossible to call them space indie garbage, falling in black holes Steam. What was enough and why not enough STARPOINT GEMINI 3?

From strategy to rpg and back

The first game of the series came out in 2010 and looked like a mixture from “Star Wolves” And Starfleet Command, That is, it was a tactical strategy in “flat” space. The game turned out to be interesting, with the potential, but ambiguous, and in the second part the authors have already made a more obvious roll toward RPG and Freelancer. There were three-dimensional cosmos and the opportunity to directly manage their starship, freely flying through the big open world, building a reputation from different factions, trading, hunting on the pirates and so on and the like – in general, standard dry pie for fans of such projects.

That’s how Starpoint Gemini 2 looked ..
At the same time, the battles themselves were different from Freelancer-Tire: We could use mercenaries, giving them orders, hire officers with their bonuses, redistribute the energy between the ship’s systems, send a landing towards the boarding and expropriation of the opponent’s stars, apply the skills and point to shoot the enemy vessel.

But why was the paja? Because there were monotonous missions and not too much living world – in this sense Starpoint Gemini 2 clearly inferior by the diversity of the possibilities and the level of the simulation, which we saw in the games series FROM Or, for example, in “Space Rangers”.

… but the third part looks like. Well, what’s the difference?

Bold put on the hero

STARPOINT GEMINI 3 Developers seem to be started to do with more serious scope. Invited a steep scenario Darco Makana (Darko Macan), “Comic Official Writer Marvel And Star Wars“. Promised the biggest world in the history of the series, consisting of three planetary systems. And the concept is the same – a sorting role-playing Freelancer With focus on pumping, learning the skills of the character and buy improvements for the ship.

And it seems that the authors were kept their promises. The plot really turned out enough vigorous. We play for merry, Pijon and Major, Captain Jonathan Bold (Jonathan Bold), who is the grandson and the heir of the famous in the world Starpoint Gemini Magnata. And now after his death, Jonathan and other heirs are chased by all who are not too lazy.

The hero has to be encrypted and invent a different name.
By the time of the beginning of the game, many were already shooting, and on our bold one cool pirate, who wants him to make her rich – maybe even widow. He jokes with jokes and booms from her to another star system, there for nonsense (and greed) is involved in a frank adventure, it falls into debt slavery to aliens, then another lady will repurchase him, also knowing about the hereditary value of Jonathan … and this is only the beginning.

In general, against the background of many stamped stories tested in such cosmosums (in the same Starpoint Gemini 2, For example), here the script is really fun. Another thing is that the image of the main character does not cause any empathy. He is more annoying. Captain Bold is frankly stupid and fruitless, his jokes and phrases are taking place, but in essence and content they are all the same stupid.

Here is a sample of his humor.
And if it were not for AI, the ship controlling (her name of hell), it would have long turned into cosmic dust. It is hell with her here really a good sense of humor at least somehow saves the situation. True, it is also associated with it and not the most pleasant moment. Often in the plot we stick it into a drone and go on a sufficient monotonous scheme to collect data, shoot enemies and crack the locks in other ships or closed areas.

Boredom in such missions – mortal!

The world is big, but semi-bodied

Approximately the same with the “biggest playing world series”. It is really rather big – many sectors in three planetary systems. And in each – shopping, military and different stations, plants, colonies, planets, many of which, in addition to merchants, there are still a bartender issuing tasks. Plus resource-rich asteroid fields, some dumps, anomalies that need to scan, strange signals, responding to which you can get into the trap or, on the contrary, to gain on the remains of a large ship, where there is something to get used.

Sellers, pirates, representatives of different corporations. Someone is shooting with each other, someone immediately begins to attack you, someone peacefully follows in their own (seemingly).

Life seems to boil.

Navigation in sectors is quite comfortable, and docking and automatic.
And if the plot frames do not suit you, then you can choose three more modes: free, delicate pirate or knight-temple, thirsty to restore the Empire. It’s all the variations of a free game, just with different default relationships to one or another fractions.

However, if you look closely, it turns out that with simulation of life in the third part even worse than in the second. There, for example, news and trading reports were updated at stations, and here I did not notice. In addition, it is still impossible to communicate with the captains of the flying ships to demand life or wallet or, on the contrary, ask / offer assistance. Factions also became less, relations with them are mainly rudimentary and conditional, at the level “You are the enemy – I shoot, and you fly past!”.

There are here and aliens, but it’s better not to joke with them.

And where officers are?

The battles in the trickel are also implemented easier than in the second part. They crushed if. We are often fighting with far smaller ships. I did not notice a system of officers / mercenaries, nor a landing with an abodent, no need to redistribute energy between ship systems. The starship itself practically does not have inertia, almost instantly stops and freely spins around his axis, shooting hosts. In this sense, even Star Wars: Squadrons on the background STARPOINT GEMINI 3 Looks like a powerful simulator.

Only the ability to use in battle skills (however, you first need to learn them, systematically pumping parameters) and consumables like repair kit and traps. Well, as before, you can scan the enemy and determine its vulnerable systems to fly away, for example, by engines or guns. This is especially useful in battles with bosses.

Systems in such fights often refuse.

Play with ships

However, I repeat, do not think that STARPOINT GEMINI 3 – This is a cosmic trash. Imitation of stormy life in sectors? There is. Non-easy battles with bosses? But as the same! Many types of weapons? In stock. And some beat more on shields, others – by body. The cannons are also distinguished by speed and range of shots. There is also an option to collect on the foundation found items, designed either for a profitable sale or for use on the ship.

In battle often has to change the types of weapons and rockets.

Plus, it is possible to pump out, buy and put not only new, more powerful types of weapons, missiles and consumables, but also upgrades for ship systems: here and body, and engine, and shields, and wings, and scanner, and armory module. Thus, we, as if choose the configuration of the stellar from various modules. And, of course, in place the opportunity to paint your “bird” in your favorite colors, choose the emblem and backlight.***
If you missed the cosmosimami in the spirit Freelancer, which is now, to put it mildly, a little, and Elite Dangerous It seems to you too big and complicated, – then try STARPOINT GEMINI 3 It is exactly worth it. In other cases, fly by. Including if you were waiting for the development of the strategic and tactical components of the series. And then, by the way, the authors need to think carefully, and the way they are moving now, – the mixture of 4x strategies and RPG published in 2017 called Starpoint Gemini: Warlords Perceived better.

Pros: in some places a cheer plot; Large open world where there is something to do; role-playing system; upgrades and customization for the ship; atmospheric music during flights; Actors of sounding trying.

Minuses: The world is still quite static and monotonous;battles are less interesting compared to Starpoint Gemini 2; It does not feel that manage the cosmic ship; Outdated graphics.